Chemistry and Geochemistry
This section includes Chemistry (all specialties) and
Geochemistry Majors.
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What an Undergraduate Student Needs to Know:
Number of Credit Hours to graduate: 133.5 Chem./Env Chem 132.5 Biochem.
Specialties/Concentrations: Chemistry, Biochemistry,
Environmental Chemistry
Department Head: Dr. David Wu, [email protected], 303-273-2066
Website: chemistry.mines.edu/
Student Organizations: American Chemical Society Student Chapter
Careers related to this field of study:
Chemical research has led to the discovery and development of new and improved synthetic
fibers, paints, adhesives, drugs, cosmetics, electronic components, lubricants, and thousands of
other products. Chemists develop processes such as improved oil refining and petrochemical
processing that save energy and reduce pollution. Applications of chemistry include studies of
superconducting materials, graphite materials, integrated-circuit chips, and fuel cells. Research
on the chemistry of living things spurs advances in medicine, agriculture, food processing, and
other fields. Many chemists work in research and development (R&D). In basic research, they
investigate the properties, composition, and structure of matter and the laws that govern the
combination of elements and reactions of substances to each other. In applied R&D, these
scientists create new products and processes or improve existing ones, often using knowledge
gained from basic research. For example, synthetic rubber and plastics resulted from research
on small molecules uniting to form large ones, a process called polymerization. R&D chemists
use computers and a wide variety of sophisticated laboratory instrumentation for modeling,
simulation, and experimental analysis. Specialty chemists, such as medicinal and organic
chemists, work with life scientists to translate this knowledge into new drugs. Developments in
the field of chemistry that involve life sciences will expand, resulting in more interaction among
biologists, engineers, computer specialists, and chemists. Chemists also work in production
and quality control in chemical manufacturing plants. They prepare instructions for plant workers
that specify ingredients, mixing times, and temperatures for each stage in the process. They
also monitor automated processes to ensure proper product yield and test samples of raw
materials or finished products to ensure that they meet industry and government standards,
including
March
2013 regulations governing pollution.
Employment Picture:
Employment change. Employment of chemists is expected to grow 3 to 9% over the
2010-2020 decade. Job growth will occur in professional, scientific, and technical services firms
as manufacturing companies continue to outsource their R&D and testing operations to these
smaller, specialized firms.
Chemists should experience employment growth in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research,
as recent advances in genetics open new avenues of treatment for diseases. Employment of
chemists in the non-pharmaceutical chemical manufacturing industries is expected to decline
over the projection period, along with overall declining employment in these industries.
RECRUITING
COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Chemistry Department
REPORTED STARTING SALARY OFFERS 2011-2012
B.S.
M.S.*
Low
High
Average
$30,000
$71,000
$49,000
$50,000
$100,000
$87,500 (2009 data)
*Insufficient data received in for M.S. or PhD offers, due to low graduation numbers.
March 2013
Employers recruiting for Chemistry Majors through the Mines
Career Center during the last 5 years include:
(“Bold” indicates on-campus recruiting; “Plain” indicates Job Postings in
DiggerNet; companies also recruiting for Internships noted with *.)
Company Name
Company Name
Company Name
Company Name
Abengoa Bioenergy *
Advanced Forming Technology
Cameco Corporation
Enserca Engineering
Intelligentsia International *
Cabot Superior MicroPowders*
ENSR *
Intrepid Potash *
Aegis Analytical *
Cardinal Health
EnviraCarbon *
ION Engineering
Agilent Technologies *
Allied Mineral Products
CDM *
Epic Systems
Iowa State University *
Chevron Corporation *
ERM
iReservior.com
Allied Nevada Gold
Ciris Energy
Alter Trading Corporation
City of Aurora *
ESAB Welding and Cutting
Products
Evalueserve Business
ITT Visual Information Solutions
American Power Corp *
City of Pueblo
Consulting
EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel *
Jefferson County Workforce
Amyris Biotechnologies
City Year Denver
Exponent
JR Engineering *
AngloGold Ashanti
Anheuser-Busch *
CiviCore
ExxonMobil *
J.R. Simplot Company *
Clariant Corporation
