<p>Hey everyone- I actually have a few questions. I am currently a sophomore Biology major, but I am not entirely sure if this is the route I should follow. I am very interested in German, but I also enjoy Biology. At the moment, I'm just trying to get as many opinions as possible, so that I can make a decision on a course. In my free time I thoroughly enjoy researching topics in the sciences (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics). I also find it exciting listening and reading German, while looking at political and social changes in Germany. It feels like both topics are just such great matches. Either way I would have to major in Biology (for my STEM scholarships), but I could potentially double major in German as well. I am in the Honors College at my university, which will require a thesis paper my senior year. Ideally, I would like to enter into some form of research, so that I could develop a career based on my investigative practices. This then leads to my questions:</p>
<p>1) What would be the odds of receiving a position in academia for either field? I would continue graduate school through receiving my PhD, and I assume that postdoctoral work would be a requirement. </p>
<p>2) How much postdoc work would be required for either route (German vs. Biology)? </p>
<p>3) When trying to break into academia, how important is the graduate school one attended? Could one publish a great deal from a less prominent school and still be competitive? Also, what GRE scores are considered competitive?</p>
<p>4) With the current decline in tenure track positions, would becoming a professor be even slightly advisable?</p>
<p>5) If you were to advise someone in my position, which degree would you suggest in terms of long-term stability? Then, what if the student was searching for a degree that would still leave many options available, if one could not enter into academia? </p>
<p>6) What could one do with a PhD in either Biology or German? I know that biology graduates can often be hired in the private sector, but I was curious as to some more details about possible options. What jobs are available in the government? How common is each option available? </p>
<p>7) Does anyone have experience or know someone who earned their PhD in the US, but later moved to Germany to pursue research? If so, what advice would you have?</p>
<p>8) Would entering into biological research with a research concentration on topics related to Germany (such as the regional ecosystems or Global Warming) be a possibility?</p>
<pre><code> I just realized how much I included, and I'm sorry that this ended up being so long. I just wanted to put some of my ideas out there, so that I can receive some feedback from people who have been through this or are going through this. I don't expect an answer to every question, only some suggestions to some of the topics. I've looked through other threads, but information is often only found in pieces. However, if you think a particular thread or link would help, please feel free to send it my way.
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<p>Thanks in advance!</p>