Explore the world with a career in Biology
Loyola University's Career Development Center provides a diverse array of services to help you select and prepare for a career in biology. The United States Department of Labor publishes a useful Occupational Outlook Handbook that provides a great deal of information about what different kinds of professional biologists do, how much they earn, and the prospects for future employment.
Importantly, the most engaging and fulfilling careers in biology require passion, commitment, and a set of knowledge and skills that usually require additional professional education beyond the Bachelor's degree. The key to acceptance into professional schools is an outstanding grade point average, superlative performance on standardized entrance exams (e.g., MCAT, DAT, GRE), and some set of experiences that sets you apart from your peers. Engaging in original research in collaboration is clearly one of the best experiences that you can obtain.
Many biology majors are interested in pursuing careers in a health profession. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Loyola University provides all of the necessary prerequisites for medical school and all or most of the prerequisites needed to successfully train as a veterinarian, physician's assistant, nurse, physical therapist, etc. Visit the following links to learn more about careers in human and animal health and medicine.
- American Medical College Application Service
- Veterinary Medical College Application Service
- American Dental Education Association
- American Physical Therapy Association
Many other biology majors are interested in going on to pursue careers in research and management that require an M.S. or Ph.D. The following handbook was created to help students get a head start on selecting, applying to, and succeeding in graduate school:
Website Resources
Visit the following links to learn more about careers in biology that require graduate training and how to prepare for graduate school.
| Website link | Description |
|---|---|
| Website for American Assoc. Advancement of Science, publishers of Science magazine. You can also visit the Science website www.sciencemag.org and see lots of stories on what's happening at the cutting edge of science. | |
| Website for the American Institutes of Biological Sciences, a consortium of nearly 100 biological professional societies. The Careers materials here span all fields in the biological sciences. | |
| Website for the Ecological Society of America. This is the largest scientific ecological society in the world. | |
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Botany 1
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Website for the American Society of Plant Biologists. This professional society is one of the largest plant biology organizations in the world. |
| Website for the Botanical Society of America . This professional society is onr of the largest plant biology organizations in the world. | |
| Website for the American Society for Cell Biology, the nation's largest professional society for study of cells. The link takes you to the Women in Cell Biology webpage. | |
| Website for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology . This professional society focuses on study of both basic and applied problems in biochemistry and molecular biology. | |
| Website for the American Society of Microbiology . This is the world's largest professional society focusing on the study of microorganisms. | |
| Website for the American Physiological Society . This professional society focuses on animal physiology from cell/molecular to organismal levels. | |
| Website for the American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists. This professional society focuses on the study of fishes, reptiles, and amphibians, worldwide. | |
| Website for the American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists. This professional society focuses on the study of fishes, reptiles, and amphibians, worldwide. | |
| Website for the American Society of Mammalogists. This professional society focuses on the study of mammals, worldwide. In addition to this page, you can visit the following weblink to read about mammalogy. | |
| Website for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. This site gives a general overview of the diversity of careers and positions working with wildlife in nature. | |
| Website for the U.S. National Zoo of the Smithsonian Institution. This is a good introduction to working in zoos, aquaria, and conducting conservation biology projects. | |
| A nice website, created and maintained by Furman University (South Carolina) -- covers most fields in the Biological Sciences. Lots of very nice resources. | |
| A nice website, created and maintained by Emporia State University (Kansas) -- covers most fields in the Biological Sciences. |