Botany

Area

Employer

Information/Strategies

Sub-Area:

• Anatomy
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics
• Cytology
• Ecology
• Genetics
• Molecular Biology
• Morphology
• Paleobotany
• Physiology
• Systematics
• Systems Ecology
• Taxonomy

Employers:

• Research organizations
• Colleges and universities
• Museums
• Botanical gardens and arboretums
• U.S. Department of Agriculture branches including Medical Plant Resources Laboratory, Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Arboretum, U.S. Forest Service
• Federal agencies including Departments of Interior and State, U.S. Public Health Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Smithsonian Institution, and Environmental Protection Agency
• State agencies
• Environmental and biotechnical regulatory agencies
• Ecological consulting companies
• Industries including petrochemical, chemical, and lumber and paper
• Companies including pharmaceutical, food, seed and nursery, fruit growers, biological supply houses, and biotechnology firms

Strategies & Information:

• Obtain a Ph.D. for teaching and advanced research positions.
• Conduct undergraduate research with professors to gain experience.
• Apply for undergraduate research fellowships or other student research programs.
• Maintain a high grade point average and develop good references in preparation for graduate school.
• Develop excellent computer skills.
• Join related professional associations.
• Read scientific journals or articles to stay abreast of current research.
• Learn federal and state government job application process.

Sub-Area:

• Agronomy
• Biotechnology
• Breeding
• Economic Botany
• Food Science and Technology
• Forestry
• Horticulture
• Natural Resource Management
• Plant Pathology

Employers:

• Colleges and universities
• Research organizations
• Agriculture industry including lumber and paper, seed and nursery, fruit and vegetable growers, fermentation, food industry, and supply houses
• Biotechnology firms
• Industries including petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and chemical
• Ecological consulting companies
• Federal, state, and local government agencies
• Environmental and biotechnical regulatory agencies

Strategies & Information:

• Take courses or double major in your area of interest.
• Gain relevant experience through volunteer positions, part-time work, or internships.
• Obtain a Ph.D. for teaching, advanced research positions, and administration.
• Learn a foreign language for international work such as plant studies in the tropics.
• Learn federal, state and local government job application process.

Sub-Area:

• Bryology
• Lichenology
• Microbiology
• Pteridology
• Mycology
• Phycology/Marine Botanists

Employers:

• Colleges and universities
• Research organizations
• Federal and state government laboratories including Agriculture, Health, etc.
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Food and beverage industries including brewing and fermentation
• Hospitals
• Related industries

Strategies & Information:

• Gain experience working with technology.
• Become familiar with laboratory procedures and equipment.
• Assist a professor with research or find a part-time job in a laboratory.
• Obtain a graduate degree in area of interest.

Sub-Area:

• Teaching
• Research
• Administration

Employers:

• Public and private high schools
• Colleges and universities
• Museums, botanical gardens and herbaria

Strategies & Information:

• Gain certification or licensure for high school science teaching.
• Obtain a Ph.D. for positions in college teaching and research.
• Gain experience through tutoring.
• Learn to work well with different types of people.

Sub-Area:

• Writing
• Editing
• Botanical Illustration

Employers:

• Publishing companies including newspapers, magazines, books, and textbooks
• Professional associations
• Scientific and educational software companies
• Non-profit organizations

Strategies & Information:

• Take courses in technical writing, journalism, or illustration.
• Develop word processing and desktop publishing skills or computer-aided design.
• Find an internship with a magazine, newspaper, or publisher.
• Obtain a master's degree in scientific journalism.

Sub-Area:

• Agricultural
• Environmental
• Biotechnological

Employers:

• Law firms with environmental focus
• Government agencies and regulatory agencies
• Biotechnical regulatory firms or agencies

Strategies & Information:

• Obtain law degree after completion of bachelor's degree.
• Gain relevant experience by working at a law firm.

Sub-Area:

• Sales/Marketing
• Administration/Management

Employers:

• Pharmaceutical companies
• Seed companies
• Biotechnology firms
• Scientific publishers
• Biological supply houses

Strategies & Information:

• Earn a minor in business.
• Hold leadership positions in campus organizations.
• Join related professional associations.
• Develop good communication skills; take a course in public speaking.
• Learn various software packages including spread sheets, databases, and word processing.

Sub-Area:

Employers:

• Scientific and educational software companies

Strategies & Information:

• Double major or minor in computer programming.
• Gain related work experience through internships or part-time and summer jobs.