What Can You Do With a College Degree in Biology?

Career options for aspiring biologists

There are many career paths open to biology majors. For example, a general biology undergraduate degree could prepare you to work as a botanist, a teacher, a trip leader for outdoor organizations such as the National Outdoor Leadership School, a scientist for a non-profit organization such as a university or environmental society, an educator at an environmental facility, a forest ranger, or an urban planner or researcher. You could join the Peace Corps as well.

Graduate-level specialization offers many opportunities as well, including:

• Microbial and Cellular Biologist. A teaching position in this area could include coursework in immunology, molecular genetics, food microbiology and medical microbiology. You could teach students how to initiate and conduct research. Other common employers include animal vaccine supply firms, the cosmetics industry, the dairy industry, or the clinical laboratory of a pharmaceutical company.
• Meteorologist. This job title expands far beyond delivering the weather forecast to local viewers of the six o'clock news. Air force meteorologists, for instance, deliver weather predictions that are crucial to flight operations and troop movements. Many commercial airlines hire their own meteorologists, as do highway departments, ocean shipping firms and electric and gas utilities.
• Geologist. As a petroleum geologist, you could be hired by a private energy company to explore and retrieve petroleum deposits. As an environmental geologist, you might investigate and assess the environmental impact of those projects, or study industrial contamination. As an environmental geologist for a government agency, you could be called on to assess the impact of landslides, or manage water supply development.
• Arborist. A commercial or municipal arborist might care for the trees on company or government agency grounds. He would be responsible for pruning, planting, fertilizing, and pest control. Public utility companies and governments hire utility arborists to plan and manage tree maintenance around utility lines, and to advise firms on the appropriate care and types of trees best for power line locations.
• Geneticist. Some geneticists, called clinical geneticists, must earn a medical degree to work on prevention of genetic diseases and defects. Laboratory geneticists, who must hold at least a master's degree, apply genetic technological advances to improve agriculture, develop new drugs, and assist with police work. Genetic counselors work in a medical, counseling or research capacity, with families at risk or suffering through the genetic disease of a family member.
• Forensic Scientist. Within this field there are many types of jobs. A criminalist, for example, would typically work for a law enforcement agency, identifying evidence and linking it to suspects. You might also work as a wildlife criminalist, investigating poaching activity. Forensic pathologists perform autopsies to determine the cause and manner of death. They also typically work for government and law enforcement agencies. Forensic anthropologists are called upon to identify bodies, whether those found through archeological or other discovery, or victims of disaster such as plane crashes.