What Can I Do With a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Degree

February 19, 2022 Post a Comment

BiologyIcon Biology is a hugely important field dealing with everything from the identification of plants, to the study of genetics, to the relationship between the climate and organisms.

Though Aristotle is said to be the "father" of biology, information technology hasn't been until the last 2 hundred years that the true importance of the science has emerged. Emerging technologies in the imaging of microscopic life, the ability to analyze and sequence the genome, and an increasingly "explored" world have fabricated biology one of the most all-encompassing natural sciences.
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Biology is too a useful degree in that it tin can be pursued for its own sake or is a not bad route to prepare you for written report in a related field. Many medical doctors, pharmacists, and forensics analysts start every bit biological science majors.

Below we'll jump into exactly what you tin practice with a degree in biology.

Some of the nigh common questions we run across regarding biology degrees are listed in our biology FAQ department below.

Don't meet what yous're looking for? Cheque out our biology caste-centered FAQs beneath. Also, be sure to roll downwards to run into the remainder of our guide on what y'all can do with a biology degree.

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What is Biological science?

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At the most full general level, biology derives from the aboriginal Greek "Bios" (life) and "-ology" (the written report of). Where physics takes the atom as the basic component of the world, and chemical science takes chemicals as one lens through which to empathize the world, biology takes the cell as the central component of life.

Across the cell, biology holds ii central notions at the center of its science:

Genes are the basic unit of measurement controlling heredity.
And the theory of development propels long-term changes in genetics.

The implications of the written report of these branches of biological science are vast. And with the study of heredity and development included in biological science, a lens emerges through which to analyze everything from cancer treatments to genetically modified crops. As one may guess, this leads to a wide range of jobs and focus areas amongst those loosely grouped every bit biologists.

For the purpose of our discussion of "what you can do with a degree in biology," we'll break up biological science into four groups.

In the about general terms, the four main focus areas of biology include:

Structural Biological science
Physiological Biology
Evolutionary Biological science
And Ecological and Environmental Biological science

Structural biology studies the structural components of living things. This leads to sub-disciplines in structural biology including a focus on molecular interactions inside living beings, on cellular interactions in living beings, in the anatomy of living beings, the genetic makeup of living beings, and the study of how living beings grow and change.

Experts are needed in each of these sub-disciplines and include the likes of geneticists, experts of anatomy, molecular biologists, and cell biologists.

Physiological biology focuses on studying the function of systems within living things. Mostly, this field is divided into found physiology and animal physiology, though at that place is a great bargain of overlap.

Physiological biology is concerned with systems as a whole and may study the function of the circulatory, nervous, or immune systems (amid others). This makes physiological biology primal to a number of medical disciplines. Well-nigh notably, physiological biology shares a corking deal of overlap with neurology and immunology.

Physiological biologists work in a range of settings including pharmaceutical research, biotechnology, plant science, and agriculture.

Evolutionary biology focuses on classifying the emergence and extinction of species over time, including what species evolved from others and when. Due to in-depth focus on classifying private types of living organisms into a taxonomy, evolutionary biology relies heavily on scientists of individual types of organisms. These scientists include botanists, mammalogists, ornithologists, herpetologists, among others.

Evolutionary biologists inform other branches of biological science every bit to connections and diversity between different forms of life. This is important in practical applications including agriculture and medicine.
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Ecological and environmental biological science focuses on systems of living organisms within an environment. The study of the distribution of organisms of a given type, equally well equally their abundance, is crucial to tracking sustainability, and the population of certain diseases, viruses, and microbes.

2 fields closely intertwined with ecological and environmental biology include ethology — the study of fauna behavior — and Biogeography, the study of the spatial distribution of living organisms.

Now that nosotros've covered — in wide strokes — many of the types of work that biologists use themselves with, permit's take a look at the range of degrees that tin can assistance you to piece of work in biology.

What Biology Degrees are Bachelor?

