Career opportunities for biology majors may be found in a wide variety of fields. Employers in the medical field recruit large numbers of biology majors to work in a vast array of specialties delivering patient diagnosis, treatment and care. Veterinarians, environmental scientists, and patient educators all may begin their career path with a degree in biology. Research careers in human health and science are also reasonable choices for biology majors.
An undergraduate degree in biology is typically the standard prerequisite for entering medical school in the U.S. A biology major can provide a solid background for many who seek a career in the medical field, including physicians and pharmacists. Demand for medical jobs typically remains high even in times of economic recession or depression.
Biology majors may also find jobs in medical research. Physical therapists may begin their training with this type of degree. Often dental and medical technicians find a degree in biology helpful as well. Mental health professionals including therapists, psychiatrists, and caregivers may also begin as a biology major.
Patient education careers may also be a career choice for biology majors, especially those with a minor in communications or marketing. Those who transcribe medical notations dictated by doctors and medical staff find a background in human sciences quite helpful as well. Opportunities in computer science for biology majors include constructing and maintaining the systems that hold medical information and research data.
Other career opportunities for biology majors may be found in animal science and agriculture. Veterinary science involves the treatment of animals kept as pets. Many veterinarians also treat farm animals, and some work in research settings, as animals are frequently used as laboratory test subjects. Animal scientists may also work in environmental testing, preservation, taking a census of wild animal populations and habitat management. Other environmental science jobs involve research into preserving and protecting wildlife and the ecosystem that supports these creatures.
Jobs for biology majors in food science include those working in the fields of nutrition and food safety. Positions in this area include investigating and preventing microbial threats to the food supply, and improving public health as it relates to nutrition. In the legal arena, there are career opportunities for biology majors in the field of forensics. This is the practice of determining answers of interest to the legal system. Forensics careers may involve investigating the cause of human or animal illness, injury or death, or understanding mortality trends.