Biological Sciences: Career Planning

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Graduate Study The department offers a master of arts in the biological sciences and courses taken in the MA program can later be credited toward the PhD upon acceptance into the CUNY doctoral program in biology. Interested students should obtain the Hunter College graduate catalog and contact the biology master’s program adviser. Laboratory research under faculty supervision (see undergraduate research, below) is extremely valuable for gaining admission to graduate schools. Students planning to apply to graduate school should consult with their adviser as early in their college career as possible.

Professional Schools Students who plan to apply to schools of medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine should consult with their adviser and see the preprofessional adviser on the 12th floor of Hunter East.

Preparation for Teaching In cooperation with the School of Education, the Department of Biological Sciences offers opportunities for students to prepare for a teaching career in elementary and secondary schools. The basic major in biology satisfies the requirements for New York State certification of at least 30 credits for teachers in adolescent education, grades 7-12.

Preparation for Biotechnology Students interested in careers in the rapidly growing field of biotechnology should select the major in biology and consult with their adviser as early as possible. Advanced courses taken as electives should include BIOL 61000 (see Hunter graduate catalog) and those special topics courses (BIOL 47000 -BIOL 47100 ) that are most relevant to biotechnology. Qualified students are also encouraged to pursue the BA/MA Program in Biotechnology. Interested biology majors who have completed BIOL 300 should contact Dr. Patricia Rockwell as early as possible.