<p>Hi,
I am just finishing up my 2nd year as an undergraduate student and am seriously debating between a graduate degree in animal science, conservation. Essentially I would appreciate any advice on the direction I should pursue.
Double Major: English and Biology - in both honors programs
GPA: 3.75 (4.0 in English, 3.6 in Bio)
Research: started this semester and will continue over the summer and next year
Work: part-time job (for work-study) and worked as an intern last summer doing conservation</p>
<p>What do you want to do as a career within the conservation realm? Do you want to be a researcher, an academic, a field technician or something else entirely? Some of those jobs will require a Ph.D, others just a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and there’s no sense spending a bunch of money for more schooling than you need for your career goal.</p>
<p>For example, if you wanted to work as a wildlife biologist for the Forest Service (to use my agency’s usual staffing policies) you only need a master’s degree for the entry-level, district-based GS-9 positions.</p>
<p>You’re debating between a graduate degree in animal science conservation and what? Or is it between animal science and conservation?</p>
<p>My questions echo polarscribe’s. What do you want to do with your life? Do you want to be a professor at a university or college, or to run a national research laboratory, or take a lead in designing research in some other capacity? You don’t even need a PhD to do research, unless you want to be the one running the studies, writing the grants and thinking up the projects. There are a lot of research associate jobs in the life and physical sciences that only require an MS.</p>
<p>Try to get some research and work experience in both so that you get a better idea of what you really enjoy and what it is like in the “real world”. Also, remember that you don’t have to go straight from Undergrad to Grad School. I’m a strong advocate of working in the field you think you will be interested in for a few years so that you know that you really enjoy it before putting more years of education into it.</p>