Ecology

Types of Degrees Ecology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many ecology, evolution & systematics biology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,247
Doctor’s Degree	950
Graduate Certificate	369

What Ecology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to ecology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Ecology Majors

Ecology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Ecology Majors

When studying ecology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Ecology Majors

As you progress with your ecology degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• 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.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 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 Ecology Major?

People with a ecology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Bioinformatics Scientists	8.0%	$79,590
Biological Science Professors	15.1%	$82,550
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Epidemiologists	8.2%	$69,660
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Life Scientists	9.0%	$78,190
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists	7.7%	$63,420

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Ecology?

This major is dominated by women with about 73% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ecology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	383
Black or African American	244
Hispanic or Latino	351
White	1,482
International Students	569
Other Races/Ethnicities	218

Geographic Diversity

Ecology appeals to people across the globe. About 17.5% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Ecology

Some degrees associated with ecology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.0%
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)	1.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	28.9%
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.	1.8%
Master’s Degree	26.4%
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.	1.4%
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.	0.0%
Doctoral Degree	19.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	18.1%

Online Ecology 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)	5	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	8	0
Bachelor’s Degree	43	9
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	201	9
Post-Master’s	12	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	164	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Ecology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ecology.

Major	Number of Grads
General Biology	103,883
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology	14,354
Neurobiology & Neurosciences	12,903
Physiology & Pathology Sciences	10,453
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences	6,274
Microbiological Sciences & Immunology	4,815
Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Other)	4,637
Biotechnology	3,836
Biomathematics & Bioinformatics	3,505
Zoology	3,246
Genetics	1,703
Pharmacology & Toxicology	1,179
Botany/Plant Biology	743
Molecular Medicine	130

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Ernst Haeckel under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.