The most straightforward way to become into biology is to pursue a degree in biology (of grade!). Biology degrees are bachelor at the acquaintance'due south through doctoral levels.
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While associates and bachelors degrees in biology merely cover general foundational noesis, graduate degrees in biology tin be quite specialized.

Associates degrees in biology require 60 credit hours and effectually two years to terminate (on a full-fourth dimension schedule). Some common courses within biology in this level of degree may include:

General Biology
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry for Science Majors
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Human being Anatomy
Human Physiology
General Microbiology
Cultural Anthropology
Introduction to Sociology

Associates degrees can fix students for technician jobs in labs, medical settings, or out in the field. Additionally, many students opt to finish their first two years of undergraduate study in a community higher level and and then transfer to a four-year schoolhouse. This tin save a adept deal of money, as customs colleges are generally much more affordable than full-fledged universities. Some community colleges are fifty-fifty complimentary in select states and metro customs college districts.

A bachelor's in biology is likely the most popular of biology degrees. This is in function considering information technology is a dandy preparatory degree for graduate programs in a variety of fields including medicine, engineering, or biology subdisciplines.

Bachelor's degrees crave 120 credit hours and around iv years of total-time written report with no transfer credit. A nifty deal of overlap with the associates program in biology exists at the bachelor's level. Though bachelor's students likely have more choices of electives and potentially a large inquiry projection or thesis at the end of their major.

Common available's-level courses in a biology major include the following:

Physiology
Animal Biology
Beliefs
Biochemistry
Biotechnology
Phytology
Jail cell Biology
Chemistry
Ecology
Embryonic Development
Evolution
Genetics
Immunology
Marine Biology
Microbiology
Neurobiology
Parasitology

Additionally, a number of biology-heavy or biological science-related degrees are available at the bachelor'south level. These related degrees that depict heavily from biology include:

Environmental Studies
Ecology Science
Sustainability Studies
Environmental and Biodiversity
Zoology
Biochemistry
Biophysics

Some bachelor's degree programs are led past faculty specialized in one area of biology. This may lead to undergraduate programs that allow students to specialize earlier than many other programs. Undergraduate degrees are at times offered in:

Structural Biology
Molecular Biology
Photobiology
Radiations Biology

While there are some available's degrees that allow students to specialize in an area of biology, most students of biological science start to specialize at the master'southward level.

Generally speaking, master's degrees will take a declared focus depending on the faculty and research opportunities available to students. Additionally, some master's in biological science programs will offer a range of specializations to choose from.

Some of the most widely-sought specializations at the primary'due south level include the following:

Biotechnology
Bioinformatics
Conservation and Biodiversity
Biology Education
Chemical and Environmental Toxicology
Biochemistry
Information Science
Wellness Sciences
Marine Biology
Taxonomy
Molecular Biology
Oncology
Physiology
Prison cell Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Among Others

Equally y'all can meet, biology is a huge discipline with many sub-specialties. This only makes sense with a science that'southward purview is "all of life." Living organisms tin can be studied at many levels, and there are living organisms of many, many types.

Nearly master's degrees in biological science require around 30 credit hours. For students that are admitted to doctoral programs afterward undergraduate study, master's degrees are gained "en route" to a doctorate after the completion of a thesis.

At the doctoral level the most mutual caste for most biology fields is a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in one of the subdisciplines within biological science. This means that Ph.D.'s in Biochemistry, or Photobiology, or Ecology Studies are all within the realm of biology doctorates. Additionally, many schools volition likewise laurels Ph.D.'s in Biology generally, though students of the programs will have specialized in one or more subdisciplines within the science.
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When choosing a doctoral caste, 1 of the most important things to note is whether the plan you are pursuing is a research or professional person doctorate. All Ph.D. programs are research doctorates. This ways that a cardinal goal of the bookish class of study is to prepare students to be university lecturers and perform original research. Original research in a Ph.D. is meant to lead to a hundred+ page certificate known as a dissertation.

