Deciding what career path you want to take in Biological Sciences can be complicated especially since the field is so broad, varying and intriguing. Studying a graduate course in Biological Sciences will offer you the opportunity to specialise in this vast area and hone your skills and knowledge to an area that particularly interests you. When considering graduate study in biological sciences it is important to keep in mind your ultimate career goals and the next steps you need to take in order to achieve them. Studying a graduate program is the ideal way to find out where to take your Biological Sciences expertise further.

 

Why Graduate Studies?

• Aspirations for an academic career
• Enhance research skills and understanding
• Specific research interests and passion for subject
• Develop competitive edge and stand out from the crowd
• Reflect on career aspirations and gain internationally recognised qualifications
• Undertake training, both specialist and generic/transferable, for career preparation

When choosing a Biological Sciences graduate programme, take into account your strengths and weaknesses and your previous academic background, experience and knowledge. When choosing a university or college, you should think about the university facilities and services, the institution’s ranking and their areas of research and expertise.

If you have a very specific research interest and you know that you want to follow a research career in this field, you could consider an MPhil or PhD. This will see you carrying out supervised research at the leading-edge of your chosen subject. The assistance and support of your supervisor is vital, as are the services and options offered by the institution to which you apply.

A Master's of Research (MRes) degree is most often, a full-time course of one year in duration (in the UK). It consists, for example, of a mixture of taught courses and research projects, all of which provide you with the opportunity to widen your knowledge and understanding of Biological Sciences, and to experience a range of research activities, skills and techniques. Such programmes provide the ideal training for a PhD or for other positions involving scientific research.

The "Integrated" or "New Route" PhD is a recent development in which the first two years include a number of taught units, usually at Masters-level, designed to support the major research topic and broaden the vision of the students. It aims to provide students with an insight into a range of activities, techniques and skills, thus enabling you to carry out your subsequent doctoral research as effectively as possible.

Career Options

• Further studies e.g. PhD
• Academic position
• Research Institute Appointment
• Government Officer
• Researcher
• Industry representative
• Commercial sector manager
• Scientific writer

These are just a few of the opportunities open to you after completion of a graduate program in biological sciences. Your chosen course should offer you not only an excellent qualification, but also the opportunity to equip yourself with highly desirable, generic and transferable skills and experiences, that will set you in good stead for life after your studies, be that in a commercial, industrial or academic environment. Take the time to find the program, university or college and study destination that best addresses your expectations of a Biological Sciences graduate course and you will be able to gain as much as possible from your experience in the cutting-edge field of Biological Sciences. You will be sure to lay the foundations to success the evolving field of Biological Sciences and beyond.

 

With thanks to:
Dr Emma Lawrence
Postgraduate Administrator
Department of Biology & Biochemistry
University of Bath