What Can I Do With a Major In Genetics?

• UGA Department of Genetics Homepage

• Student Organizations through Involvement Network (try Genetics Graduate Student Association, Plant Breeding Genetics and Genomics Graduate Student Association, Genetic Education Network and Experience Society)

• Connect with your Career Consultant for help with job searching, resumes, interviewing skills, career options, applying to grad school, and much more

• Connect with your Academic Advisor

• Finding Research:

  • On-Campus: use the UGA Career Guide for templates and guidance on reaching out to faculty to gain research experience, the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) at UGA can also support you in finding research opportunities. 
  • Off-Campus: Research Experiences for Undergraduates offered through the National Science Foundation and ORISE Fellowships offered through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education are great options. The Career Center can help you prepare your materials for research fellowship applications. You can also search for research internships and full and part-time positions in Handshake.

• Pre-Health Students: The UGA Career Center offers support specifically for you through Pre-Health Appointments, which can be scheduled through Handshake. The Career Center can help you:

  • explore roles in healthcare
  • prepare application materials
  • prepare for interviews
  • navigate growth years.

• You can self-enroll in our Career Development Resources eLC for Pre-Health Students for helpful information that you can access from anywhere at any point. If you have questions specifically about GPA, application walkthroughs, and prerequisite course requirements for professional programs, schedule an appointment with the Pre-Professional Advising Office.

POSSIBLE CAREER PATHS IN GENETICS

Taken from American Society of Human Genetics

Bachelor's Degree BA/BS

Biotech Sales/Marketing
Clinical Research Associate
Dietitian/Nutritionist*
Forensic Scientist
Genetics Clinical Nurse*^
K-12 Science Teacher*
Laboratory Technician
Patent Agent*
Quality Control Specialist 
Research Compliance Officer*
Science Outreach
Science Writer
Scientific/Medical Illustrator

Master's Degree MA/MS

Bioinformatician
Community College Professor
Genetic Counselor*^
Graduate & Postdoc Affairs Administrator
Physician Assistant*^
Program Officer
Public Health Researcher
Public Health Program Analyst/Evaluator
Speech-Language Pathologist*^
Technical/Medical writer
Technology Transfer Associate

Law Degree JD

Bioethicist
Intellectual Property/Patent Attorney*

Medical Degree MD/DO

Independent Clinical Researcher
Physician/Clinical Geneticist

Doctoral Degree Phd

Audiologist*^
Biocurator
College Professor (teaching focus)
Field Application Scientist 
Independent Basic Researcher 
Management Consulting 
Science Museum Director
Scientific Editor

Medical/Doctoral Degree

Clinical Laboratory Geneticist*
Medical Science Liaison
Science/Health Policy

• O*NET Online – The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations.  
• My Next Move – An interactive tool for students and job seekers to learn more about their career options.  
• Occupational Outlook Handbook – The OOH is a career resource offering information on the hundreds of occupations that provide most of jobs in the United States.  
• Vault – Vault.com provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work in an industry, company, or profession – and how to position yourself to land that job.  
• Candid Career – This resource provides you with access to thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals through an easy-to-use website.  
• UGA Mentor Program – Connect with a mentor (alumni, faculty, staff) to research and explore industries and careers. Research industries and careers by connecting with a mentor for a quick chat or formal 16-week mentorship through the UGA Mentor Program.  
• Interstride - Interstride is an interactive tool for both international and domestic students to enhance their international experience and employment potential. The platform consists of job-listings, hiring trends, employer information, self-assessments, and up-to-date immigration guidance. 
• Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers an inside look at jobs and companies through "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees and job seekers.  
• Steppingblocks - Research your future career with real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with career and education searches designed to find your best path based on millions of others. It’s data-powered career exploration for doers like you.

GENERAL

• Handshake (scroll down to the bottom of the page; login with your UGA MyID and password)  
• LinkedIn (this popular networking site also has a job board!) 
• Idealist (non-profit jobs) 
• USAJobs (federal jobs) 

MAJOR/INDUSTRY SPECIFIC

• American Society for Microbiology
• Careers, American Institute of Biological Science
• SCA – Internships; Gap Years (room/board/stipend)
• Top USA Jobs.Com-Microbiology
• Georgia Bio Job Board (Atlanta-area biotechnology group offering networking events and career resources
• Explore Careers- American Society of Human Genetics
• Environmental Jobs & Careers

• American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)
• National Society of Genetic Counselors
• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• American Institute of Biological Science
• American Society for Microbiology
• Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology

LINKEDIN

• Join LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your career interests.  To search, select "groups" & type in your keywords.  
• Review the groups that professionals in your field of interest have joined & consider joining those as well.  
• To login, visit the LinkedIn main page.