The knowledge gained through fundamental scientific study allows us to understand our world more thoroughly and provides the basis for future technology. In addition to its own intrinsic value, chemistry has an important bearing on many other areas, including materials, biology, medicine, electronics, and even psychology. Chemical science is inherently experimental, but experiments are carried out within a theoretical framework that helps make sense out of the data and also points the way to new, fruitful areas for investigation. Chemistry graduates go on to graduate school, medical school, or into industry, government or hospital laboratories, or teaching. Chemistry provides an unusually good background for a wide variety of careers which are not in fields traditionally considered chemistry, but in which the expertise of the chemist is especially important.
Examples are oceanography, environmental control, materials science, biology, and mental health.
Each year many of the chemistry graduates from WPI go on to graduate school fully supported by teaching assistantships or fellowships. Others have entered medical or dental schools, having satisfied pre-medical requirements by combining biology and biotechnology courses with a chemistry major, although this goal is now more directly satisfied through the Biochemistry major. Students interested in becoming teachers have done project work that involved classroom teaching in local schools. This has been considered as practice teaching and, in combination with appropriate education courses taken through the Worcester Consortium for Higher Education, has led to the receipt of certification for teaching in Massachusetts. The normal period of residency at WPI is 16 terms.