Conservation Biology

Types of Degrees Conservation Biology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many conservation 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	132
Doctor’s Degree	19
Graduate Certificate	1

What Conservation Biology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to conservation biology 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 Conservation Biology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• 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.
• 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 Conservation Biology Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to conservation biology:

• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• 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.

Abilities for Conservation Biology Majors

As a conservation biology major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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

What Can You Do With a Conservation Biology Major?

People with a conservation biology degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	8.0%	$79,590

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Conservation Biology?

The major attracts more women than men. About 72% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	4
Hispanic or Latino	5
White	104
International Students	6
Other Races/Ethnicities	11

Geographic Diversity

Conservation Biology appeals to people across the globe. About 4.5% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Conservation Biology

Some careers associated with conservation biology 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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for conservation biology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.4%
Master’s Degree	13.0%
Doctoral Degree	21.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	30.4%

Online Conservation Biology 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)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	8	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	13	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Conservation Biology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Epidemiology	3,179
Marine Biology	2,368
Ecology	1,122
Evolutionary Biology	807
Environmental Biology	484
Other Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology	333
Evolutionary Biology	178
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	96
Epidemiology and Biostatistics	80
Population Biology	29
Biological Systematics	14

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.