What Can I Do With a Major In Biology?

• UGA Department of Biological Sciences Homepage (Franklin College)
• Student Organizations through Involvement Network 
• 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
• Find research opportunities by reaching out via email to faculty in your department or outside of it based on your research interests; Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) at UGA can help support you (off campus research opportunities: Research Experiences for Undergraduates)
• If you're interested in a healthcare career, connect with the UGA Pre-Health Advising Office to meet your pre-health advisor and for more information

POSSIBLE CAREER PATHS IN BIOLOGY

Taken from American Institute for Biological Sciences

Research: Research biologists study the natural world, using the latest scientific tools and techniques in both laboratory settings and the natural environment, to understand how living systems work. Many work in exotic locations around the world, and what they discover increases our understanding of biology and may be put to practical use to find solutions to specific problems. Learn more about how biological research helps to inform societal issues on the AIBS Website actionbioscience.org. Learn more about the wide variety of research interests by visiting the websites of AIBS Member Societies and Organizations.

Health care: Biologists may develop public health campaigns to defeat illnesses such as tuberculosis, AIDS, cancer, and heart disease. Others work to prevent the spread of rare, deadly diseases, such as the now infamous Ebola virus. Veterinarians tend to sick and injured animals, and doctors, dentists, nurses, and other health care professionals maintain the general health and well being of their patients. Many of these careers require additional education and training past undergraduate college, but these positions are usually in high demand both in the US and abroad. Additionally, biologists in the health care field can choose to work for organizations like the Peace Corps and Doctors Without Borders, which help bring much-needed health care services to less developed and/or war-impacted regions.

Environmental management and conservation: Biologists in management and conservation careers are interested in solving environmental problems and conserving the natural world for future generations. Park rangers protect state and national parks, help preserve their natural resources, and educate the general public. Zoo and aquarium biologists carry out endangered species recovery programs and serve as a vital education conduit to the general public. In addition, management and conservation biologists often work with members of a community such as landowners and special interest groups to develop and implement management plans. Other potential employment opportunities may exist with state/federal natural resource agencies, not-for-profit conservation organizations, private ecological consulting firms, or wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Education: Life science educators enjoy working with people and encouraging them to learn new things, whether in a classroom, a research lab, the field, or a museum. You can gain insight into what biology education professionals are working toward and achieving by visiting the AIBS Education Programs Office, where you will find updates on institutional reform efforts, information on new and exciting ways of teaching biological concepts, and novel resources for biology classroom education. You can also learn about how biology professionals are connecting with each other to advance the public understanding of science by visiting the COPUS website.

Colleges and universities: Professors and lecturers teach introductory and advanced biology courses. They may also mentor students with projects and direct research programs. Many biology faculty at colleges and universities engage in their own research and serve as reviewers or editors for scientific journal publications, members of working groups and advisory boards, and as part of research collaborations with scientists from other institutions.

Primary and secondary schools: Teaching younger students requires a general knowledge of science and skill at working with different kinds of learners. High school teachers often specialize in biology and teach other courses of personal interest. There is a high demand for educators that are trained in biological sciences and have strong backgrounds in K-12 education, classroom management, and primary/secondary school administration.

Science museums, zoos, aquariums, parks, and nature centers: Educators in these settings may design exhibits and educational programs, in addition to teaching special classes or leading tours and nature hikes. Often, these professionals serve as an organization’s “front line” and are responsible for communicating complex biological information to the public, writing grant proposals to fund new programs and exhibits, and working with community partners to leverage resources and gain exposure on local and national levels.

Other directions in biological careers: There are many careers for biologists who want to combine their scientific training with interests in other fields. Here are some examples:

Biotechnology: Biologists apply scientific principles to develop and enhance products, tools, and technological advances in fields such as agriculture, food science, and medicine. Scientists in this field may work in genetic engineering, pharmaceutical development, or medical technologies (such as nanomedicine), or as a lab technician or technologist. You can learn more about biotechnology opportunities and issues by visiting actionbioscience.org Biotechnology and reading new articles, particularly those sponsored by the partnership between AIBS and the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR).

Forensic science: Forensic biologists work with police departments and other law enforcement agencies using scientific methods to discover and process evidence that can be used to solve crimes. Biologists in forensic science often choose a specialty, such as forensic odontology, forensic anthropology, crime scene examination, or—with additional education and training—medical examiner.

Politics and policy: Science advisors work with lawmakers to create new legislation on topics such as biomedical research and environmental protection. Their input is essential, ensuring that decisions are based upon solid science. Professional biologists can serve as policy advocates for scientific organizations or non-profits, political advisors at the state or national level, or even as a representative serving on a political committee or working group. You can learn more about the interface between biology and politics by visiting the AIBS Public Policy Office, where you can find information on current legislative initiatives and how to advocate for science and research policy, as well as sign up to receive AIBS Action Alerts to help express your opinions on biology issues to political decisionmakers. You can also visit actionbioscience.org Science Policyfor detailed information about scientific collections, science education, and more.

