Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences

What will I gain from my subject?

As a first step you should look at the programme specification for your subject which will provide insights into the skills and competences developed through your degree programme.  Employers welcome the skills-set developed by science-based courses.  These include subjects like animal science, biology, equine, genetics and zoology among others.  These are usually broken down into technical skills and soft skills.  With the former this includes analytical thinking, data analysis, numerical skills, measurement and instrumentation abilities.  The latter could include communication – both oral and written, team working, meeting deadlines and interpersonal ability.  If you are searching for a role related to your discipline you will need laboratory and technical skills. 

What can I do with my subject?

IBERS students enter a hugely varied range of careers.  For some, they enter directly into employment related to their degree, while others progress into work which utilises the skills they have developed.  It is important to remember that there is no single path or one-size fits all career.  For microbiology, for example, graduates can enter biomedical science, clinical research and pharmacology plus many more.  For zoology careers in ecology, marine science and nature conservation are some of the options.  About a third of IBERS graduates will focus on postgraduate study.  Careers related to the environment, for example, have become increasingly popular so much so that a masters’ qualification is essential.