Biology Major

Transferable Skills that Biology Majors Develop:
In addition to the specific subject matter that Biology majors learn, they acquire many skills that can easily transfer to any subject matter.  The following is a list of transferable skills that Biology majors develop:

Statistical analysis  
Presenting findings
Designing web pages
Trouble shooting
Lateral thinking
Perseverance
Collaborating as a team
Integrating ideas across disciplines
Creative thinking  
Educating the public
Designing experiments
Managing databases
Computing numerically  
Working independently 
Operating scientific equipment
Handling and organizing information
Oral and written communication
Technical skills

Possible job titles for Biology majors:
Bioanalyst 
Dentist
Engineer
Geneticist
Health Care/Hospital Administrator  
Marine Biologist
Medical Researcher
Microbiologist
Nurse Practitioner
Physician
Professor
Public Health Administrator
Researcher
Teacher

Types of employers:
Aquariums, Arboretums & Botanical Gardens
Biological Testing Laboratories
Business and Industry
Chemical Industry
Colleges & Schools
Consulting Firms
Government Agencies
Health Care Facilities
Medical Corporations
Museums
Parks
Pharmaceutical Companies
Publishers
Research and Development Firms

Resources in the Career Library:
Great Jobs for Biology Majors, by Blythe Camenson
Careers in Science, by Thomas A. Easton
Peterson's Job opportunities for Health and Science Majors
Opportunities in Biological Science Careers, by Charles A. Winter
The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21^st Century, Kevin Doyle, ed.
Careers in the Environment, by Michael Fasulo and Paul Walker
The JobBank Guide to Health Care Companies, Steven Graber, ed.
Alternative Careers in Science, Cynthia Robbins-Roth, ed. 

Visit the HSC Biology Department or catalogue website!

Other sources of information:
Career counselors, alumni, and faculty members are great resources.  Visit the Career Development Office early and often, and talk to professors in your major and related fields.  Ask at the Career Development Office for help locating Hampden-Sydney alums in career fields that interest you and set up informational interviews with them.  Professional associations are excellent sources of career and employment information, and many of them have websites.  Surf the internet, keeping in mind that many colleges and universities have websites for their Career Centers and for each academic major.  Many of these sites include career and employment information as well as links to other useful websites.  Contact the following organizations and websites for more information:

American Institute of Biological Sciences 
http://www.aibs.org/careers/index.html

American Society for  Microbiology
http://www.asm.org

Bio Online
http://www.bio.com/

National Academy of Sciences, Career Planning Center
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/careers/index.html  

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Educational Council, Careers in Biology
http://www.sicb.org/cib/