Population Biology

Types of Degrees Population Biology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many population biology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	11
Doctor’s Degree	9
Graduate Certificate	9

What Population Biology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to population biology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Population Biology Majors

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

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• 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.
• 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 Population Biology Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to population biology:

• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• 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.
• 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.

Abilities for Population Biology Majors

Population Biology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 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.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Population Biology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with population biology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Population Biology

Some degrees associated with population biology 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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for population biology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.4%
Master’s Degree	13.0%
Doctoral Degree	21.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	30.4%

Online Population Biology 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)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Population Biology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to population biology.

Major	Number of Grads
Epidemiology	3,179
Marine Biology	2,368
Ecology	1,122
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
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.