Studying Biological Sciences in US

Biological Sciences is a course offered in the Life Sciences Department by select colleges and universities as part of an advanced study in Biology. Biology is considered to be the study of life or living organisms and is more of a study of the theory of it than its application. This is where courses like Biological Sciences and Life Sciences come in, which are purely applications of the course. Since it is a specialized version of biology, a few fields, such as biotechnology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, immunology, etc., are associated with its study.

Biological Sciences study only living organisms, their behavioral patterns, structural organization, and interactions with their surroundings. Life Sciences, on the other hand, are pretty similar to but different from Biological Sciences because they are a more fundamental and applied science. Programs in Biological Sciences and Life Sciences provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills to understand plant and animal life and their relationships. Biological Scientists are employed in research, related medical fields, laboratory settings, industry, and education.

Benefits of Studying Biological Sciences

Considering the vastness of the field of biology, it is often not expected that students will be sure of the area within biology they want to specialize in right after high school. The general course of Biological Sciences and Life Sciences often gives students the choice of understanding the different fields under Biology as different subjects within the four years of undergraduate study, after which they can move on with higher studies in their field of interest or leave academia for a career prospect.

The increase in population and life expectancy has led to a surge in the demand for physicians and researchers to aid the studies that can increase life expectancy. This is carried forward with other species, with specialists required to study and look after other species while ensuring their continued survival.

Students who have taken Life Sciences most often move on to research and take a Ph.D. in their respective field, providing them high-paying jobs. If they are willing to study further and take up different fields, they can even complete advanced education and take up medicine, veterinary sciences, dentistry, etc. A report from Georgetown University estimates that more than half of biology and life science bachelor's degree graduates go on to get a master's degree or doctorate. Those who go to graduate school end up earning significantly more money.

Whether students’ interest lies in molecular biology, organismal biology, or even global environmental biology, there's an exciting range of career options for enthusiastic, intelligent, and innovative people. Research biologists, for example, work in universities, private industries, and government labs. Others enter the challenging field of clinical medicine. Biology instructors might find jobs at any possible level, from university graduate teaching to secondary education.

Undergraduate Courses in Biological Sciences

Students who are not taking up General Biology as their major in undergraduate studies and are interested in specializing in any one of the fields that come under life sciences or biological sciences have at least 50 different career streams to choose from. Though each of these specializations can be chosen at a degree level, it is understood that most students will need to have first-hand experience with each of the streams to choose their career options. This is where courses like BS in Biological Sciences or Life Sciences come into play.

Courses like BS in Biological Sciences or BS in Life Sciences include a variety of subjects from the different fields of Biology, including Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Physiology, etc. Apart from the general topics that come under Life Sciences, they will also have courses like Molecular Biology, Genetics, Chemical Biology, etc., which can offer the student the option of taking a Master’s degree in the specialization they prefer after their preliminary study.

Taking a BS in biological science takes up to 4 years. It provides the student with career options in pharmaceuticals, forestry, veterinary sciences, etc., right after their degree. Alternatively, they can move on to specialize in any field they have been interested in within the four years of study.

Courses Offered for BS in Biological Sciences

A few general courses are offered in programs titled BS in Biological and Life Sciences, BS in Biological Sciences, or BS in Life Sciences. The subjects act as a common link and are often repeated due to their foundational importance in Applied Biology. These courses are-

• Neurobiology
• Genetics
• Evolution
• Physics
• Genomics
• Bioengineering
• Organic Chemistry
• Behavioral Science

Graduate Programs in Biological Sciences

All life science departments in the country provide master’s degrees in biological sciences. Taking a Master’s in the subject is the best course for increasing one’s reach in the job market since it is a field where specializations offer a higher pay grade than having basic knowledge in most subjects.

This program is often focused on the applications of modern biology in most fields, but mostly in Cellular, Molecular, Physiological, Ecology, Evolutionary, and Microbiology fields.

Courses Offered for MS in Biological Sciences

The most common courses offered for graduate programs in biological sciences are from the few topics mentioned above, such as microbiology, cellular biology, ecology, etc. But the focus upon the fields will vary from the fundamentals these subjects focused on the undergraduate programs and will be more specialized to benefit students in their career endeavors. The courses that are commonly offered are-

• Cell Physiology
• Advanced Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Ecology

Doctoral Programs in Biological Sciences

Research in this particular field is always done to expand the existing knowledge content relating to all organisms. Due to the hands-on approach the course demands, most doctoral programs require students to work extensively in laboratories apart from the necessary coursework they will have to complete.

Most Ph.D. programs include teaching as part of the course to provide students with the teaching experience they will require to become professors after the course.

Courses offered for Ph.D. in Biological and Life Sciences

The common courses that are provided for coursework for the doctoral programs are as follows-

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Genetics
• Neurobiology
• Research Methodology

Top Universities for Biological Sciences

The top universities that have a Life Sciences department and offer courses in Biological Sciences are-

1. Harvard University
2. Stanford University
3. John Hopkins University
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5. University of California-San Francisco
6. University of California-Los Angeles

Career Opportunities with Degree in Biological Sciences

Since the health sector has no age of decline when hiring new people into the industry, taking up Biological and Life Sciences lets students always have a career option ahead of them. The only problem they will have is choosing a particular field in which they excel to be more career-specific in their approach. Students can also choose to keep researching in their respective fields due to the shortage of funding and the availability of research positions in every sub-field of Biology.

The most frequently sought-after career options are given below, along with their salary specifications-

• Microbiologist- Microbiologists often work in the development of new drugs and medications. They are also expected to plan and execute new research in the field of medicine that can help diagnose and treat patients better.
  Median Salary: $84,400
• Zoologist- They are mainly considered animals and have to spend a great deal of time observing the animals of their study to note their development and find their origins. This scientific work includes working with animals in the lab and the wild according to the study they plan to perform.
  Median Salary: $66,350
• Clinical/ Medical Laboratory Technologist - They are required to work in laboratories to locate microorganisms, estimate the chemical content of fluids, and even test the drug level in blood.
  Median Salary: $54,180
• High School Teacher - They are required to teach Biology to high school students. This will include the duties of scheduling classes, paper corrections, and being involved in other school activities apart from the teaching job they have been assigned.
  Median Salary: $62,870
• Research and Development Laboratory Technician - The duties they have to perform include keeping the laboratory clean and organizing equipment. They will have to prepare the lab for different tasks and even sanitize the equipment after it is used.
  Median Salary: $46,340
• Chemical Laboratory Technicians -They have to assist scientists and research scholars in the research they conduct for the development of new products. Their tasks will include making qualitative/ quantitative analyses of materials and even maintaining the environment.
  Median Salary: $49,820
• Medical Assistant - Medical Assistants will be in charge of all administrative and clinical tasks. This includes a lot of paperwork, including tasks like record keeping and even assisting physicians in examining patients.
  Median Salary: $35,850
• Pharmacy Technician - Pharmacy technicians work within a pharmacy, often as assistants to the pharmacist, assisting the person in providing medication to the customers according to prescription or providing adept medication to health industries.
  Median Salary: $35,100