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Biological & Biomedical Sciences Major

Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Types of Degrees Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many biological & biomedical sciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 135,792
Master’s Degree 23,405
Doctor’s Degree 9,113
Associate Degree 8,580
Basic Certificate 2,102
Graduate Certificate 1,564
Undergraduate Certificate 228

What Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to biological & biomedical sciences were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

When studying biological & biomedical sciences, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a biological & biomedical sciences student include the following:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Biological & Biomedical Sciences Major?

People with a biological & biomedical sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Bioinformatics Scientists 8.0% $79,590
Biological Scientists 8.0% $79,590
Biostatisticians 33.9% $87,780
Clinical Data Managers 33.9% $87,780
Clinical Research Coordinators 9.9% $123,860
Computer and Information Research Scientists 19.0% $118,370
Data Warehousing Specialists 9.3% $90,270
Database Architects 9.3% $90,270
Exercise Physiologists 13.2% $49,270
Health Specialties Professors 25.9% $97,370
Life Scientists 9.0% $78,190
Mathematical Science Occupations 9.1% NA
Microbiologists 8.2% $71,650
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320
Software Developers, Applications 30.7% $103,620
Statisticians 33.9% $87,780
Water Resource Specialists 9.9% $123,860
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists 7.7% $63,420

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological & Biomedical Sciences?

135,792 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
67% Percent Women
45% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 67% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biological & biomedical sciences majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 20,635
Black or African American 10,740
Hispanic or Latino 22,496
White 67,484
International Students 4,483
Other Races/Ethnicities 9,954

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Biological & Biomedical Sciences, too. About 3.3% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with biological & biomedical sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for biological & biomedical sciences careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 0.2%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 0.8%
Some College Courses 0.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 35.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 3.7%
Master’s Degree 25.1%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.2%
Doctoral Degree 16.7%
Post-Doctoral Training 13.9%

Online Biological & Biomedical Sciences Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 118 4
Certificate (2-4 Years) 16 0
Associate’s Degree 996 56
Bachelor’s Degree 570 104
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 4,608 140
Post-Master’s 134 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 3,622 10
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 28 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to biological & biomedical sciences.

Major Number of Grads
Engineering 198,720
Engineering Technologies 86,188
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 51,081
Mathematics & Statistics 49,970
Physical Sciences 47,709
Natural Resources & Conservation 32,106
Architecture & Related Services 19,716
Science Technologies / Technicians 6,771
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,568

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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