When I first started looking at possible career options, I was torn between Chemical Engineering and its relevance to modern industry, and
the intellectual and research-oriented science degree, which however has limited
job opportunities at the end. My dilemma was solved when I discovered Industrial
Chemistry, which has the excitement of industry and job opportunities as
Chemical Engineering, as well as the intellectual stimulation of Science.

What also attracted me to Industrial Chemistry is the variety
of work available. Industrial Chemists can be found almost everywhere – some
are in laboratories or at universities conducting research, others are
optimizing processes in industry, and still more are managers or salespeople. I
look forward to an exciting career filled with variety, where without changing
companies, I could take on a wide range of different roles and career paths.

In my opinion, the Industrial Chemistry Course at the
University of New South Wales is the best in Australia. We are given a very
broad education, which opens up a huge variety of career options at the end of
the four years, and many of the lecturers and academics are world leaders in
their respective fields. This lets the students see the real world applications
of the subjects taught, making the course more interesting and relevant.

The first year of the course is a fairly general introduction
to the science and engineering degrees, with subjects such as chemistry,
physics, mathematics, engineering drawing, introduction to industrial chemistry,
basic computing and engineering mechanics. Second year branches out more, the
subjects comprising physical chemistry, fluid flow, organic chemistry, material
and energy balances, inorganic chemistry, instrumental analysis,
electrochemistry and advanced engineering mathematics. In third year the focus
moves towards industrial applications, and subjects include industrial organic
chemistry, polymer science, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, mineral
processing, experimental design, biotechnology, environmental science, chemistry
of industrial processes, corrosion and electrode kinetics, chemistry of high
temperature materials, process control and a factory visit, report writing and
an oral presentation component.

With so much to learn, there is little hope that every piece
of information will remain accessible in the brain, but the most important role
of the Industrial Chemistry course as I see it is to give a solid grounding in
the necessary knowledge, a feel for the scope of the industry and guidelines on
how to find more information when required. With this background, I know that I
can enter into a career, confident of my ability to learn about it quickly and
apply the knowledge already learnt.

In today’s world, scientists are struggling to dispel the
myth of the "mad scientist" – the white-haired, scatterbrained
professor who can barely string a sentence together. For this reason, the
Industrial Chemistry course has a strong focus on the ability to communicate
ideas effectively, both written and oral. It is partly due to the communication
aspect of the course that Industrial Chemistry graduates from the University of
New South Wales are highly sought after both in the chemical industry and
elsewhere.

As most people are aware, university life is not just about
learning and obtaining a degree, and this is one area where the Industrial
Chemistry course shines. Because the numbers of students are quite small (about
30 in each year), most people know each other and there is a very friendly
atmosphere. The academics are helpful and easy to talk to and there is a strong
sense of cooperation among the students, which is essential in such a demanding
course. There is an active Industrial Chemistry Undergraduate Society (ICUS),
run by the students, which organizes numerous social functions such as the
annual ball, cocktail party and wine and cheese trivia night as well as frequent
barbecues. ICUS also acts as a link between the students and academics if
necessary and helps organize and run the annual orientation and leadership camp
to introduce first year students to Industrial Chemistry at the University of
New South Wales. The students also participate in sports competitions within the
engineering faculty and as part of the University Social Sport competition, and
a highlight of the sports and social calendar is the annual Industrial Chemistry
stairclimb, a race up all ten flights of our "home", the Applied
Science building!

The course is not easy; in fact it is probably one of the
most challenging courses at university. The team spirit, however, as well as the
real-world applications and the relevance of the subjects, ensure that the
challenges are met and overcome, leading to great satisfaction and a feeling of
achievement at the end of each year. An easy course would not prepare us for the
responsibilities we will face as scientists and engineers in industry, and we
know the importance of our role in terms of economics, the environment and
safety.

Choosing Industrial Chemistry at UNSW was an excellent
decision. It is challenging, exciting, fun and has excellent job prospects,
everything I want out of a course. In the words of a current student,
"Industrial Chemistry – where life is always smokin’!"