Ph.D. programs in biology-related fields ordinarily take 3-5 years to complete, depending on the corporeality of fourth dimension spent on a dissertation.

Potential students should also know that in that location are many careers related to or in biology that are available to students that have degrees of multiple types. Students with a master'due south in biology may pursue a doc of medicine caste, or a Ph.D. in information science, or a D.Eng. in Bio-engineering. All of these degrees can build on a basis on biology to make you lot a subject matter expert in a biology-heavy field.

Biology touches on many subjects. Retrieve you might exist interested in a degree related to biological science? Check out our guides on related caste types:

What Can I Do With a Degree in Medicine?
What Tin can I Do With a Caste in Science?

Can You Take a Biological science Degree Online?

As with well-nigh degrees today, biological science degrees are available from some universities fully online. Equally the degree requires a meaning number of labs, biology is not every bit heavily online every bit other disciplines.

A trend we've noted at DegreeQuery is that many universities will offer more than research heavy biological science degrees on-campus, while providing less research-intensive options online.

Of biology degrees, those most commonly available online or partially online include bachelor'southward degrees, chief'southward degrees, and education degrees centered on biology.

While many degrees are available online today, studying online isn't for every student. There are definite pros and cons to online report.

Some of the most commonly cited benefits of online education include lower fees for written report, the power to log into grade from wherever and whenever, the ability to juggle a decorated work and life schedule, and no need to move or commute.
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On the flip side, some of the normally-cited drawbacks of online didactics include less meaningful relationships with classmates or professors, less access to on-campus events, and the need to be more than cocky-motivated than in-person degrees.

Biology touches on many subjects. Think you might be interested in a degree related to biology? Check out our guides on related degree types:

What Tin can I Do With a Degree in Medicine?
What Can I Practice With a Caste in Scientific discipline?

What Can You Do With a Degree in Biology?

Now that we've covered what biological science is, the major degree types of biology, as well equally where you can pursue a degree in biology, let'south look at the practical stuff.

Biological science degrees prepare students not only for biological science-specific jobs. Rather, they are a rigorous natural science degree that teaches quantitative skills, experimental skills, articulation, and reasoning. These skills are applicable in a wide range of real world scenarios as well every bit a wide range of degree programs. Many biology students at the undergraduate level choose to pursue medical schoolhouse or graduate degrees in other scientific disciplines.

With that said, many biology degree-seekers are looking for employment in biology. We'll address both options below.

What Tin can I Do With an Associates in Biological science?
Associates in biology are most commonly used to transfer-in to a available's degree program in biology or a related science.

At the level taught in an associates caste, biological science tin lead to positions as a lab technician, a healthcare related technician, or a field biology technician.
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Technicians are an integral part of scientific experimentation. They may exist tasked with gathering data, preparing equipment, taking notes, running routine scientific tasks, and more.

For an associates degree, lab technicians accept quite high earnings. The average salary for a medical lab technician in the Usa is $51,505 a twelvemonth.

For those continuing their form of study, assembly in biology degrees share many of the aforementioned courses with pre-nursing and pre-med courses of written report. This means that an assembly in biology can exist a great first step towards a broad range of more avant-garde degrees.

What Can I Do With an Bachelors in Biology?

Available'south in biology are the most pop of biology degrees, in office because of their versatility. Biology majors can be used as a training for medical or scientific careers in a variety of disciplines.

For students that plan to piece of work immediately after obtaining a bachelor'southward in biology, the following biology-related careers are mutual:

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Lab Technician
Scientific discipline Teacher
Environmental Scientist
Occupational Wellness and Safe Specialist
Enquiry Assistant
Or Food Science Technician

These career paths all rely directly upon knowledge obtained as a bachelor of scientific discipline in biological science degree holder. Of those listed above, the only career requiring additional schooling of any sort is scientific discipline teacher. Alternative teacher licensing paths like Teach for America tin help to accelerate the time until ane can teach without an education degree downward to a few months. In fact, there's a large shortage of skilled science teachers, and many states have pipelines through which biological science caste holders can quickly get into classroom positions.

