Employees with PhD degrees are in high demand by industry, with starting salaries that are considerably higher than for BS or MS graduates. Also, a PhD degree is generally required to pursue an academic career. The doctoral program is designed to prepare the student for a lifetime of intellectual inquiry and research and is therefore more rigorous and demanding than the MS program. Students who are dedicated, diligent, and thoughtful and who can work independently are most suited for a PhD in chemical engineering at BYU.