Zoology v Marine Biology

Career prospects to work with animals directly are few. The majority of people who do these degrees will end up working in other fields.

People who actually study animals will generally be academics and conservationists. Very difficult to get into.

This does mean they are bad degrees, just that should be aware that they are not vocational degrees. But good science degrees open up many other doors too.

So it’s soon time for me to apply to universities and I think I want to go down the route of Zoology/ Animal Ecology or Marine Biology. I have done lots of research but can’t seem to find the answer to my questions and was wondering if someone could help. How easy is it to get a career as a zoologist or marine biologist who works in wildlife parks or aquariums? And are these positions full time ones or do people just get called in for a month or so to study the animals? I’d appreciate any advice that I could get surround these career prospects. Thanks

Have you done any volunteering in the sort of settings that you are interested in? Doing that, and talking with the people who already work there may be very helpful. Eg you could volunteer to help out at a local zoo, or pay to volunteer at a place like Moholoholo in South Africa .

Most uni courses in Zoology/Ecology or Marine biology are quite general, rather than vocational. They equip you with a broad range of understanding in Biology and you could use them as a starting point for academic research in any aspect of Biology. If you are thinking more narrowly in terms of working as a ranger,a Reserve Manager, or in looking after animals in a zoo or aquarium, you will need additional skills, training or experience to learn the practical side of things. Some people do this alongside or after doing a degree (for example, by volunteering to do conservation activities on a nature reserve, and/or doing extra training courses)

Alternatively, you could do a degree that is specifically aimed at animal husbandry and/or zoo management. These are much more vocational, and will get you into work in zoos etc more directly. But the downside is that they are narrower and have lower currency outside that specific sector.

Does that make sense?

So it’s soon time for me to apply to universities and I think I want to go down the route of Zoology/ Animal Ecology or Marine Biology. I have done lots of research but can’t seem to find the answer to my questions and was wondering if someone could help. How easy is it to get a career as a zoologist or marine biologist who works in wildlife parks or aquariums? And are these positions full time ones or do people just get called in for a month or so to study the animals? I’d appreciate any advice that I could get surround these career prospects. Thanks