Alte FriedmanAnimals are wondrous creatures. Everyone is familiar with dogs, cats, birds and rabbits as they’re among the most commonly owned pets. But zoologists interact with more exotic species of animals. If you’re an animal lover and want to know all there is to know about them, a career in zoology is just what you’re looking for. Here’s everything you need to know about getting a career in zoology.
Obtaining Your Degree
Becoming a zoologist is one of those careers that may require some preparation before enrolling in college. For those still in high school, you’ll want to shift your focus on courses such as chemistry, biology, botany and invertebrate zoology. In a zoology degree, you can expect to further your studies on the aforementioned courses while taking new ones, like anatomy and wildlife management. Preparation is one of the best ways to beat stress as a student because it allows you to mitigate potential issues that could hold you back or clutter you up mentally.
Your career in zoology can begin after four years of college, which is the length of a bachelor’s degree. While these are the basic education requirements, your best bet is to pursue a master’s. A master’s degree will take an additional two years’ worth of college, but it does give you more job opportunities. The degrees you can pursue in this field are:·
- Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
- Wildlife Conservation
- Ecology
- Captive Wildlife Care
- Wildlife Conservation and Management
Zoology is a field where you really need to dedicate yourself to your studies. Students who can show they’re diligence and eagerness to learn can be more likely to receive a scholarship. If you want to take matters into your own hands, you can go after eligible scholarships and grants to help you pay for the tuition balance. These come with personalized matching along with scholarships and grants to apply for. You’re also able to customize your needs further by making your own profile.
Occupations Within Zoology
Zoology may focus solely on animals, but it’s not just one job. There are a lot of jobs in the sector that require different skills. Below is a list of jobs you can get within the zoology sector:
- Toxicologist
- Biomedical scientist
- Animal nutritionist
- Environmental education officer
- Zoology technician
- Veterinary nurse
- Zookeeper
- Ecologist
This list is longer than you think; we’ve just scratched the surface of what you can be with this degree. Bear in mind, each job is its own unique environment and might not have the same requirements as others. Do some research before committing, this will help you identify and pursue your passions while also creating a lucrative career development plan.
Do You Need Licensing?
Funny enough, there’s actually no official form of licensing or certification for zoologists. You just need a BA or higher, depending on the job you want. However, if you plan on becoming integrated in the world of marine life, getting your scuba license allows you to easily perform deep water research. Those who are in various environments need to acquire and maintain their GIS certificate. GIS is short for geographical information system. This helps you learn more about each environment and how they work. It’s also its own separate program, but it only takes a few months to complete.
