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/sci/ - Science & Math

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3303021 No.3303021 [Reply] [Original]

So I'm a biology major. I just saw a thread on /b/ about science majors and the careers they can choose, and the consensus was that biology is the liberal arts of the sciences, and good luck finding a good job, let alone a career.

Knowing /b/, I wanted to get a real opinion from my fellow /sci/entists. What can someone do with a Bachelors or Masters in Biology? Are careers plentiful, or is it just the fast-track to being an overqualified petting zoo operator?

Any other Bio majors out there to lend an opinion? Please and thank you :3

>> No.3303027

Tend to be government jobs for this sort of thing, I would think.

>> No.3303075
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3303075

Oh come now, everyone knows Biologists end up flipping burgers

>> No.3303080

Put in the extra effort in getting a chem degree. General rule is that any chem major can have a bio job but bio majors cant have a chem job.

>> No.3303115

Apply to med/vet school with it

>> No.3303146
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3303146

>>3303080
Any physics major can have a chem job, but no chem majors can have a physics job.

>Phd in Mathematics
>Any job I want
>300k starting

>> No.3303170

any philosophy major can get a mathematics job but no mathematics majors can get a philosophy job

>> No.3303180 [DELETED] 
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3303180

>mfw I come back to this thread and find people doing lame ripoffs of xkcd

>> No.3303190

>>3303180
It's not a ripoff, it's an extension. I felt economists were left out of the purity race.

>> No.3303196

>>3303146
nope.

not true.

physics major in the real world philosophy major.

your mad now.

>> No.3303223

>>3303021

With just a BS you get a lab tech job or similar starting at 30-40k with a company and try to work your way up. There are plenty out there, but with the huge and growing number of bio majors you need to make sure to distinguish yourself with good credentials, primarily doing good undergraduate research. Its really much more worthwhile to go on to grad school, assuming you don't want to go to med school, which I'm guessing you don't from your post.

>> No.3303244

>>3303223

OP here.

I actually was a Nursing major for 4 semesters before switching. I want to get into Allied Health, Human/animal physiology and anatomy, microbiology, stuff like that. Ecology is acceptable too.

Knowing these interests, what would you suggest for graduate studies?

P.s. How does graduate school work? This is really the first time I'm seriously considering it. Thanks in advance!

>> No.3303247

For fucks sake, this notion that field "purity" corrosponds with value is fucking lunacy.

The fact is that pure biologists, if not going on to med school, are somewhat limited in their options. Unless you can land a job at a university, you're more likely to be hired as "animal handler" "Nature guy" than for actual scientific research. Nothing to do with the field, just how the market is. If you do a lot of chem (minor at least) you could specialize in something like molecular biology that would net you more scientific work I think

>> No.3303249

Research. Anything else isn't acceptable on /sci/. Research, or switch to engineering and relinquish your anal virginity.

>> No.3303256

>>3303249

OP here. I would love to do Research, whether for the government or for a think tank or a private corp. aside from research, what other applications are there for a Biology Masters?

>> No.3303259

>>3303170

epic lulz. you not serious bro?

ok, good luck using your extensive knowledge of strains of aristotleanism to solve the partial differential equation generated by your flux integrals over a fluctuating radial field.

>> No.3303265

>>3303247
True. We live in a specialist's world, so you need to find an area you like and get to mastering it. Doing research is the best way, but getting in on labs as an assistant is also good.
>>3303249
Also true. Don't do science if you just want a job. Go to business school or something.

>> No.3303264

>>3303021
you HAVE TO GET RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AS AN UNDERGRAD. That is the single most important thing I wish someone had told me.

Doing that will help so fucking much.

But you also have to go to where the jobs are, im in san diego and there is a fuck ton of really good biology jobs out here. Also while all biology is really fucking cool and interesting all the money is in biomed

>> No.3303268

>>3303244

Well I'm not quite sure how to answer something as vague as how does grad school work. I'm going to be starting a PhD in computational biology in the fall myself, but grad school really is research, research, and more research. So again try to get involved in it early in undergrad to first of all see if its something you really want to pursue, and secondly to build your resume.

I think I have pretty much completely different specific interests from you, but search through the faculty within your department and find someone with similar research that matches your interest. Then you can get advice from them, and maybe find a spot in their lab. You can then find plenty of different specialties to pursue in grad school if you do go that route.

>> No.3303274

>Also true. Don't do science if you just want a job. Go to business school or something.
>Go to business school or something
>business school

WTF?

>> No.3303277

Getting an MS in ecology might net you a job with the EPA, but you need good internship experience for that to happen, as the EPA is always on the budget chopping block. If you want to avoid the knife, you need friends on the inside.

