Career prospects

After your studies

The field of biology is wide and gives you lots of choices on the job market. Work as a researcher, teacher, consultant, policymaker, or manager in a profit or non-profit organisation. The programme provides you with a huge number of opportunities to discover your strengths and to explore all career fields.

Possible occupations

  • Researcher in a university, hospital, research institute (for example RIVM, TNO in the Netherlands) or company.
  • Teacher in secondary school or higher education
  • Consultant for a consultancy company
  • Consultant for companies in agriculture or the pharmaceutical industry
  • Policymaker for a non-profit organisation, environmental federation, or government
  • Project leader or manager

Preparation for the job market

If you choose Biology, you will quickly find that it is a compelling and broad field. However, do you know what you want to do after? Do you want to become a researcher, or do you prefer consulting companies, or maybe teaching? You don't need to know what kind of job you would like to have as a biologist before you start studying Biology. We provide you with all kinds of opportunities to discover your strengths and which direction you would like to pursue. This way, you will be ready to tackle the job market when you graduate.

During the Bachelor’s programme, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the job market. What kind of job would you like? How can you land a job? How do you write a CV and what happens during a job interview? You will learn about this through:

  • Meetings with your student advisor
  • Guest lecturers from different fields
  • A career orientation course
  • Following courses at other programmes
  • The course Personal and professional development
  • Talks with study choice and career officers
  • Lectures by alumni

Continue with a Master's

With a Bachelor's degree in Biology, you can advance to several Master's specialisations in Biology and Medical Biology. Or you can get your teaching qualification in biology by doing the Master's in Education (in Dutch).

Biology

 

Medical Biology

 

Society/management specialisations

You can choose to combine one of the research specialisations above with a societal/management specialisation. The first year of your Master's will consist of your research curriculum, and in your second year you will shift to one of the 1-year specialisations below.

 

Educational Master's

The Master's in science education combines biology subjects, didactics and internships, which trains you to become a qualified teacher in secondary or higher education.

Radboud Career Service

Radboud Career Service Science helps students, PhDs and alumni with advice and counselling, either in an individual interview or in a workshop with fellow students. Career Service Science can introduce you to people at national and international companies and organisations that offer interesting jobs and internships. With their extensive knowledge of the labour market and recruitment experience they advise you on how to find the job you desire.

After graduating: what's next?

Biology-alumnus Kasper Kusters talks about his job as Cooling-water Treatment Specialist at H2O Biofouling Solutions.