Levi
What are some things you could do with a Master's in Botany?
Having loved plant life all of my life, I thought that I might be able to make myself a career out of it. So I was wondering what exactly could I do with a master's in Botany? What types of careers are available? What would the daily life include? Would I need to stay in this nation, or would I have to study organisms internationaly? I have been able to plan out what to do up to the point of getting a Master's degree, but I am lost on what I could do with it. #college #career #science #biology #job-search #career-paths #career-plan #botany
2 answers
Maria I. Price
Maria I.’s Answer
Sustainability of species and organic growth,especially in light of a changing climate. Writing for a magazine while running your own horticulture business.
Deborah Frangquist
Deborah’s Answer
One of the best ways to answer any question about what you can do with a particular degree is to get information from the professional or trade organizations related to that degree. In your case, start with the Botanical Society of America (assuming you are in North America): http://www.botany.org/
Specifically, on the website there is a Careers page http://cms.botany.org/home/careers-jobs/careers-in-botany.html which includes several links for students (scroll down to the bottom of the page) and information about joining the Botanical Society as a student member. Student memberships are usually reasonably priced, and membership gives you a big head start in terms of meeting (at least on line) a range of botanists who can advise, mentor, and encourage you along the way. Add in the advice of faculty at your own college or university, and you will be able to learn a lot about possible careers, develop some special expertise even as an undergraduate, learn about various Masters programs, and maybe even have a summer job or two which will contribute to your career knowledge and choices.
I do not know why I have not run across this website before, I thought I found most of the obvious sites, turns out I did not. Awesome, thank you for taking time out of your schedual to speak with me.
Levi
If there are any other obvious sites I missed, could you kindly inform me of them? lol
Levi
There probably are some more specialized botanical organizations. The best way to find them is actually to talk to a librarian, since they are the folks who track those resources. But typically each academic specialty, like botany, has one major professional organization, and then there are likely to be links or collaborations between that organization and related ones, such as international organizations and specialty organizations. The specialty groups may also be subgroups of the Botanical Society.
So I recommend really studying the Botanical Society site first, following the links within it, before looking for a parallel organization.
Deborah Frangquist
I'll take you up on that advice, thank you for speaking with me again.
Levi