Overview
As a graduate of our pharmaceutical sciences program, you will be ready to embark on a highly-rewarding career.
As a pharmaceutical scientist, you will be able to take pride in knowing that, at the end of every workday, you will have contributed to a noble goal: preserving and restoring human health. By using your skills to support projects aimed at uncovering the causes and advancing the treatments for diseases that affect the lives and livelihoods of millions, you will be making a real difference.
Career Paths
Upon graduating from our program, you will be prepared to seek entry-level positions in the life sciences industry, in R&D (research and development) and service laboratories and government agencies – or be ready to pursue advanced graduate and professional studies.
You will be prepared to work in areas related to the development, formulation, characterization, manufacturing and approval of pharmaceutical products and therapies. You will be equipped with the knowledge to engage in data analysis and review processes. You will also be qualified to seek entry-level work in areas of the pharmaceutical sector that ensure regulatory compliance, quality assurance and control.
You can enter careers in:
- the pharmaceutical industry
- government laboratories
- regulatory agencies
- R&D laboratories
- service laboratories
- health care systems
- medical research organizations
- and more
Relevant job titles include those as scientists, researchers and analysts. Here are some real examples taken from jobs posted in 2023-24 by the pharmaceutical and related industries:
- Scientist (Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences)
- Assistant Scientist (Formulation Development)
- Quality Assurance Associate (Compliance)
- Quality Assurance Technician
- Quality Operations
- Quality Assurance Associate (Quality Compliance)
- Quality Assurance Associate (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing)
- Analytical Chemist II/Biochemist (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing)
- Analytical Associate Scientist
- Quality Shop Floor Technician
- Associate Scientist/Scientist (Early Stage Formulation)
- Research and Development CMC Regulatory Chemist
- Associate Scientist
- Research Technologist
- Pharma Quality Assurance Specialist (Aseptic Operations)
- Cleaning Validation Scientist I
- Materials Scientist
- Laboratory Technician
You'll also be eligible to pursue a graduate or professional degree in the health sciences. Build on your bachelor's through our graduate programs in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmaceutical engineering, our professional Doctor of Pharmacy program or our dual-degree programs.
Job Outlook
There will be significant job opportunities when you graduate. In this decade, about 50% of the jobs in the pharmaceutical industry are expected to go unfilled due to a talent gap.
This means that there's a shortage of graduates with the skill set that you will be acquiring during our undergraduate program, leaving many of those well-paying jobs without qualified candidates to fill them. In Virginia, where growth in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries continue, that need is projected to be high.
Virginia-based jobs posted in 2023-24 that included a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences as a qualification included scientist, quality assurance technician, materials scientist, research technologist and laboratory technician, among others. For occupations with these titles, the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement is projecting 5-8% job growth through 2030. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' analysis of projected job growth, occupations projected to grow more than 2.8% from 2022-32 are considered to be growing faster than average for all occupations.
Learn more about what pharmaceutical scientists do, their typical career paths and their earning potential.