MARINE BIOLOGY: CAREER OPTIONS
Information provided by our Careers & Employability Service.
Mandy, our Careers Adviser for Marine Biology, says:
"This is a research led career area and those who wish to become Marine Biologists, will normally have to consider working towards a Masters Degree or PhD at some stage. There are opportunities in environmental and conservation fields as well as marine policy and inspection and for these careers a taught Masters in subjects such as; conservation, ecology, environmental toxicology, water quality and pollution, hydrobiology, coastal management and aquaculture could be useful. There are also opportunities for Marine Biology graduates in pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies, bioinformatics, health and clinical sciences, forensic science and medical sales and marketing as well as in teaching."
Visit the Plymouth University Careers website for more information on any of these areas, or call in to see the Careers & Employability Team in Gateway in the Roland Levinsky Building.
Skills you can develop during this course include:
- Problem solving
- Data analysis
- Communication
- Drawing conclusions
- Report writing
Relevant Work Experience
Students will be able to build on field and laboratory skills as a part of their course, but there is a need to gain practical experience beyond the course which would build useful skills and experience, for example on projects in marine research laboratories, research apprenticeships or volunteering for marine conservation projects both in the UK and overseas. Building good contacts is also useful in this field, so looking at opportunities accorded by student memberships of professional bodies related to personal interests is vital e.g. Marine Biological Association, Society of Biology, British Ecological Society, Marine Conservation Society.
Many students of science are attracted to wider opportunities offered to graduates of any subject. These can include finance, accountancy, marketing, sales, and journalism, but CV building would mean researching these sectors and the opportunities for work experience or internships within them.