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Biological & Biomedical Sciences Major

Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Types of Degrees Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many biological & biomedical sciences graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 23,405
Doctor’s Degree 9,113
Graduate Certificate 1,564

What Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to biological & biomedical sciences and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

Biological & Biomedical Sciences majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

biological & biomedical sciences majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Biological & Biomedical Sciences Majors

Biological & Biomedical Sciences majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Biological & Biomedical Sciences Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with biological & biomedical sciences:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Bioinformatics Scientists 8.0% $79,590
Biological Scientists 8.0% $79,590
Biostatisticians 33.9% $87,780
Clinical Data Managers 33.9% $87,780
Clinical Research Coordinators 9.9% $123,860
Computer and Information Research Scientists 19.0% $118,370
Data Warehousing Specialists 9.3% $90,270
Database Architects 9.3% $90,270
Exercise Physiologists 13.2% $49,270
Health Specialties Professors 25.9% $97,370
Life Scientists 9.0% $78,190
Mathematical Science Occupations 9.1% NA
Microbiologists 8.2% $71,650
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320
Software Developers, Applications 30.7% $103,620
Statisticians 33.9% $87,780
Water Resource Specialists 9.9% $123,860
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists 7.7% $63,420

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Biological & Biomedical Sciences?

23,405 Master's Degrees Annually
65% Percent Women
37% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 65% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of biological & biomedical sciences majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 3,043
Black or African American 2,034
Hispanic or Latino 2,720
White 10,098
International Students 3,901
Other Races/Ethnicities 1,609

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Biological & Biomedical Sciences, too. About 16.7% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with biological & biomedical sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to biological & biomedical sciences have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 0.2%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 0.8%
Some College Courses 0.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 35.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 3.7%
Master’s Degree 25.1%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.2%
Doctoral Degree 16.7%
Post-Doctoral Training 13.9%

Online Biological & Biomedical Sciences Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 118 4
Certificate (2-4 Years) 16 0
Associate’s Degree 996 56
Bachelor’s Degree 570 104
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 4,608 140
Post-Master’s 134 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 3,622 10
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 28 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to biological & biomedical sciences.

Major Number of Grads
Engineering 198,720
Engineering Technologies 86,188
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 51,081
Mathematics & Statistics 49,970
Physical Sciences 47,709
Natural Resources & Conservation 32,106
Architecture & Related Services 19,716
Science Technologies / Technicians 6,771
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,568

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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