Biological Science
Types of Degrees Biological Science Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many biological & physical science graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 23,920 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 2,426 |
| Basic Certificate | 1,342 |
| Master’s Degree | 551 |
| Graduate Certificate | 112 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 83 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 35 |
What Biological Science Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to biological science 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 Biological Science Majors
Biological Science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- 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.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Skills for Biological Science Majors
When studying biological science, 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:
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- 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 Biological Science Majors
As a biological science major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- 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.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Biological Science Major?
People with a biological science degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 9.9% | $123,860 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Science?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biological science majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 207 |
| Black or African American | 193 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 674 |
| White | 1,094 |
| International Students | 75 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 183 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Biological Science. About 3.1% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Biological Science
Some degrees associated with biological science 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 biological science have obtained the following education levels.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 4.2% |
| 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) | 4.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 5.2% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 49.1% |
| 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. | 3.3% |
| Master’s Degree | 14.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 11.4% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 7.1% |
Online Biological Science 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) | 6 | 0 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 1 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 193 | 14 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 12 | 4 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 48 | 2 |
| Post-Master’s | 1 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 18 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
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Majors Related to Biological Science
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to biological science.
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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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