Fast track your professional career by joining GradConnection
A Bachelor of Science is one of the most flexible degrees available to students. Because the field of science is so broad, a university degree cannot hope to cover the whole – therefore a Bachelor of Science develops a student’s ability to think logically and creatively; to collect and interpret quantitative and qualitative data; investigate problems using the scientific method; to develop habits of precision; and fosters a love and appreciation of science in general. In addition, a Bachelor of Science provides the student with a huge range of majors and specialisations – allowing them to direct their study of Science as they choose, depending on their interest.
The fundamental scientific skills taught in a Bachelor of Science are valuable to a huge range of professions: this, coupled with the array of specialisations available in the degree, explains the incredible diversity of potential career pathways that Science graduates may follow. Careers for Science graduates are not restricted to the field of science, but may also lead to business and public service. This is especially true if the study of science is combined with a degree like Commerce, Arts or Engineering.
People hoping to enter the field of Medicine, but who did not attain the extremely high ATAR or UMAT score or in some other way did not meet a pre-requisite for an undergraduate Medicine degree, may do an undergraduate Science degree and either transfer to Medicine after a year or go on to do post-graduate Medicine. Similarly, students of Science may transfer to Engineering or go on to do further post-graduate research in Science.
Areas of Scientific Study
There are several kinds of Science undergraduate degrees – generalist degrees (such as a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Advanced Science) and specialist degrees. The specialist degrees vary depending on the university. For example the University of Sydney offers a Bachelor of Medical Science, while UNSW offers this in addition to a Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry, a Bachelor of Science (Nanotechnology) and several others.
The array of majors available to Science students is larger than for any other degree – too large to list here in full. Melbourne University for example offers 37 majors, with Monash University (31 majors), University of Sydney (30 majors) and UNSW (29 majors) not far behind. The number and type of majors will depend on the university’s size and resources for research and equipment. However these majors can usually be grouped under broader scientific disciplines. These are listed below, along with some of the possible career paths available to graduates of these disciplines.
As with all industries, work experience in the form of internships or vacation programs is a great asset to one’s career. Many organisations may offer internships for science students, including pharmaceutical, FMCG and mining corporations. Even banks recognise the value of a scientific mindset, and some specifically call for science students to join their internship programs.
Depending on your particular scientific interests, you could gain work experience by volunteering or getting a part time job at a range of different organisations. For example those passionate about environmental sciences or macro biology might consider volunteering at the local reserve, working with conservation groups or WIRES; or at the zoo.
While it is not necessary to join a professional scientific association, it can be beneficial for students to join an association in their relevant specialisation, since it will put them in contact with their peers in the industry and provide them with possible mentoring and networking opportunities. There are too many associations to list here, but some examples include the Society of Human Geneticists, the Statistical Society of Australia and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. While membership usually requires the payment of a fee, students are given discounts.
Government allocation of funds to scientific research has always been a significant driver of demand for research jobs in the relevant scientific fields (although private funding in corporations is also extremely important). Graduates should examine the state and federal budgets of the government in power, to gain insight into which fields are going to increase hiring for research, and which ones will be laying off workers. For example, if (as the 2014 budget indicates is likely to happen), the federal government cuts hundreds of millions of dollars of funding from scientific research institutes like CSIRO, the Australian Institute of Marine Biology and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (among others), demand for research graduates in these public sector organisations will decrease. However the proposal of a multi-billion dollar future fund for medical research will improve prospects for graduates in this area.
Because of the broad range of jobs available to science graduates, work prospects are higher than for more specialised degrees. The hard skills of science can be applied to almost any career,providing science graduates with the ability to transfer between different careers across disparate sectors (such as from science to finance). Since most of today’s professionals can expect to undergo from three to five career changes, this flexibility is an asset in the modern, highly competitive job market, and can be increased even further when Science is studied in conjunction with either Commerce or Arts.
Starting salaries for science graduates are relatively high. A study taken in 2013 by Graduate Careers Australia indicated that science graduates made on average $55-60k in their first year of employment. This figure does not account for differences in specialisation. According to Open Universities Australia, research and development managers can start with salaries of up to $71k, while pharmaceutical scientists and life scientists can earn up to $62k. Median salaries (around $55k) are earned by mathematicians and physicists. Lower starting salaries are typically earned by geoscientists and chemists ($45-48k). Of course, starting salaries all depend on the organisation hiring, and can vary widely depending on location and type of role required.
A common stereotype about science is that it is a “masculine” industry, compared to the supposedly “feminine” social sciences and liberal arts. This perception is changing as more and more women are entering, and excelling, in science. According to Graduate Careers Australia, the ratio of male-to-female graduates in many science specialisations (such as Chemistry) are almost equal, and while some specialisations (like computer science) are dominated currently by men, other specialisations (like pharmacy) are dominated by women. However the industry still has a way to go before women will be treated equally in these fields. A wage gap still exists of several thousand dollars a year, even in specialisations where women outnumber men. This can be partially (though not completely) explained by the higher rate of part-time employment among women than men.
Benefits to science graduates will vary depending on the organisation hiring. They may include such things as travel allowance, PhD sponsorship, share options (for major corporations), relocation assistance, gym membership, or the ability to devote a proportion of research time to a personal scientific study.
Search for Employers on GradConnection
Search for Universities on GradConnection
