Ecology
Types of Degrees Ecology Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many ecology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 786 |
Doctor’s Degree | 174 |
Master’s Degree | 152 |
Graduate Certificate | 10 |
What Ecology Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to ecology 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 Ecology Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in ecology should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Skills for Ecology Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to ecology:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- 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.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Abilities for Ecology Majors
A major in ecology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Ecology Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with ecology:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Biological Science Professors | 15.1% | $82,550 |
Clinical Research Coordinators | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Life Scientists | 9.0% | $78,190 |
Molecular and Cellular Biologists | 8.0% | $79,590 |
Natural Sciences Managers | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Water Resource Specialists | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists | 7.7% | $63,420 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ecology majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 50 |
Black or African American | 14 |
Hispanic or Latino | 89 |
White | 558 |
International Students | 7 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 68 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Ecology. About 0.9% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Ecology
Some degrees associated with ecology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to ecology have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 0.5% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.5% |
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) | 1.3% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.8% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 37.3% |
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. | 2.6% |
Master’s Degree | 22.7% |
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. | 1.0% |
Doctoral Degree | 18.2% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 13.1% |
Online Ecology 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) | 2 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 1 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 2 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 30 | 0 |
Post-Master’s | 3 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 27 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Ecology
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ecology.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Epidemiology | 3,179 |
Marine Biology | 2,368 |
Evolutionary Biology | 807 |
Environmental Biology | 484 |
Conservation Biology | 433 |
Other Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology | 333 |
Evolutionary Biology | 178 |
Aquatic Biology/Limnology | 96 |
Epidemiology and Biostatistics | 80 |
Population Biology | 29 |
Biological Systematics | 14 |
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.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Ernst Haeckel under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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