Education · 1 of 5

The path

Be honest with yourself early: this is a popular field with a small number of permanent jobs.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Biology, chemistry and math. Learn to swim well and get comfortable on boats.

2. 2

   Biology or marine biology degree

   4 years

   Four years. Dalhousie, Memorial, the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria, Vancouver Island University and Ontario Tech all have marine streams. Take a coastal field course.

3. 3

   Field seasons

   2 to 3 summers

   Summer technician contracts on vessels, at hatcheries or on shoreline crews. These contacts decide who gets the next job.

4. 4

   Master's degree

   2 years

   Nearly standard for anything past technician work. Funded, two years, and built around your own research question.

5. 5

   PhD, if you want to run research

   4 to 6 years

   Required for a permanent government research scientist or professor position.