There are no additional admission requirements for this program.
What courses would I take?
It is important that you obtain a solid foundation, not only in the basic core of zoology courses, but also in basic chemistry, physics, and mathematics in your study of zoology. This foundation will enable you to pursue a range of different career opportunities later.
In general, the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree allows more breadth outside of the natural sciences. All Miami Plan Foundation (MPF) and College of Arts and Science requirements apply to this degree. Departmental requirements are more flexible for the A.B. than for the B.S. degree and leave more room for electives. This degree is usually more appropriate for students planning to enter healthcare professions.
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program embraces a more intensive scientific approach, with more science courses than the A.B. Required courses are specified, and several of the CAS requirements are waived.
What can I do with this major?
Nearly 100 percent of our zoology majors find employment in areas relevant to their training. About two-thirds of Miami’s zoology graduates continue their education.
Zoology is the major of choice for students attending medical school, accounting for about two-thirds of the total premedical graduates from Miami. Others choose dental school, veterinary medicine, physical therapy programs, or graduate school in medical technology, pharmacy, optometry, education, or, of course, zoology. Our graduates usually score in the upper third in the nation on the advanced biology section of the Graduate Record Exam required for graduate study. A small number attend business or law school.
Those who seek employment immediately after graduation find positions in a variety of fields. Our graduates report job titles of naturalist, park technician, assistant pathologist, lab technician, technical sales representative, research technician, museum curator, fisheries manager, environmental planner, municipal zookeeper, environmental impact analyst, and high school biology teacher.
The acceptance rate for Miami students who apply to medical school is much higher than the national average, about 68 percent. The combination of an excellent curriculum, hands-on laboratory and research experience, involvement in pre-professional clubs, and internships and other practical work experience aid our graduates in competing successfully for admission into pre-med programs.
Likewise, 90–100 percent of our students are accepted into dental school, and our Zoology majors are equally successful in gaining acceptance into veterinarian school or pre-physical therapy programs. Advisers in all of these areas, as well as advisers for students interested in graduate school, are available in the department to guide students through the required curricula and application processes.
Other career or further educational options after graduate school include positions in applied ecology, pharmacology, and research work extending to the Ph.D. level, marine biology, medical technology, health care administration, engineering, and medical or environmental law. Especially important now are positions involving environmental science, such as environmental toxicology.
Careers for A.B. or B.S. majors who do not go on to higher degrees include such diverse positions as naturalist; pharmaceutical, chemical, or equipment sales; research assistant; lab technician; environmental planner; high school biology teacher; working with government agencies such as the EPA, Natural Resources or Wildlife Management; or working in zoos or animal museums.