Education · 1 of 5

The path

One degree gets you in the door. A second one decides how far you go.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Biology, chemistry and math. Get outside: volunteer with a naturalist club, a stream team or a shelter.

2. 2

   Bachelor of Science in biology

   4 years

   Four years. Pick an honours stream with a research thesis if you can. Summer research assistant jobs matter more than your marks.

3. 3

   First jobs or graduate school

   1 to 2 years

   Either take field and lab technician contracts, or go straight into a funded master's degree.

4. 4

   Master's degree

   2 years

   Two years, usually paid through teaching and research assistantships. This is the point where you stop being a helper and start designing studies.

5. 5

   PhD, if you want to lead research

   4 to 6 years

   Four to six more years. Only worth it if you want to run your own research program.