Careers in Biology

Recent advances in biotechnology and molecular biology are transforming the research industries in which biologists work. A degree in biology prepares you for a spectrum of career options, enabling you to:

• Gain admission to medical, veterinary, dental or other professional schools.
• Perform research and aid discovery in medicine and pharmaceuticals, microbiology and biotechnology.
• Enter the burgeoning environmental industries, including forestry, endangered species recovery programs with zoos and parks, water and waste management, and environmental conservation.
• Serve the public as a forensic biologist or in the arena of public health.
• Teach science in public or private schools, or with further education, at universities and colleges, or in public venues like zoos, museums and nature centers.
• Become a science and health writer, creating industry materials or informing the public.
• Pursue a law degree with a scientific foundation to handle ethically sensitive, complex cases, or advise lawmakers at all levels of government, explaining biological issues and contributing to sound legislative decisions.

Rewarding Futures

Graduates of the Department of Biological Sciences earn competitive salaries immediately following graduation. According to a survey conducted by our Career Services Division, the department’s alumni from the Class of 2007 earned salaries ranging from $34,000 to more than $70,000 upon graduating.