---

geobiology

What geobiology Majors Need to Know

Programs in geobiology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that geobiology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in geobiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a geobiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to geobiology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, geobiology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by geobiology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for geobiology graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Professor
• Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• University Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• College Professor
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to geobiology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	32.0%
Doctoral degree	21.8%
Post-doctoral training	16.4%
Master’s degree	16.2%
Postsecondary certificate	4.1%
Some college courses	3.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Geobiology	30.43
Environmental Geosciences	30.4101
Nutrition Sciences	30.1901

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.