| Education Required |  | For biologists, the Ph.D. degree is usually necessary for independent research and for advancement to administrative positions. A master's degree is sufficient for some jobs in applied research or product development and for jobs in management, inspection, sales, and service. The bachelor's degree is adequate for some nonresearch jobs.
Some graduates with a bachelor's degree start as biologists in testing and inspection, or get jobs related to biological science such as technical sales or service representatives. In some cases, graduates with a bachelor's degree are able to work in a laboratory environment on their own projects, but this is unusual. Some may work as research assistants. Others become biological technicians, medical laboratory technologists, or, with courses in education, high school biology teachers. Many with a bachelor's degree in biology enter medical, dental, veterinary, or other health profession schools. Most colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in biological science and many offer advanced degrees.
Curricula for advanced degrees often emphasize a subfield such as microbiology or botany, but not all universities offer all curricula. Advanced-degree programs include classroom and fieldwork, laboratory research, and a thesis or dissertation. Biologists who have advanced degrees often take temporary postdoctoral research positions that provide specialized research experience. In private industry, some may become managers or administrators within biology, others leave biology for nontechnical managerial, administrative, or sales jobs. |
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| Recommended High School Courses | | Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Physics |
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| Postsecondary Instructional Programs | | Education and Training, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology |
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| Certification and Licensing | | None |
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