Business and industry: Biologists work with drug companies and providers of scientific products and services to research and test new products. They may also work in sales, marketing, and public relations positions.

Economics: Trained professionals work with the government and other organizations to study and address the economic impacts of biological issues, such as species extinctions, forest protection, and environmental pollution. Biologists may also study the impacts of socio-economics on humans, environmental economics (an economic analysis of the environment with a focus on preserving natural capital), or ecological economics (the study of how human economies and natural ecosystems are linked in time and space).

Mathematics: Biologists in fields such as bioinformatics and computational biology apply mathematical techniques to solve biological problems, such as modeling ecosystem processes and gene sequencing. Mathematical and theoretical biology are two recent scientific fields that use mathematical representations and tools to both understand and model biological processes in other research areas, including cell biology, biotechnology, and ecosystem dynamics.

Science writing and communication: Journalists and writers with a science background inform the general public about relevant and emerging biological issues. Biologists with excellent writing and communication skills can be employed by high-profile journals—such as Nature and Science—as well as online magazines and science blogs or print/media networks (e.g., Discovery and National Geographic).

Art: All of the illustrations in your biology textbook, as well as in newspaper and magazine science articles, were created by talented artists with a thorough understanding of biology. Individuals in this field may be employed by magazines and journals (e.g., Scientific American), museums and aquaria, hospitals and medical training centers, or even state and local government agencies.

• O*NET - The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledges, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations (Login using your 810/811)
• Occupational Outlook Handbook - The OOH can help you find career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations
• Firsthand -Explore a library of guides, articles, and other resources to help you explore careers, plan your job search, and learn about different work environments. Create a free account with your UGA email.
• Candid Career - Whether you are just beginning to explore career options, preparing for a job interview, or looking to change careers, CandidCareer.com can help by providing you with access to thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals through an easy to use website. We can all learn from the experiences of others and the Career Center makes this valuable resource available to UGA students so they may be informed and ready for what lies ahead. (Login using your 810/811)
• GoinGlobal - View jobs/internship in other countries and country career guides (Login using your 810/811)
• UGA Mentor Program- Networking with your Bulldog family can help you get ahead in life and career, but where do you even start? The UGA Mentor Program narrows down the world of possibilities to meaningful connections. The program connects students to alumni mentors for personal and professional development 
• Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers the world an inside look at jobs and companies. What sets us apart is our "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees, job seekers, and sometimes the companies themselves. Now with nearly 3 million salaries and reviews, you have all the information you might need to make your next career decision. 
• Portfolium - Your work and projects are undeniable proof of your skills – Portfolium will help you learn and allow you to display the top skills graduate schools and employers want. Portfolium is where you’ll upload your work, projects, presentations and more. The UGA Career Center has pre-loaded your profile to include the top skills graduate schools and employers seek in their candidates. Log-in to your profile to see how you can build your skills!
• Big Interview - Online practice interview platform. Practice basic interview questions or questions based on your industry interests or competencies! Also provides practice interview questions for graduate/professional schools. Just sign-up using your uga email address! 
• Career Cornerstone Center - Career planning resources for STEM fields
• "Learn How to Become" Job Search and Career Resource Center- this source provides advice for the job search, networking, interviews, salary negotiation, tips for starting the position, and more!

• Careers, American Institute of Biological Science
• SCA – Internships; Gap Years (room/board/stipend)
• Environmental Jobs & Careers
• USAJobs.gov (job board for federal agencies - consider visiting the "Students and Recent Graduates" portal)
• Top USA Jobs.Com-Microbiology
• Georgia Bio Job Board (Atlanta-area biotechnology group offering networking events and career resources)
• Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) at UGA
• UGA iPAWS Job Board for Full-Time Opportunities on Campus (click "Search Postings" and then explore "Staff-Full Benefits" and "Temporary" listings for research-related and other campus opportunities)

• American Institute of Biological Science
• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• The Ecological Society of America (ESA)
• American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)
• National Society of Genetic Counselors
• American Society for Microbiology
• Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology
• O*NET  (click on Find Occupations)
• Occupational Outlook Handbook  (type in general term for career of interest)
• Career Insider: Vault Guides  (under the "Resources" tab and select "Online Resources")
• Candid Career  (view professionals speaking about their careers under the "Resources" tab and select "Online Resources")
• My Next Move (search careers with key words)
• ExploreHealthCareers.org (great overview of healthcare-related career fields)

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.