Of the to a higher place careers, earnings vary. Pharmaceutical sales representatives receive a large portion of their compensation based on the deals they close with health care practitioners. The virtually successful pharmaceutical sales representatives make well over $100,000 a year.

Of the other biology-related careers above, most earn between $45,000 and $60,000, within an average range for bachelor'southward-degree holders nationwide.

Additionally, many available'southward in biology seekers will obtain a 2nd degree in tandem with their biological science focus. Some of the near common degrees may include applied science to focus on biotechnology, statistics to focus on actuarial or bioinformatics studies, or nursing to become a registered nurse. All iii of these career paths show the versatility of a biology caste and can be quite lucrative.

What Tin can I Do With a Masters in Biological science?
At the chief's level, biology degrees tin can begin to prepare students for a range of employment opportunities every bit biologists.
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Genetic counselors work to educate and counsel individuals with genetic-based diseases or undergoing genetic treatment for a diversity of wellness reasons. They seek to inform individuals of the chances of passing diseases on to their offspring every bit well equally hereafter risks for themselves. This task ofttimes requires a master's caste. Individuals working as genetic counselors should exist able to explain circuitous scientific concepts to individuals without scientific backgrounds. They also must be able to stay upwardly-to-appointment with the latest scientific literature about genetics. Genetic counselors brand an average salary of $72,090.

By the numbers, many master's degrees related to biology are teaching degrees. This is due to the massive need for science educators, specially at the high school level. A master'due south degree in science teaching helps to ensure a teaching license, too as to prepare individuals for pedagogical tactics related to teaching the sciences. The average salary for a public high school science teacher is $86,060. This number can be boosted even farther by gaining the preparation necessary to teach AP or IB courses to the almost advanced students at a school.

Students that choose to build on a bachelor's in biology degree past pursuing a medical caste ofttimes pursue a master of science in nursing. This degree can atomic number 82 to the in-demand and quite lucrative profession of existence a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners frequently atomic number 82 teams of nurses in hospital settings or come across patients ane-on-one nether the supervision of a doctor in master care settings. In some states, nurse practitioners even have their own practices under the supervision of doctors. The average bacon for nurse practitioners is presently $105,757.

For individuals that focused on a particular surface area of biological science within their masters caste, they may notice employment as scientists under the direction of someone with a doctorate in biological science or a related field. These positions may include positions in botany, zoology, marine biology, and more. Settings may include pharmaceutical companies, agricultural companies, biotechnology companies, zoos, national parks, and more.

Finally, a range of communications jobs relies on individuals who have a background in biology or the natural sciences. These positions may include health communications specialists, technical writers, and health educators. All three may be involved with informing the full general public about biology-related concepts. Pay varies by roles but tin can rising to over $70,000 a twelvemonth.

What Tin I Do With a Doctorate in Biological science?

Doctoral degrees in biology help to prepare recipients for original research. Those that agree doctoral degrees in biology may be referred to as biologists, or a term describing their subdiscipline in which they specialized in.

Some mutual specialization paths in biology may atomic number 82 to the following careers:

Biologists
Biochemists
Biophysicists
Toxicologists
Forensic Analysts
Bioinformatics specialist
Zoologists
Botanists
Agronamists
And many more

Generally speaking, three employment sectors emerge depending on what a doctoral degree related to biology focuses on. These 3 employment sectors include wellness care settings, pharmaceuticals or biotechnology settings, and pure biological science research. Those on enquiry tracks may piece of work in university settings, for federal agencies, or for institutes like zoos and national parks.

If you're thinking about pursuing a degree in biology, one thing is for sure: you won't be lacking for interesting, rewarding, and lucrative careers y'all may follow.

Didn't see a career you lot're interested in? DegreeQuery has you covered with guides on a whole host of biology degree-related careers. Check out some of our FAQs on biology jobs below: