Careers & Student Organizations

Find Your Path

Our purpose of a college education is to prepare you for a career. Thoughts about what to do after graduation from Avila University will begin the moment you select classes in your first semester. Some will have a clear after-graduation plan. Others will change their mind several times. Some may pursue a career that requires additional schooling. Chances are if you’ve selected a life science major, you wish to pursue a career related to this. 

The first step in determining what career is right for you is to begin researching careers when you start at Avila. This may involve surfing the internet, talking to people you know, and actively seeking out individuals who work in the field. A good starting point for all biology majors is www.aibs.org/careers, the careers website of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Select courses that will help you build skills critical in most life science jobs: quantitative and communication skills. And while courses and grades are important, it helps to gain experiences, such as internships, summer employment, and volunteer service related to your field of interest.

Finally determine if the field requires graduate or professional school. Resources at Avila to help guide you to a successful career after graduation include your advisor and Avila’s Office of Career Services

Learn more about the career paths for biology majors: 

Biology research can be carried out by college and university professors, government workers, and researchers in the corporate world. Typically, these positions involve some type of graduate school training. The following sites will help you research these:

Health care professionals have strong backgrounds in biology. Health care professionals include physicians, dentists, physical therapists, pharmacists, chiropractors, genetic counselors and veterinarians. All require professional school training.

For more on opportunities in prehealth at Avila University, check the Avila Prehealth pages. In addition, check out www.explorehealthcareers.org for helpful information on various professions.

Science educators love talking science with people and encourage them to learn about the natural world. They may work in grade schools, colleges and universities, museums, zoos, aquariums or nature centers. Check out The National Science and Math Initiative for further information.

Zoo and natural park biologists work toward addressing environmental problems and preserving the Earth’s environment for the future. Additional information can be found at the Environmental Careers Organization and the American Zoological Association.

The communication and quantitative skills developed by pursuing biological study, can enable graduates to pursue a number of job opportunities not directly related to biology. An excellent starting point is the job opening site resources.alljobopenings.com;  the National Academies of Sciences; and the Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). The Federal (www.usajobs.gov) and state government (www.mo.gov/work/job-seekers/state-job-openings) agencies employ many science majors. Biologists have entered the job market as journalists, animal breeders, biostatisticians, science and medical illustrators, nonprofit organization staff and administrators, and attorneys.

Contact

Eiko Gilliford, Office Manager College of Science and Health
P: 816-501-3655 / E: eiko.gilliford


Student Organizations & Opportunities

Beta Beta Beta

Advisor Dr. Katie Burgess
(816) 501-3685
National Web site: www.tri-beta.org

The Pi Iota chapter of Tri-Beta was established at Avila in the Fall of 1998. Tri-Beta is an honor and professional society for students of the biological sciences, particularly undergraduates. It seeks to encourage scholarly attainment to cultivate intellectual interest in the life sciences, and to promote a better appreciation of the value of biological study.

Alpha Epsilon Delta

Advisor Dr. Stephen Daggett
(816) 501-3654
National Web site: www.aednational.tcu.edu

The Zeta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta was chartered in the spring of 2014. Alpha Epsilon Delta is the National Health Pre-professional Honor Society dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of excellence in pre-professional health scholarship.

The Outstanding Biology Student Award

This is an annual award given to graduating senior biology majors who have demonstrated academic excellence in their years at Avila University. Criteria include science grade point average, cumulative grade point average, and service in the department. The Biology Department selects the student each spring semester.

Honors in Biology

Students who have completed 14 credits of biology courses with a sufficiently high biology G.P.A. and overall G.P.A., and who have demonstrated promise in other ways may be invited to apply for the Biology Honors program. If the student’s application warrants acceptance into the program, he or she may be eligible for Honors. Graduating with Honors in biology requires completing a three-semester laboratory or field research project (two semesters of BI 493 and one semester of BI 499) of sufficient quality and maintaining a sufficiently high biology overall G.P.A. 

“Avila University appealed to me because of the potential to become involved. The Tri Beta science club allowed to me to network and gain experience within a leadership role. “

Jordan Burns ’15
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