General Genetics

Types of Degrees General Genetics Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general genetics graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Doctor’s Degree	169
Master’s Degree	69
Graduate Certificate	11

What General Genetics Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, general genetics majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for General Genetics Majors

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

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Skills for General Genetics Majors

A major in general genetics prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for General Genetics Majors

General Genetics majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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

What Can You Do With a General Genetics Major?

People with a general genetics degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Geneticists	8.0%	$79,590

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in General Genetics?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 51% of the graduates are women, and 49% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	11
Black or African American	3
Hispanic or Latino	4
White	36
International Students	10
Other Races/Ethnicities	5

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in General Genetics. About 14.5% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to General Genetics

Some degrees associated with general genetics 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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for general genetics careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7%
Master’s Degree	6.7%
Doctoral Degree	30.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	56.7%

Online General Genetics 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	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	25	0
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	32	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to General Genetics

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

Major	Number of Grads
Human/Medical Genetics	366
Molecular Genetics	276
Genome Sciences/Genomics	225
Animal Genetics	76
Other Genetics	27
Plant Genetics	21

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 Domaina under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.