Professional expectations of chemistry and engineering students according to gender

Abstract

This study has been developed using Organic Chemistry subjects belonging to the Chemistry Degree (3 subjects) and the Chemical Engineering Degree (1 subject) at the University of Alicante. No relevant differences in any of the subjects have been observed between the number of students of each gender during several academic years. Students’ final grades have statistically revealed that there are no significant differences between both gender populations. Within of this study, there is a uniform distribution of the marks obtained in the Final Exam and in the Continuous Assessment for both genders. Moreover, students agree that getting linguistic skills in English while taking specific subjects of the degrees is beneficial for their professional future. Regarding professional expectations, Production and Research & Development in the chemical industry have been the main choices for students. Both gender groups have reported similar professional career prospects, independently of the subject. Some differences have been observed between the professional activities chosen by students from the Chemistry Degree and the Chemical Engineering Degree.