Career Opportunities

What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology?

Biology is a diverse field, and so are the career paths available to one of our majors. Some of our students immediately seek a career in the field or elsewhere after graduating, while others continue their studies in a specific area in graduate school. Additionally, many of our students major in biology as the first step to becoming a medical doctor, a dentist, a veterinarian or another health-related profession that requires addition schooling beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Regardless which path you choose and no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration Aquatic Biology and Fisheries?

Here are a few examples of where your degree can take you:

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Geological Survey, and EPA monitoring, conducting research, and managing resources.
• State fisheries, wildlife, and natural resources departments managing fisheries hatcheries and water, conducting research, monitoring, and conducting outreach and education.
• State environment and health departments working to control, monitor, and evaluate water pollution.
• Municipal divisions conducting biological surveys, overseeing water pollution, controlling and monitoring wastewater and drinking water treatment.
• Non-governmental organizations improving fisheries and habitat by educating, raising awareness, working with stakeholders, and influencing policy.
• Industries conducting water pollution research, control, and abatement, and bioassay and toxicology studies.
• Private consulting firms performing biological research and analysis, chemical research and analysis, and environmental studies as well as engineering.
• Private fisheries firms working with fish hatcheries, aquaculture, and aquaponics.

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration in Field Botany?

In addition to preparing you for further education in graduate school, here are a few examples of where your degree can take you:

• ecologist
• taxonomist
• conservationist
• forester
• soil and plant scientist (agronomist)
• agriculture or food science technologist
• economic botanist
• horticulturalist
• plant pathologist

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration in Cellular and Molecular Biology?

Our program will prepare you for a career in a laboratory or other scientific settings with many different types of organizations, such as universities and other academic institutions, state or federal scientific agencies, and pharmaceutical and other scientific companies.

Students who complete this concentration are also competitive for admission into graduate (master’s and doctoral) programs, which will position you for roles with advanced responsibilities and opportunities.

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration in Genetics?

The advances in genetics have increased the demand for broadly trained geneticists with competency in human, molecular, cytogenetics, organismal, and population genetics in fields such as:

• agricultural improvement and food production
• bioethics law/ and biotech intellectual property
• bioinformatics and genomics
• biotechnology – both industrial and academic
• epigenetics
• law and criminal justice, including forensic analysis
• pre-genetic counseling and professional medical genetics
• pharmacogenetics
• research and development laboratories
• secondary teaching and higher education
• wildlife conservation genetics

Additionally, a biology degree with a concentration in genetics serves as an excellent entry point to applying to graduate school, medical school or a number of health professions programs.

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration in Microbiology?

• A bachelor's degree in microbiology gives offers opportunities for graduate school (M.S. or Ph.D.) if your interests are in continuing research.
• Medical, dental, veterinary or other professional school programs following the B.S. degree.
• Industry positions in biotechnology, diagnostic laboratories, or pharmaceutical company positions are available for those holding B.S. degrees in biology with a concentration in microbiology.
• STEM education – secondary school science teaching is a growing opportunity offered by many school districts.

You can pursue a broad range of science career options—any one of which would prepare you for a graduate program and research career.

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration in Wildlife Biology and Conservation?

Our program will prepare you for careers that apply to ecological sciences for the management and conservation of wildlife resources such as state fish and wildlife agencies, federal wildlife and land management agencies, environmental consulting firms, and nongovernmental conservation organizations.

• State fish and wildlife agencies
• Federal wildlife and land management agencies
• Environmental consulting firms
• Nongovernmental conservation organizations.

While employment opportunities exist in wildlife management and research for students with a bachelor's degree, you may find more opportunities for wildlife management and research positions with a master's degree.

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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What Can You Do with a Degree in Biology with a Concentration in Zoology

Careers in zoology span a tremendous range of biological subdisciplines, from systematics and taxonomy, to physiology and biochemistry, and to ecology and behavior—all connected by the study of animal biology.

• Teaching institutions
• Industry (food, health, pharmaceutical, agriculture, and biotech)
• Government agencies (environmental protection, food and drug, fish and wildlife, land management agencies, park services, water quality, and agriculture)
• Zoos and nongovernmental conservation organizations.

And no matter where you are in your education or career, our faculty and the Ball State Career Center will help guide you every step of the way.

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