What Can You Do With a Major in Biological Sciences?

Biological sciences major careers and jobs

Marquette's Department of Biological Sciences offers three bachelor of science degrees: the biological sciences major, the biochemistry and molecular biology major, and the physiological sciences major. It also offers two specialized majors: a track within physiological sciences for direct-admit physical therapy students, and biology for the professions, which is for College of Education students who plan to teach high school science. A major in biology prepares students for a variety of careers, as well as professional schools and graduate schools.

Marquette's biology majors are in demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for biological scientists is expected to climb about 21 percent through 2018, a much faster rate than the average for other occupations.

Jobs for biological sciences majors

What can you do with a major in biology? Marquette's biology graduates have found success and leadership roles in:

  • Academic and hospital research
  • Biotechnology
  • Dentistry
  • Ecology
  • Environmental science
  • Food industries
  • Forensic science
  • Government agencies (FBI, FDA, DNR, NASA, USDA)
  • Graduate school
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Physical therapy
  • Physician assistant
  • Public health
  • Science writing or journalism
  • Veterinary medicine
  • Wildlife management

Recent employers of Marquette biology majors include:

  • Abbott Laboratories
  • BloodCenter of Wisconsin
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Dana Farber Cancer Institute
  • Eli Lilly
  • GE Healthcare
  • Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Prodesse
  • Pfizer
  • USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Marquette biology majors have gone on to graduate school at:

  • Case Western Reserve University
  • Columbia University
  • Georgia State
  • Harvard Medical School
  • Loyola University Medical School
  • Marquette University
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Stony Brook University (SUNY) Medical Center
  • Tufts University
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of California, Irvine
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison Medical School
  • Yale

Additional resources for careers in biological sciences