If you are curious and have a keen interest in how the world works, this is an exciting time to study Chemical Science. Medical & pharmaceutical products account for over 40% of Ireland's exports and the level of pharmachem exports remains high. Chemical Scientists are in high demand.

What’s It About

Chemical Science is the scientific study of matter. You will learn how substances are composed, their structure, properties and how they change and react when they encounter other substances. As a Chemical Scientist you would use your knowledge of substances at an atomic and molecular level to develop innovative new solutions to many of our global challenges.

Chemical Science in Ireland

Using your creativity, you may work in diverse fields such as climate change, renewable energy or new battery technology. You may wish to carry out further research on areas such as green hydrogen production or biodegradable additives to help recycle the 240 million tonnes of plastic waste generated globally.

You may prefer to work in the healthcare field and develop the next generation of vaccines and drugs to fight disease. You may seek to understand our unique microbiome, how we respond to illness and help to develop targeted therapeutics in the growing field of personalised medicine.

Developing wearable chemical nanosensors that can monitor our health in real-time is another exciting area as well as sensors that can track and monitor food along the supply chain to ensure freshness.

You may be interested in developing the successors to the advanced materials below, currently used in many products in the electronics industry. Smart glass, which is expected to explode with the growth in wearable devices and virtual/ augmented headsets.  Graphene, which is exceedingly thin, ultra-light and flexible, an efficient conductor of heat and light, and two hundred times stronger than steel. 

Whatever area you decide to pursue, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your cutting-edge research, using state of the art technology, has played a role in helping to protect the planet and benefitting society.

Training and Employment

You will develop valuable practical and analytical skills carrying out laboratory investigations, analysing data, interpreting, and presenting your results. The scientific, mathematical, computational, and problem-solving skills you will gain from studying Chemical Sciences are highly transferable and prized by a wide range of employers.

While most positions require a third level qualification there are opportunities to complete a Laboratory Apprenticeship which is open to school leavers or those who wish to upskill or retrain.

Chemical Scientists are highly sought after and touch every area of our lives. You may work in a wide range of industries such as academia, agrochemical, biotechnology, chemical engineering, energy, forensics, government departments, health & safety, healthcare, materials, mining, Medtech and pharmaceutical. Not every position is based in a laboratory and there are opportunities in manufacturing, management, regulatory affairs, policy making, education, patent attorney, and technical sales and marketing.