>> No.3303280

>>3303256

Not a whole lot, teaching would be the next obvious choice

>> No.3303287

>>3303274
Are there no jobs there? I wouldn't know, because I don't think we need anymore business or law school people, but these guys love to tout how much money they're in for.

>> No.3303297

I don't know how you feel about the military, but they're always hiring science types for research in weaponry as well as health care. It's usually a last resort job because of the bullshit that comes with it, but if you need food on your plate...

>> No.3303323

>>3303297

Military jobs normally come with more of a commitment though, and their research money is drying up recently.

>> No.3303331

>>3303323
That's pretty much what I meant when I said bullshit. They'll keep you on their payroll as a researcher, but you'll end up picking up slack elsewhere as well. Like I said, it's for when not much else is looking good.

>> No.3303340

serious reply time:

there are two problems with biology:
1. the pre-med failures. a very large percentage of bio majors hope to go to med school. many of them dont. so now they've got just their BS in bio and they're looking for a job. meaning the market is over saturated with bio degrees

2. there's a fuckton of information in biology, as im sure you've realized. so much you cant possibly learn it all. especially not in four years. meaning your 4 year bio program just scratches the surface of bio topics. this leads employers to think that people with a 4 year degree in bio know more or less nothing about bio. thats why, if you want to work in your field, you need higher degrees. having a masters and/or a PhD in a specific area of biology is what proves you:
1. know a lot about your specific area of study
2. can conduct research, can focus on one problem for extended periods of time, etc

so without a higher degree, the jobs you can get as a biologist are those that dont require intimate knowledge of a subject/higher degrees. this is basically tech jobs and jobs outside your major (see cubicle). you'll also have to compete for these jobs with the afore mentioned pre-med failures.


so: if you want to be a biologist
get your BS
get your masters and/or PhD in a field of biology you enjoy (you dont want to spend 5+ years on a PhD in an area you hate) that also has a promising job market (avoid marine biology)

>> No.3303361

>be biology major
>see this thread

Goddamn it. Nothing I enjoy has bright career opportunities.

>> No.3303367
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3303367

>>3303361

Tell me about it

>> No.3303383

>>3303361
just drop out and get an cubicle job

you'll never do anything you enjoy so you may as well get one you wont but pays well enough and doesn't require extensive schooling and paying for said schooling

>> No.3303389

>>3303383
What horrible advice.

>> No.3303385

>>3303361

Its really not as bad as it seems, if you really enjoy it you should be able to find some research you can really get into. Then do well enough in undergrad and you can go to grad school, where you can do said research and get a decent stipend that you can live of off for a few years. Then you have an advanced degree at little to no cost and are set up for a good job. You just have to be willing to put in the work and commitment for grad school.

>> No.3303415

Why not go back to school?

>> No.3303421

Go to Dental school, bro.

>> No.3303436

phd student in bio here.

Yes, there are jobs. There are a plethora of jobs. Lots of them are government work (research, wildlife conservation, etc) and subject to fundie republicans.

Its also incredibly fucking versatile.

Find something you enjoy doing, and search for jobs related to it.
And take some fucking genetics classes. You will be miles ahead of your competition if you are competent on the genetics side. Most of the genetics information is brand fucking new and the old people hiring couldnt tell you a PCR from a Pyrosequencing!

>> No.3303443 [DELETED] 
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3303443

>>3303383

>mfw

>> No.3303456
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3303456

>>3303436

OP here. Just curious, what was the focus of your graduate and PhD studies?

>>3303340
>>3303264
>>3303268

Thanks for the advice. Another question: what generally are the prerequisites for entering graduate school (especially Biology/Chemistry focused graduate school)?

>> No.3303473

Hmm...

>> No.3303474

>>3303456
Genetics, of course. Any other questions? I think some of yours were answered, but I can expand on anything you werent satisfied with.

And to echo everyone else: Undergrad research. Do it.

Search your Uni for a prof doing something remotely interesting. Just fucking browse bio.(your uni).edu in the faculty if you dont know where to start. Find one, knock on his door and say the following:

"Hey, I'm [insert name here]. I'm a [insert year here] bio major and I want to do undergraduate research. I looked you up on the department website and I'm interested in [profs specialty]."

Never known a prof to tell a student to fuck off. We love ambitious undergrads. They are so willing to do boring shit for us and it really breaks the ice for you to work in a lab.

>> No.3303481

>>3303456

I know its been said to death, but research. For certain programs that are specialized you may need certain classes, but theres normally not a whole lot in your degree in terms of classes and grades that you can do to set yourself apart for grad schools. The most important things to adcoms are you research and letters of rec and personal statement that reflect it. One thing I've found that can set you apart a little bit on the course side of things would be to get some background in CS, its a skill not a lot of bio majors have but that is becoming increasingly useful nowadays.

