General Genetics

Types of Degrees General Genetics Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	463
Doctor’s Degree	169
Master’s Degree	69
Graduate Certificate	11

What General Genetics Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to general genetics 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 General Genetics 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.
• 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.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Skills for General Genetics Majors

A major in general genetics prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for General Genetics Majors

As a general genetics major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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

What Can You Do With a General Genetics Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with general genetics:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Geneticists	8.0%	$79,590

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in General Genetics?

This major is dominated by women with about 72% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of general genetics majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	58
Black or African American	8
Hispanic or Latino	50
White	274
International Students	33
Other Races/Ethnicities	40

Geographic Diversity

General Genetics appeals to people across the globe. About 7.1% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to General Genetics

Some degrees associated with general genetics may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to general genetics have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7%
Master’s Degree	6.7%
Doctoral Degree	30.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	56.7%

Online General Genetics 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	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	25	0
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	32	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to General Genetics

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to general genetics.

Major	Number of Grads
Human/Medical Genetics	366
Molecular Genetics	276
Genome Sciences/Genomics	225
Animal Genetics	76
Other Genetics	27
Plant Genetics	21

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 Domaina under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.