I would like to get into the field of biotechnology in the future, so for colleges that don’t have this specific major, what would be the next best major? I was thinking about chemistry because I really enjoy it, but biology may be more practical. Thank you.
Biotechnology is extremely broad, and can involve anything from biology or chemistry to medicine, public health, physics, math, statistics, computer science, mechanical or chemical or electrical engineering, agricultural and biological engineering, or probably others.
What, specifically, would you like to do, or what do you have an interest in?
Thank you for your response! I have an interest in drug development
In that case, I would consider chemical engineering.
Chemical engineering will focus on process development. If your goal is actually developing novel drug treatments (and not developing/optimizing processes for producing those drugs), then you’ll probably want a degree in chemistry or biochemistry. However, job prospects tend to be relatively poor for someone with just a BS in chemistry or biology, and you’d probably need an advanced degree for any real stability, or if you want to make a substantial contribution in your role. Even with advanced degrees, job prospects are not great in biology and chemistry.
Yeah, I’d agree. If you’re interested in drug development you’d need to major in chemistry or biology (probably chemistry) and then get at least an MS, and maybe a PhD, in a biomedical sciences field - chemistry, medicinal chemistry, immunology, virology, pharmacology, something like that. Some pharmacists in academia also teach and do research on drug action and development.
Thank you, I do plan to get a PhD! Appreciate all the information