Will a 3-Year General Science BSc Lead to a Job and What Are the Prospects?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential job prospects and value of a 3-year General Science BSc degree. Participants explore various career paths, the relevance of the degree, and the implications of studying through correspondence courses.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Amy questions whether a General Science BSc will lead to a job, what types of jobs are available, and the expected pay.
  • Some participants suggest that the degree may not be worthwhile, with one mentioning it could lead to becoming a high school science teacher, depending on accreditation processes in Canada.
  • Concerns are raised about the quality of correspondence courses, with a participant advising against them.
  • Amy expresses a preference for studying biology and inquires about the possibility of pursuing microbiology after the degree.
  • One participant argues that pursuing microbiology directly would be more beneficial than obtaining a General Science degree, which they view as limited in scope.
  • Another participant mentions that a distance learning science degree may be perceived as less credible due to the lack of laboratory experience.
  • There is a suggestion that a career as a science reporter could be an option, though the market for such positions is questioned.
  • Amy reflects on her uncertainty regarding her career path, mentioning considerations for nursing and health-related careers but expressing doubts about her suitability for those fields.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of choosing a specific field of study rather than a general degree.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express skepticism about the value of a General Science BSc degree, with multiple competing views on its utility and the best path forward for Amy. There is no consensus on whether the degree would lead to viable job opportunities.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations related to the degree's perceived lack of rigor, the absence of laboratory experience in correspondence courses, and the potential for limited job prospects in general science fields.

physicsgal
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will getting this degree lead to an actual job? if so, what kind of job? and approx how much pay? (starting pay and average pay after 5-10 years on the job).

here's the program I am somewhat thinking about:
http://de.uwaterloo.ca/faculty_of_science_requirements.html
btw, this program is a study-at-home deal.

i do enjoy science and i interests me. I am not particularly good (like i don't have a natural knack for it, but always have over an 80 average in advance hs courses).

im really lost here. I am looking into other career idea, like court reporting (transcribing), medical transcription, or accounting. but science seems the most interesting.

~Amy
 
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It doesn't look like something worthwhile to me. I don't know, maybe you could become a high school science teacher with that--there is a similar "general science" major at my school that is intended for people who want to be high school science teachers. I guess it would depend on how the teacher accreditation process works in Canada. At my school, the general science major program has fewer/easier requirements than specific science or engineering majors, which means you learn less.

What did a grade of 80 mean at your high school? What was your class rank? If you're interested and good at science you should go with a more specific major.
 
also correspondance courses are ususally very poor and should be avoided if at all possible
 
What did a grade of 80 mean at your high school? What was your class rank?
i was just noting that my grade average is above 80. not sure what my class rank was. in hs i didnt apply myself and ended up with nothing but useless credits. and so after hs i took a bunch of hs credit courses through correspondence so now i have the pre-reqs i need to get into something. i seem to be more keen on biology than the other sciences.

being a teacher is the last thing i want to do.

one of the things that appeals to me about this course is that i'd be able to study at home (really not keen on commuting everyday to school).

also, with this bsc course, would i be able to get into microbiology or something like that afterwards?

~Amy
 
If you want to go into microbiology, go into microbiology. This is really a gimped degree. Don't expect to be able to do much with it.
 
I also agree...Find somthing you want to do and do it, not limit yourself and you definatley are with this degree. If getting to class is the problem and you must take all online courses I'm not sure how many majors will actually do that in science, especially because of the labs.
 
If you are interested in microbiology then you should do that from the start. A distance learning science degree seems like a bit of a sham to me, I mean who is going to hire a science graduate who has never even been in a lab before? I also find it a bit off that it is only 3 years, when a degree is supposed to be 4. If you are planning on micro anyway seems better to just save the time and money and go into it in the first place.
 
You might be able to wangle a job as a "science reporter" for a newspaper or TV "nitwitness" news team. Dunno that there's that much market for such. Bill Nye isn't exactly "knocking 'em dead," playing to SRO crowds, or pulling down the kind of money Oprah is.
 
You might be able to wangle a job as a "science reporter" for a newspaper or TV "nitwitness" news team. Dunno that there's that much market for such. Bill Nye isn't exactly "knocking 'em dead," playing to SRO crowds, or pulling down the kind of money Oprah is.
lol. good lord. :eek:

im not sure what i want to do. i was somewhat thinking about nursing or other health related careers, but now i realize i don't have the right personality and what not (not a people person, forgetful, squeamish, etc.) to work in health.

it sounds to be like the only point in taking the general science degree would to get into some sort of post-graduate degree for something specialized. not my cup of tea. i'd like to be working in 2-3 years at something.

i dunno. i just dunno.

~Amy
 

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