15 months after graduating
of our biological science graduates are in work or further study*
85% of our graduates are in highly skilled work or further study
95% saying their degree was a formal requirement for their job or gave them an advantage
Biology graduates
are well placed to succeed in any job where data handling or research skills
are important. These jobs would not necessarily have to be restricted to
science-based employers.
Employers
recruiting graduates for biology-related jobs include:
- universities and
clinical research organisations
- pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies
- private hospitals
and NHS trusts
- national and
global health, conservation and environmental charities
- scientific and
technical consultancies
- schools and
colleges
- outreach
organisations, such as museums, science centres and broadcast companies.
Many biology
graduates pursue opportunities outside the science, education and health
sectors in industries such as business, finance, the civil service, retail
management, marketing and sales.
You could also
apply the broader skills developed during your degree to many other
opportunities: it is estimated that although graduate employers often specify a
minimum degree classification as part of their shortlisting, approximately 70%
of graduate employers do not specify that you must have studied a particular
subject to work for them. However, graduate employers do highly prize skills
such as strategic planning, resilience under pressure, creative problem-solving
and commercial awareness which are some of the key skills you can develop
during your course. Therefore, you could use your degree to access work in a
multitude of sectors or industries.
It is also worth
noting that around one third of Biology graduates go onto postgraduate study.
Researching your
career options
With such a wide range of careers open to you
as a biology graduate, it is important to make sure you explore and
research your options thoroughly so that you can make informed decisions about
your future.
Take a look at the Prospects, TargetJobs and the
professional associations websites for inspiration:
Employment Opportunities
Below is a
snapshot of what some of University of Plymouth Biology graduates
told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates,
these jobs serve as steppingstones to professional posts by providing relevant
workplace experience.
- Development Scientist
- Graduate Field Research Assistant
- Research Assistant
- Seasonal Ecologist
- Sustainability Consultant
- Science Teacher
- Assistant Scientist
- Laboratory Assistant
- Laboratory Technician
- Senior Production
- Technician
- Performance Officer
- Delegate Sales Executive
- Medical Workshop Leader
- Water Quality Inspector
- Necropsy Technician
- Seasonal Ecologist
- Teacher
- Waste Officer
Employers
- Campden BRI
- Ecology Solutions
- Green Power Global
- Greenbell Veterinary Surgery Diagnostics
- Huntsworth Health
- Medical Mavericks
- NHS
- Pharmaron
- Porton Biopharma
- Scottish Water
- The Vaccine Group
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- University of Exeter
- Valuation Office Agency
- Viridor
- Wessex Water
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys of 2017/18 and
2018/19. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data
displayed is for 24 UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are
working, studying or looking for work.