Botany & Biology
Career Opportunities
Career Directions in Botany
Botanists are employed in government research laboratories and field stations,
in industry and in academic institutions. An undergraduate degree in botany
prepares students for professional employment or for graduate studies.
Most positions in botany require graduate training and an advanced degree.
Botanists fill both training and research positions. Depending on the level
of training, they may serve in technical positions or as senior scientists.
Botany is a broad field and opportunities exist in the basic subdisciplines
of cellular and molecular plant biology, physiology, anatomy, systematics,
and ecology. A degree in botany may also be the foundation for further
studey and careers in applied fields of plant pathology, forestry, crop
production, horticulture, genetics and plant breeding, plant biotechnology,
or environmental monitoring and control.
Career Directions in Biology
Careers in the biological sciences are available in industry, government
organizations, research groups, medical areas, environmental organizations,
and education. In addition to jobs in traditional areas such as medicine,
teaching, and research, newer areas of employment such as resource management
and development, conservation, molecular biology and biotechnology, also
continue to develop. Future employment possibilities can be enhanced by
careful selection of the elective courses, minors, or even double majors.
Beneficial areas to combine with biology include business management, computer
science, art or graphic design, communication skills, and a variety of
agriculture disciplines. Graduates with a biology emphasis are needed to
work in biological supply facilities, pharmaceutical development or sales,
act as science editors and writers, and computer modeling and simulation.
Career Opportunities in Biology: The Environmental Science Option
Growing human populations and the increasing impacts associated with human
activities, along with heightened expectations about environmental quality
are resulting in new career opportunities. Large corporations, such as
those involved with mining, power generation, production of various food,
pharmaceutical, and chemical materials, agriculture, and waste management,
have a need for environmental scientists. Consulting firms are adding such
specialists to their staffs, which already include attorneys, economists,
engineers, and planners. Governmental agencies charged with the responsibilities
of environmental inventory, monitoring, and regulation, offer another professional
avenue. At the federal level, this includes segments of the Environmental
Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, Department
of Energy and Department of Defense. Examples at the state, and sometimes
county or city level, include departments such as environmental quality,
health, natural resources, waste management, and planning. Environmental
education and interpretation programs now appear in elementary and secondary
schools, colleges and universities, parks, wildlife areas, private tours
and even some large resorts.
This option provides an excellent foundation for a variety of careers.
It also leaves a student well-prepared to continue into graduate degree
programs (M.S. and Ph. D.) in the biological sciences. At some time, in
fact, most professional scientists now can anticipate graduate education
as being essential for career advancement.
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Prospective students may schedule a visit by calling 1-800-488-NDSU. |
Published by College of Science and Mathematics
| Maintained by Web Page Manager
Nancy
Suttle | Last Updated 6/24/99 by Nathan
Peirce