Zoology
A zoology degree opens up a wide variety of different career options. If you have one you are like a pluripotent cell with the capacity to “differentiate” in many ways by choosing different job roles or training options leading to a wide variety of routes to different career destinations.
Broadly speaking, you can:
- carry on in the direction of your favourite biochemical discipline
- change biological discipline
- use your degree to enter scientific roles, or enter scientifically related roles
- use the fact that you have a degree that develops a wide variety of qualitative, quantitative and problem solving skills to enter the broader graduate market which may or may not include subsequent training.
What options within life sciences and research and development (R&D)
As a zoologist, your research and work will most likely fall under one or more of five thematic areas, as identified by the Institute of Zoology, part of the Zoological Society of London.
- behavioural and population ecology
- biodiversity and macroecology
- evolution and molecular ecology
- people, wildlife and ecosystems
- wildlife epidemiology
Academic career - R & D
If you want to carry on in the direction of your favourite discipline, then you could take a PhD and subsequent post-doctoral research with the goal of pursuing an academic career.
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.
It is not essential to progress academically to be involved in university research, nor is there any urgency to take further qualifications.
What are the roles for zoologists across the life sciences sector?
General R & D
Research and development not only includes those in universities progressing towards an academic career, it also includes working: within universities:
- within universities as technicians, research assistants, or if more qualified, research associates
- for universities but within the private sector such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
- directly in university spin-offs, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or more established companies.
People frequently move seamlessly from one to another - in and out of “industry” and “academia” – the line between the two is much fainter than people imagine.
If you are drawn to lab work then laboratory work describes graduate entry. For those interested in consultancy, which can be entered at any academic level, there are parallels with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Agriculture, food and drink
The agriculture sector and the food and drink sector are huge. With the challenge of feeding an increasing global population at a time of displacement of food producing regions due to global warming, R&D along with many other roles are becoming more essential.
Careers within agriculture
Careers in food and drink
Biotechnology and contract research organisations (CROs) including clinical trials
Biopharmguy is a good place to look for businesses involved in biotechnology and contract research.
CROs are companies that support pharmaceutical organisations amongst others to carry out clinical study and clinical trials for drugs and medical devices. The Contract Research Map lists the research institutions in each country and the work they are currently doing.
Conservation and sustainability
A good number of zoology graduates seek employment in conservation or sustainability.
Conservation Careershttps://www.conservation-careers.com/key-conservation-roles/ provides details of eleven key conservation roles:
- conservation communicator
- ecologist
- economist
- educator
- fundraiser
- land manager
- organisational manager (running organisations that conserve nature)
- policy advocate
- project manager – see also Prospects – job profile project manager
- scientist
- wildlife carer
Conservation careers emphasised that 100% of the key conservation roles usually require relevant experience, but 0% of the key conservation roles usually require a master’s degree at early career level.
They also highlight that the most-wanted transferable skills and behaviours by conservation employers are communication, organisation, teamwork, flexibility and initiative – all of which can be built in any experience, personally or professionally.
Find out more about your work experience options
Data roles
Many life scientists have sufficient data analytic skills to simply apply for roles in data analysis, or even data science.
A good working knowledge of Python/R is needed and SQL is a huge benefit – courses for both are available online. The university's Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA) runs an SQL course and our artificial intelligence (AI) webpage describes how to enter the field of AI.
Pharmaceuticals
The UK Government’s Office for Life Sciences has produced an infographic on the scale of the biopharmaceuticals sector.
Pharmaceutical companies will undertake research into and manufacture of cancer drugs. Firms such as Roche, Bristol Myers Squib, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Takeda, Pfizer, Eli Lilley, Merck and Amgen manufacture some of the most widely used drugs on the market.
As well as research and development they will recruit graduates to roles such as regulatory affairs, communications and government affairs, finance, commercial management.
Careers within pharmaceuticals
The ABPI lists leading pharmaceutical firms within the UK many of which will offer graduate employment, summer placements and placement years.
For those interested in consultancy, which can be entered at any academic level, there are parallels with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
What roles are open to me with a zoology degree and additional training?
Graduate courses in a variety of subjects are available. For example:
In some cases condensed postgraduate courses are available to those who have covered relevant material, or foundation courses for those who have not.
Find out more about further study
What are my career options with a science degree?
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.
Zoology 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
What skills will I gain during my degree?
As well as the skills developed on your course, participation in extracurricular and work experience, organisations large and small are also looking for students to have developed a range of attributes such as the following while at university. What employers seek from candidates is evolving all the time and it is important that you keep up to date with recruitment trends in the career areas that interest you.
Employers will recruit to the appropriate level of skill needed for the role. They will assume a standard level of attainment, knowledge and skills related to their degree.
Softer skills are the differentiators and will be tested at interview with competency-based scenarios around areas such as:
- Flexibility and adaptability to cope in fast paced environment with deadlines
- Teamwork
- Self-awareness
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Accuracy
- Time management
- Planning
- Contingency planning (for example, for cell based assays, having a backlog of cells)
- Resilience the work can be stressful.
- Report writing skills, understanding core structure for a report, tone and content
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Awareness of statistical analysis techniques
- Sector awareness is desirable
- Digital literacy
An audience with Twycross Zoo
If you have a keen interest in wildlife, conservation, research, and education, this webinar is for you! Staff from Twycross Zoo talk about:
- the wide range of careers available, including veterinary, animal husbandry, education officers, research roles
- how they collaborate with external organisations on their scientific research into welfare, health care and promote conservation, making a global impact in protecting endangered species
- their active research projects and top tips for gaining work experience and getting into the field
Login to SharePoint to watch the webinar
- Alumni: Email us to gain access to the webinar
There are many places to look for information and listed below are some that we think you will find useful. It is not exhaustive and no doubt your own research will lead you to other websites.