Education · 1 of 4

The path

The degree is the entry ticket. Field seasons and a professional registration are what turn it into a career.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Biology, chemistry and math. Get a driver's licence as early as you can, because field jobs assume it.

2. 2

   Biology, wildlife or natural resources degree

   4 years

   Four years. Guelph, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Lakehead, the University of Northern British Columbia and Acadia all run relevant programs. A college fish and wildlife diploma is a cheaper technician route.

3. 3

   Field seasons

   2 to 3 summers

   Bird banding, ungulate surveys, camera traps, vegetation plots. Apply in January for the coming summer, every year, everywhere.

4. 4

   Master's degree

   2 years

   The usual step up from technician to biologist. Funded, and built around a real management question.

5. 5

   Professional registration, in the west

   After 2 to 4 years of work

   In British Columbia and Alberta you register after a degree plus supervised experience so you can sign off on assessments.