If you have a biology degree—or you’re about to get one—you may feel like there are only a few jobs that you’re suited for, and almost all of them require further schooling. But as a biology major, you’re qualified for a number of jobs both inside and outside of a lab or a hospital—even if you don’t want to attend professional or graduate school.
When you think of yourself strictly as a biologist, you might be unnecessarily limiting what careers you can have, says Josh Henkin, PhD, founder of STEM Career Services. Apart from scientific knowledge and background, “students in the biological sciences have unique skills that make them great employees in any work setting,” says Kasey Johnson, Employer Engagement Coordinator for Career Services at the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences.
In addition to the traditional lecture classes most majors require, biology majors must take a number of laboratory-based classes. They have experience researching and forming plans, following protocols, troubleshooting problems, working with groups, and analyzing the results of their work in order to successfully perform experiments. This translates into a number of transferable skills, or skills that are valuable across a number of workplaces and employment scenarios, including:
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Adaptability
- Research
- Developing, testing, and iterating on a hypothesis
- Literature review
- Data collection and analysis
- Laboratory research and safety techniques
- Understanding and communicating complex scientific and medical topics
What jobs are biology majors qualified for with these skills? Here are 10—and many don’t require any graduate school to land an entry-level role.