Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Having a biology degree in your sterile little gloved hands is undeniable proof that you're smarter than everyone. Ha, just kidding, Shmoopers. But seriously, getting an advanced degree and calling yourself "doctor" definitely gives a certain impression. You're automatically one of those types—the type of people who frequently push up their glasses and begin almost every sentence with "actually." So yeah, you'll get mad respect from people. No, seriously. People just know that biology is a tough major, and that it requires a lot of hard work.
Let's say you only have your BS, though. You're still smart and useful and there are plenty of career options for you. If you want to go into medicine, you've already set yourself up with a strong background and great work ethic. Or, if you want to try your hand at something else, you can apply your attention to detail and scientific knowledge to a bunch of different career fields.
Common Career Fields
Doctor. Paging Dr. Shmooper. A large number of biology majors head into the medical profession in one way or another, usually hoping to make it as doctors. There's another four years in med school after you finish up the undergraduate degree, and then another couple after that, depending on what specialty you want to go into. When it's all said and done, you're in one of the most respected professions in the world. You get to save lives and help people when they're in need. They say laughter is the best medicine, but you'll be the one with the prescription pad.
Food Scientist. Have you ever looked on the back of a bag of chips or pint of ice cream and wondered how they know there are x number of calories in whatever you're eating? You can thank a food scientist for those nutritional facts. Among other things, food scientists are in charge of figuring out what's in food, and letting everyone know about it. This means they study the microorganisms in food and figure out whether it's safe to eat and good for us. Don't get too excited, though—you probably won't be doing a lot of taste-testing yourself.
Forensic Scientist. It's time to study the smallest traces of evidence to see what went down in a crime scene…CSI -style. (What snappy one-liners do you have for us today, Horatio?) Forensic scientists have to be good at noticing microscopic details. They're called upon to help determine what happened when all they have is skin cells, hair particles, and fingerprints. Admittedly, CSI exaggerates things a bit, but it's still pretty cool.
Marine Biologist. A wise Disney crab once said that life is the bubbles under the sea, and that's totally true—the ocean it pretty cool. It's no surprise that there's an entire field dedicated to studying sea life. Oceans are still vastly unexplored, but marine biologists are starting to change that. Marine biologists study the animals, microscopic organisms, and ecosystems in the ocean by looking at life cycles, bacteria, and plants. Their work is helpful to everyone from environmentalists to medical professionals. Since the underwater ecosystems can teach us a lot about biology in general, they often work with other specialists on projects.
Medical Geneticist. How do we know that DNA looks like a twisty staircase? Or that alcoholism is genetic? Medical geneticists, that's how. These biologists study how human life works at the building blocks of our bodies—DNA. They use the most modern technology available to study birth defects, diseases, and all kinds of icky stuff that we'd all rather live without. It's through their work that we learn more and more about diseases, especially how to prevent them.
Pharmacist. Most of us only see our pharmacist when we're feeling under the weather. However, they don't just stock cold and flu medicines and runny nose remedies—that's what a pharmacist is for. Along with providing prescriptions, pharmacists also help research medications. Perhaps the pharmacist's most important job is making sure none of the medications you're taking clash with each another. Say you go to two different doctors and forget to mention the prescription you have from one of them. Your pharmacist could save your life by telling you not to take certain drugs together.
Toxicology. When someone is poisoned, a toxicologist conducts research to see what chemicals were in their system. Maybe they accidentally ingested something, or perhaps it was…foul play. Toxicologists can't tell you if it was the jealous ex-boyfriend or the disgruntled ex-employee, but they might be able to help narrow it down. Also, when a new drug is developed, toxicologists test it before it can get approved. Basically, toxicology is about testing the effects of certain chemicals. Sometimes, this is tested on humans, while other times, toxicologists use animals. They even might test how the environment reacts.
Current unemployment of the major
5%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
56%Stats obtained from this source.