Federal Bureau Investigation
Kaplan Test Prep
Anvil Corporation
Clean Harbors
Federal Highway Admin*
Kiewit Infrastructure
Apogee Scientific
CloudSync *
FL Smidth
Kinder Morgan *
Arcadis *
Clover Industries
FMC Alkali Chemical Division
Kinross Gold Corporation
ArcelorMittal
Colorado Center for Biorefining
&
BiofuelsPublic Health *
Colorado
Freeport McMoran *
Larimer County *
FritoLay (PepsiCo) *
Leppert Associates *
Colorado Oil and Gas
Association
Colorado Springs Utilities *
Frontiers of Science Institute
Lexmark International
Galt & Company
Lifelock Technologies
Geomega
Lockheed Martin
ATK Launch Systems *
Colorado Watershed Assembly
*ConocoPhillips
Gerald Metals *
Luca Technologies
Atkinson Construction *
Consolidated Oil Well Services
Global Power Solutions
Luminant
Atlas Copco CMT USA
CoorsTek *
Goldman Sachs *
M.A. Mortenson *
ATMEL Corporation
Covidien *
Gopher Resource Corporation
Mainstream Engineering
AXA Advisors
Cree
Graymont
Marathon Oil Company *
Ball Corporation *
Crystal River Oil and Gas *
Groundwork Denver
Matheson Mining Consultants
Baker Hughes Inc. *
Dakota Gasification Company*
GWD Engineering & Design
Barr Engineering Company
Dawn Food Products
Habitat Management*
Medical Simulation Corporation
*Merrick & Company *
BCI Engineers and Scientists
DCP Midstream *
Hach Company *
Metso Minerals Industries
BCS, Incorporated *
Halliburton *
Mile High Youth Corps
BD Diagnostics *
Department of Energy Environmental
Department of Homeland
Hecla Limited
MillerCoors *
Bechtel National *
Security
Dynamic Science
Hensel Philips Construction *
Minnesota Dept Nat Resources
BENTEK Energy
Bekaert Corporation *
Dyno Nobel
Highmount E & P *
Missile Defense Agency
EA Engineering, Science,
Technology
Ecocion
High Sierra Water Service
Multiphase Solutions Kenny
Holcim (US)
MWH Global *
Bimbo Bakeries
Bishop-Brogden Associates*
Edward Jones
Hudson Capital Group
Nalco Company *
Ellwood Group
Hukari Technical Services
BJ Services
El Paso County *
iCast *
NASA Research Centers
Internships
* Stand/Tech NIST
Nat’l Instit. of
ASARCO *
Ashland
Ascent Solar Technologies
Aslan Construction *
BHP Billiton - New Mexico Coal
ITN Energy Systems
Black Hills Corporation *
El Pomar Foundation *
Idaho National Laboratory
Nat’l Renewable Energy NREL
Blue Sky Energy *
Encana Oil & Gas *
IHS INC
Navarro Research/ Engineering
Boulder County *
Energy Acuity *
Imerys *
Newmont Mining Corporation *
Bowhead Science and
Technology
BP (Geosciences)*
Energy Future Holdings *
Infinite Power Solutions *
Nestle Purina PetCare
Enerplus Resources USA
Intela
Nexen Petroleum USA
March 2013
Company Name
Company Name
Company Name
Company Name
Nolte Associates *
Rocky Mountain Laboratories
Syngenta
U.S. Office of Minerals Eval.
Nucor Steel
Rocky Mountain Reagents
Synkera Technologies
U.S. Office of Surface Mining
Oak Ridge Institute for Science
and
Oak Education
Ridge National Laboratory
SAIC *
Teck Cominco
Ultimate Results
Safe-T-Gard
The Aerospace Consultation
United Launch Alliance *
Ocean Thin Films
Samsung Austin
Semiconductor
Sanjel USA
The Bean Consulting Group
Univ. Corp Atmos. Res. UCAR *
Univ. of California
iReservior.com
Olympus Innov-X
Sandoz *
The Institute for Systems
Research
The Shaw*Group
Orica, USA
Sartorius TCC Company
The Vanguard School
Univ. of Minnesota Duluth
Pacific NW National Labs *
Schlumberger *
The White House
Univ. of Texas *
Paleo Research Institute *
Seagate *
The Williams Company *
URS Washington Division *
Particle Measuring Systems
Severstal North America
Thomas MacLaren School
USA Environmental
Univ. of Colorado Law School
Peace Corps
SGS North America
Total Petrochemicals USA *
U.S. Steel Corporation *
Performance Friction Corp
Sheridan Ross P.C.
Trane *
VISTA Geoscience
Procter & Gamble
Skyline Assayers/Laboratories
U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Palace
VME Process
Phillips 66
p
Presto Geosystems
Smith International *
U.S. Chemical Safety Board*
Wasson-ECE Instrumentation
PrimeStar Solar
Solvay Chemicals *
Spectranetics Corporation
Weatherford Laboratories
Western Area Power Admin*
RAS and Associates
Statoil Gulf of Mexico
U.S.D.A. Forest Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
*U.S. Department of Energy
Renewable Energy Resources
Stoody Company
U.S. DOI: Bureau Reclamation
Williams Advanced Materials
Resource Erectors
Stratus Consulting
U.S. DOL: Mine Safety/Health
Wipro Technologies
Rio Tinto
Sundew Technologies
U.S. E PA
World Minerals
River North Environmental
Superior Well Services*
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Xcel Energy *
Rocky Mountain Institute *
Statoil Gulf of Mexico
U.S. Navy
Zayo Group *
March 2013
Western Hardrock Watershed