Genetics
Scientists and other professionals are using discoveries in genetics to revolutionise the world. This means careers in genetics and genomics are booming.
According to the Genetics Society, demand for graduates in genetics and related fields is strong. A good qualification is much sought after by many employers. Universities require researchers and technicians and lecturers in a wide range of genetic-related fields.
Hospitals require genetics clinicians, researchers, technicians, counsellors, and nurses. Find out more about careers within the NHS
Agricultural, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries require researchers and technicians in addition to people with knowledge of genetics to work in management, writing and reporting, marketing, sales and public relations. Find out more about science careers beyond the lab.
Government bodies and agencies require administrators, managers, and officers with knowledge of genetics for decisions in science policy, regulation, advice, legislation and awarding research grants.
In addition, genetic training in combination with another field such as law, computing, engineering can open up further avenues. Finally, a genetics degree, can be beneficial to careers not directly linked to genetics or even non-science related careers.
Public health
Public health is closely related to your course of study and if this area interests you then do look at the areas of health protection, and health improvement and you could find yourself working for the NHS, the Government, local government, the Armed Forces or the charity sector.
NHS Public Health Careers
Science writing
Do you like communicating? Enjoy writing? Have you thought of science communication and science writing?
Science writers research, write and edit scientific news, articles and features in a range of different formats, including:
- business, trade and professional publications
- specialist scientific and technical journals
- general media
- promotional brochures, press releases, websites, podcasts and blogs
More about science communication
Association of British Science Writers
Science communicators
Science communicators do much of the above but they may also organise exhibitions, produce film and digital content and present science education to the public.
You may want to consider a specialist masters course in science communication such as those offered at the following universities Imperial College, Sheffield, West of England, Manchester Metropolitan, and Edinburgh.
Medical sales
Medical sales representatives or ‘reps’ are a key link between medical and pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals. They typically sell medicines, prescription drugs and medical equipment to GPs, hospital doctors, pharmacists and nurses, working to raise awareness and use of their company’s products.
Prospects - medical sales rep
Medical writing
The European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) describes medical writing as ‘communicating clinical and scientific data and information to a range of audiences in a wide variety of different formats.
Medical writers combine their knowledge of science and their research skills with an understanding of how to present information and pitch it at the right level for the intended audience.
European Medical Writers Association
The pharmaceutical sector
We tend to think of pharmaceutical companies as huge global corporate, and they do account for the majority of UK Pharma employment.
But a growing number of small to medium sized enterprises are becoming involved in drug development too.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has developed a comprehensive list of pharmaceutical companies, their contact details and some of the areas they regularly recruit into. It is searchable by location, category, employment area and type of role, for example internship, graduate training programme.
Find out about the jobs in the sector
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
Science degrees develop analytical, communication and numeracy skills and so there are many directions that a science graduate can take:
Science and pharmaceuticals job profiles from Prospects summarise common destinations of those with science degrees who want to carry on using their degree, including
- bioinformatics
- health informatics
- intellectual property including patent attorney work
- medical sales
- medical writing
- science writing
- regulatory affairs
- science policy
There are also jobs such as teaching and education-related careers which draw on your scientific knowledge.
Genetics graduates enter a diverse array of roles spanning accountancy, actuarial work, banking, charity work, finance roles, legal roles, marketing, public relations, sales and so on.
Explore a range of graduate roles
Taking a PhD allows you to carry on in the direction of your favourite discipline, subsequently you could take post-doctoral research and potentially pursue an academic career.
At any stage in this pathway you will have other job opportunities, and remember there is no rush to get a master's or a PhD either can be done at any point in your working life.
When considering further study, it is important to note the differences between master's and doctorates, especially in terms of funding.
- Master's degrees are often self-funded, incur student debt, and allow you to deepen knowledge or refocus taught study direction.
- Doctorates are generally externally funded, tend not to incur student debt, and are always research orientated – they are much closer to your final year project than any taught element.
- Doctoral Training Programmes (DTP), sometimes called 1+3s, have the advantage that a year of studying research approaches is spent before the PhD proper begins, but it is worth noting that they are highly competitive and more restricted in research scope than the more conventional three-year PhDs.
Entry requirements for masters degrees are usually 2.2 and for PhDs 2.1 at BSc level – master's degrees might help competitiveness but are not normally a requirement.
Find out more on out Further study page