What Can I Do With a Major In Genetics?

UGA Specific Information for Genetics

Biology encompasses the study of all living organisms, including microbes, plants, and animals. The study of biology includes various aspects of life, including basic organization (molecular, cellular, tissues, organs), how organisms function, their roles in the natural environment, how hereditary information is transferred, and development of biotechnology. Biology graduates are broadly trained and well prepared for admission into strong graduate programs in the biological sciences and professional schools (medical, dental, and veterinary). They may also directly assume positions in government, education, industry, or certain technical fields.

Genetics is a discipline of biology,which includes the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms. Genetics is the process of trait inheritance from parents to offspring, including the molecular structure and function of genes, gene behavior in the context of a cell or organism, gene distribution, and variation and change in populations. Given that genes are universal to living organisms, genetics can be applied to the study of all living systems; including bacteria, plants, animals, and humans.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW EMPLOYERS/POSITION TITLES and GRADUATE SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS REPORTED FOR THIS MAJOR

Class of 2023 Career Outcomes for Genetics*

** Includes Self-Employed

Campus Resources

  • 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:

  • 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.

Additional UGA Career Center Recommendations

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

Additional Career Research Resources

  • 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.

Employment Websites

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

Professional Associations/Resources

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. 

Employers/Position Title Reported by Class of 2023 Genetics majors

The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2023 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Employer Position Title(s)
Athens Area Urology Medical Scribe
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Fellow for One Health
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Genetic Counseling Assistant
Davidson College Research Technician
Goodman Dermatology Medical Assistant
inHealth Life Sciences Laboratory Assistant
Low Country Dermatology Medical Assistant
Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Research Coordinator
Parexel Clinical Research Associate
Peninsula Behavioral Health Psych Technician
REGENXBIO Inc. Manufacturing Operations, Contractor
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Lead Clinical Research Coordinator
University of Georgia Franklin College Genetics Research Technician
University of Georgia Laboratory Technician
Worldwide Clinical Trials Clinical Trials Associate
Worldwide Clinical Trials Clinical Trials Associate
Zimmer Biomet Orthopedic Sales Associate
* denotes no responses received.
*Source: Areas above marked with an Asterisk (*) have been created utilizing data taken from the UGA Career Outcomes Survey. The "Employers Hiring...," "Job Titles of...," "Career Outcomes for...," and "Graduate/Professional Schools and Programs..." information listed above represent UGA Class of 2023 Graduates. The lists are not exhaustive and therefore do not represent all potential career options. Click here for more detailed Career Outcomes information regarding this major.

Graduate/Professional Schools attended by Class of 2023 Genetics majors

The information below represents graduate/professional schools and programs reported through the Class of 2023 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Graduate School Program(s)
Augusta University Public Health, MPH
Carnegie Mellon University Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics, MS
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Medicine, MD
Florida Atlantic University Medicine, MD
Louisiana State University Unspecified Professional Program
Louisiana State University Unspecified Professional Program
Louisiana State University Medicine, MD
Nova Southeastern University Anesthesia, MSA
Ohio State University Chemistry, PhD
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Osteopathic Medicine, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Osteopathy, DO
Sorbonne University Cellular and Molecular Biology, MS
University of Colorado Denver Physician Assistant Studies, MPAS
University of Georgia Statistics, MS
University of Kentucky Unspecified Master's Program
University of Miami Nursing, ABSN
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BBST, PhD
University of South Florida Medicine, MD
University of Wisconsin-Madison Cancer Biology, PhD
* denotes no responses received.

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