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Chemistry lecturer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chemistry lecturer. Chemistry lecturers usually study chemistry, pharmacy, or education. 52% of chemistry lecturers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 376 real chemistry lecturer resumes to see exactly what chemistry lecturer education sections show.

The most common colleges for chemistry lecturers are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online chemistry lecturer courses to help get the education required to be a chemistry lecturer.

What education do you need to become a chemistry lecturer?

What degree do you need to be a chemistry lecturer?

The most common degree for chemistry lecturers is bachelor's degree, with 52% of chemistry lecturers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 28% and master's degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Master's, 28%
  • Doctorate, 16%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a chemistry lecturer?

You should major in chemistry to become a chemistry lecturer. 69% of chemistry lecturers major in chemistry. Other common majors for a chemistry lecturer include pharmacy and education.

Most common colleges for chemistry lecturers

Chemistry lecturers often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for chemistry lecturers in the US based on their resumes.
Chemistry lecturer common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara10.20%
University of Southern California8.16%
New York University6.12%
National University6.12%
Texas A&M University San Antonio6.12%

Best majors for chemistry lecturers

Best colleges for chemistry lecturers

The best colleges for chemistry lecturers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Vanderbilt University.

A chemistry lecturer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chemistry lecturers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become chemistry lecturers.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

10. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,382

Enrollment

5,597

20 best online courses for chemistry lecturers

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1. Introduction to Chemistry: Structures and Solutions

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This is an introductory course for students with limited background in chemistry; basic concepts such as atomic and molecular structure, solutions, phases of matter, and quantitative problem solving will be emphasized with the goal of preparing students for further study in chemistry...

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Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an...

3. Complete General Chemistry 20+ hours of lectures & examples

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4.1
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Master General Chemistry in 4 weeks by solving examples & problems! Rahsoft Chemical Engineering Department RAHCH101...

4. Chemistry 101 - Part 1 Principles of Chemistry

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4.3
(414)

An introductory course for anybody who wants to study chemistry - either towards future pathways or just for fun!...

5. Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics

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This introductory physical chemistry course examines the connections between molecular properties and the behavior of macroscopic chemical systems...

6. Nanotechnology and Nanosensors, Part 2

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Learn about novel sensing tools that make use of nanotechnology to screen, detect and monitor various events in personal or professional life. Together, we will lay the groundwork for infinite innovative applications, starting from diagnosis and treatments of diseases, continuing with quality control of goods and environmental aspects, and ending with monitoring security issues. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Nanotechnology and nanosensors are broad, interdisciplinary areas that...

7. Dr. K's Complete First Semester General Chemistry I Course

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A Course to Prepare You for College Level General Chemistry...

8. Introduction to Cheminformatics and medicinal chemistry

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Understand the underlying chemistry of drug development and use free softwares to analyze molecules...

9. Quantum Mechanics

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Course 2 of Statistical Thermodynamics presents an introduction to quantum mechanics at a level appropriate for those with mechanical or aerospace engineering backgrounds. Using a postulatory approach that describes the steps to follow, the Schrodinger wave equation is derived and simple solutions obtained that illustrate atomic and molecular structural behavior. More realistic behavior is also explored along with modern quantum chemistry numerical solution methods for solving the wave equation...

10. The Science of the Solar System

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Learn about the science behind the current exploration of the solar system in this free class. Use principles from physics, chemistry, biology, and geology to understand the latest from Mars, comprehend the outer solar system, ponder planets outside our solar system, and search for habitability in our neighborhood and beyond. This course is generally taught at an advanced level assuming a prior knowledge of undergraduate math and physics, but the majority of the concepts and lectures can be...

11. Organic Chemistry: Spectroscopy Master Class

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Gain confidence in NMR (1H and 13C), IR, and MS with guided practice problems...

12. Fundamentals of Plastics and Polymers

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Polymer chemistry, properties, processing, testing and applications...

13. Materials in Oral Health

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The drive for development of new and novel oral biomaterials has never been more important with many people using oral biomaterials today and seeing their benefits in restoring and improving their oral health for a more enjoyable lifestyle. The unique properties of biomaterials such as titanium (Ti), zirconia (ZrO2) and various polymeric materials have made them materials of choice in oral health: dental implants, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and even regenerative medicine. Oral biomaterials...

14. Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change

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This class describes the science of global warming and the forecast for humans’ impact on Earth’s climate. Intended for an audience without much scientific background but a healthy sense of curiosity, the class brings together insights and perspectives from physics, chemistry, biology, earth and atmospheric sciences, and even some economics—all based on a foundation of simple mathematics (algebra)...

15. Control Your Brain Chemistry - Become Confident and Creative

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16. Electric Vehicle Battery Management System - Course

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Battery management system battery design & modelling Electric vehicle Lithium ion battery management Simulation...

17. Battery Technologies

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This Specialization is about building an in-depth understanding of Batteries in Electric Vehicles Scenarios. The courses comprise topics such as Batteries and their types, applications, architecture, Cell Chemistries, Battery Charging its Modes & Standards, Battery Management Systems, Cell Balancing, Wire Harness, and Battery Connectors...

18. Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building

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In the Healthier Materials and Sustainable Building specialization, you learn about healthier building materials, exploring subjects ranging from classification of toxic chemicals to new green innovations. You start by investigating the intersection of building materials and human health. Then, you learn how chemistry and toxicology affect the built world. Next, you examine design specifications from a healthier materials perspective. Finally, you employ cutting-edge practices to execute a...

19. Biology Everywhere Foundations

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In this course, we will explore the nature of science and biology. We will discuss what the “biology everywhere” philosophy means and the history of the “biology everywhere” project. We will also discuss what science (and biology) are as a discipline of inquiry and how chemistry is foundational to understanding biology...

20. Display Simple Data with Pie Chart and Tabbed Pane in JavaFX

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In this project, the learner will create a GUI that contains a tabbed pane with two tabs. The first tab will provide text fields to collect data on the number of students enrolled in English major, Mathematics major, and Chemistry major. When a button is clicked, the data will be shown in a pie chart on the second tab...

Top 10 most affordable universities for chemistry lecturers

The most affordable schools for chemistry lecturers are University of Florida, florida state university, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for chemistry lecturers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for chemistry lecturers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chemistry lecturers

The hardest universities for chemistry lecturers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for chemistry lecturers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for chemistry lecturers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chemistry lecturers

The easiest schools for chemistry lecturers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, d'youville college, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chemistry lecturer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for chemistry lecturers.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

7. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

10. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

Average chemistry lecturer salary by education level

According to our data, chemistry lecturers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $60,792 annually. Chemistry lecturers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $52,443.
Chemistry lecturer education levelChemistry lecturer salary
Master's Degree$52,443
Doctorate Degree$60,792

Chemistry lecturer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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