Zoology is the study of animal life. Zoologists research everything they think to
ask about animals, including their anatomy and interrelationships, their
physiology and genetics, their distributions and habitats. Human beings have
been zoologists for as long as there have been human beings. As humans, we
are intricately tied to animal life - we've depended on many of them for food,
work, and friendship throughout our evolution and history....not to mention that
we ARE animals!
Education:
A job in the field of zoology will require at least a Bachelor of Science in biology or a related field like wildlife biology or zoology. A Bachelor's degree takes about 130 credit hours, or 4-5 years of school at a university or college. With a Bachelor's degree, you can get a job as a field or lab technician, where you'll be responsible for anything from animal care to habitat management to data collection. If you want to conduct your own research, you'll need to have at least a Master of
Science degree or a Ph.D. in biology or a related science. With these graduate degrees, you'll carry out or conduct your own research. You'll be responsible for leading others who are helping with the research, and responsible for analyzing, interpreting, and writing reports about the collected research data. A Master's degree takes 2-3 years of additional schooling, and a written thesis. A Ph.D. requires 4-6 additional years of schooling, including a written dissertation.
What kind of classes does a zoology major have to take? What classes did you take in school? Classes for a zoologist will range from molecular biology to organic chemistry to physics, and lots in between.
Specialty classes depend on a variety of your personality traits. I was interested in population biology and ecology of reptiles and amphibians, so I took classes like ecology, herpetology, evolutionary ecology, and zoogeography. Biology, however, is THE most important class you'll take in working towards your degree in zoology. If fact, most zoologists actually major in biology and specialize in a certain area within zoology during graduate school. So believe me, you'll be taking not one, but LOTS of biology classes! Some are hard, and some seem like they have nothing to do with what you are interested in, but believe me, EVERY ONE of them will benefit your abilities as a zoologist some day. It never ceases to amaze me how some of the classes that I thought would never benefit me as a zoologist actually have. Animal caretaker
Biology assistant
Computer specialist
Cytogenetic technician
Electron microscope technician
Energy analyst
Environmental educator
Laboratory technician
Maintenance technician
Museum collections manager
Parasitology specialist
Parks naturalist
Research technician
Sales representative
Veterinary technician
Zookeeper