<p>so i've been interested in genetic engineering for quite some time now and today i've been looking at what colleges would fit my criteria(and if i fit their criteria lol) but i don't know what to select as major(s).
i think it has to be one of these:
biochemistry
molecular biology
genetics
Biological Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
biotechnical engineering</p>
<p>so can anyone offer some insight on this?
what major should i put in the criteria list? all of 'm?
also,does anyone know if the above are all offered by the college if their site lists "Biology/Biological Sciences, General" as their major?</p>
<p>Genetic engineering is not “engineering” in the academic/professional sense. It’s “engineering” in a broad, literal, or colloquial sense, and it’s important that you understand this distinction. Genetic engineering falls into biology/biochemistry/molecular biology (of the categories from your list), and has nothing to do with biomedical enginering or biological engineering. I’ve never heard of “biotechnical engineering.”</p>
<p>Ah that clears it a bit up.
But what would i take as my major; Molecular biology or biochemistry? And yes,you’re right,there’s no such thing as “biotechnical engineering”,no idea where i grabbed that from. </p>
<p>Also,i noticed genetics is not in your list. This is just something i like to know because i cant seem to find it by googling. Why isnt it in the list? After all it’¿ GENETIC engineering…</p>
<p>Oh, I didn’t exclude it on purpose or anything. Genetics would be fine too. Really, all of these are very closely related. In college, I majored in Molecular & Cell Biology, took classes in biochemistry, genetic engineering, and genomics, and did research and wrote an undergraduate thesis on plant biochemistry and genetics (the research work involved manipulating the genome of Arabidopsis by inserting and removing genes to study the changes in its cell wall makeup and biochemistry).</p>
<p>However, be aware that if you want a career in biology, you’ll need at least an MS and likely a PhD (prospects for the BS level, and in some cases MS level, are limited to dead-end low-paying lab tech jobs). Even the PhD market is saturated with lots of bio grads, making it difficult to find a position, and I know more than a few PhD graduates in biology who’ve gotten stuck in lengthy post-docs, or who have had two or even three post-doc positions because they can’t find jobs as professors or staff researchers anywhere.</p>
<p>I’m not saying this to discourage you, just to make sure you’re aware of what lies ahead and for you to make sure it’s really what you want to study.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot. I’ve been thinkeng a lot and having this internal debate on if i want to pursue my passion or if i want to pursue a job that gets enough money on the table. I will probably still do this because this is the only thing i’m that passionate about. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living(it’s alright if you don’t want to answer it)?</p>
What do I do for a living? I’m a student again! My plan was originally to go to medical school, but in my last year of college, I decided I didn’t want to do that. So after graduating, I worked as a glorified lab tech for a while at a government lab, and was thinking about doing a PhD in some bio-related field, but the dismal job prospects and my declining interest in the nature of the work steered me away from that too. Then I took some time off and spent a while figuring out what to do, took some classes in math, and now I’m in a Masters program for mechanical engineering–pretty far from where I originally started, but finally happy with my choice. I’m studying things related to biomechanics, bio-inspired and human-inspired robotics, and mobility. Approaching biomedical issues from an engineering perspective is what I really want to do, and I think the engineering approach to problem solving is, generally speaking, more effective than the biological approach.</p>
<p>Congratz on pursueing what you really want to do!
I’m sorry i replied so late,but i had to get some additional info from the 2 local universities before i could ask my question. Well,it is almost completely answered,but i want your opinion.
So in my country there are 2 universities,ADEK,wich is a normal university ,and a polytechnic institute(orso i assume,because the name is PTC wich stands for polytechnic college ). Adek offers none of the subjects i want as major,and PTC offers biochemistry as a major. But here is the thing: from the brrochure i got , this thing is written: “The degree from PTC is regonized by law in Suriname. With this degree you can sollicitate in caricom countries as well. This degree also gives you the posibility of getting a masters degree. It should be noted that our first and foremost priority is educating the higher technic occupation framework for suriname. The institute of the country determines in how much your degree is worth. At some institutes you can go in the 3th year and the other institute the 2nd year.”(sorry for possible spelling mistakes and a bit confusing word choice,i had to translate it from dutch to english)
i am a bit hestitant to do it now,because this will be a 5 year course(3 hours a day) and then i will be in 2nd or 3th year if i transfer schools.
Should i do it? 2nd or 3th year,this would mean i have to get my degree over again? I can’t do all my higher education in USA,since that money would equate to building a decent home. Sigh…
Why must education be so confusing…</p>
<p>If money is an issue, you might want to complete your undergraduate education in Suriname and then apply for PhD programs in the US, since PhD programs are fully-funded–you don’t pay tuition and receive a stipend for living expenses.</p>