>> No.3303499

>>3303474
I'm starting college in the fall to get an undergrad in Biology.
I like genetics and evolution, but I had some trouble with Chemistry in high school.
1. Is there some way that I can study evolution that's not on a molecular level?
2. If not, how screwed am I considering the fact that I'm not a fan of Chemistry?

>> No.3303512

>>3303021

Biofag PhD student here. Biology is just wonderful and very interesting. I enjoyed every single lecture. But that's it.

Getting a job as a biologist is very hard. When I hear that young people would like to study biology, I tell them not to do it and to study physics instead. I work together with a lot of physicists and I more and more wish I had studied physics.

>> No.3303519

>>3303499

Don't study biology. Study physics instead.

Best,
Biology PhD student

>> No.3303521

Bio is a good basis for anything medical or pharmaceutical. Those are some money makers right there. :D

>> No.3303533

>>3303499

Well if you can handle some mathematics and CS you can do some interesting work with modeling, although really you should understand the molecular basis as well. Trust me, most bio majors hate chemistry, but they all get through it.

>> No.3303532

>>3303499
Lots of Chemistry is involved. But not the shitty "balance this equation" shit. Lots of organic chemistry and biochemistry.

My suggestion would be read up on it beforehand so it doesnt floor you in class. And it turns out biochem is a really fucking awesome complement to understanding evolution. You just have to get over the initial pain of memorizing shit.

>> No.3303530

>>3303519
Physics wouldn't be too bad, but my Math skills are definitely not high enough.
I didn't even test into Calculus.

Besides, I hear that the job market is good for geneticists.

>> No.3303541

>>3303532

This is pretty spot on, I hated gen chem freshman year, but organic started to get more interesting, although difficult, and biochem is a legit interesting, useful class, especially in conjunction with molecular and genetics classes. You just have to force your way through the early stuff.

>> No.3303547

Some knowledge of genetics will make you a god among applicants in the near future.

Doesnt really fucking matter what specialty. Genetic research is getting cheap enough that its inescapable.

If you think its hard enough for you to learn it; imagine being 45, the boss, and having fresh out of dorm children sighing at you while explaining how DNA replication works.

>> No.3303560

>>3303547

Following this, it really is useful to have some basic CS and math skills as well, as genetic sequencing gets cheaper and faster, we're starting to deal with huge amounts of data gathered in short periods of time, so these skills can be invaluable in trying to analyze all of it.

>> No.3303570

>>3303532
>>3303541
I didnt understand biochem throughout my entire undergrad. Then one day I was sitting in my graduate bio class and I had an epiphany. I fucking understood what the prof was saying. I could see what the hell he was talking about without having to memorize it. It just......made sense.

Nearly shouted "holy shit!" in class I was so amazed with myself.


And it explains fucking everything. EVERYTHING.


then I went home, got high to celebrate, and tried explaining it to my roommate. He didn't get why membrane bound proteins naturally embed themselves in the lipid bilayer without wasting ATP. So I partied alone. So very alone.

capcha: Kinase callpti

>> No.3303571

>>3303532
>>3303533
>>3303541
Thanks for the advice.

So genetics and molecular biology would be my best bet career-wise?

>> No.3303575

OP here

So...
- GET UNDERGRAD RESEARCH
- You need a Masters to really get anywhere
- Study genetics and chem to back it up, that's where the Bio market is heading
- Do physics instead

Did I miss anything?

>> No.3303577

>>3303571
as a general statement, yes.

>> No.3303579

>>3303571

Definitely some of the fasted growing fields right now, although they're also what interest me the most so I suppose I have a natural bias.

>> No.3303581

>>3303575

Forget the physics BS and sounds good to me, although I'd even propose a phd over a masters really.

>> No.3303584

>>3303575
fuck physics. Never understood it and it hasnt hampered me.

If you love science, get a higher degree. If the thought of more school is a fate worse than death, take some genetic undergrad classes and start looking for job opportunities now.

>> No.3303593

>>3303530

I thought exactly the same thing when I started choosing biology. When you start your PhD, you then know that everything is doable and there's nothing in university to be afraid of. Not even math.

>> No.3303594

If you like genetics, biology, and evolution, you might want to look for a prof doing phylogenetics. It doesn't really matter what organisms they work with. Just being in the lab and learning the techniques and how to chat with profs outside of class is enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylogenetics

>> No.3303605

>>3303594

Another field I would recommend is epigenetics. Really new and growing fast, and producing some really exciting research right now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics

>> No.3303606

I'm doing my PhD in radiation biology, and it's fucking awesome! But physicists could do that, too.