The number of majors in the College of Science is overwhelming. With 15 separate majors all with different emphases, it’s hard to tell exactly what you’re getting into or what the future holds career-wise. But fear not, the Daily Wildcat Science Desk has teamed up to make choosing your science major a little less stressful with the inside scoop on several different degrees.
Alison Comrie, science reporter — senior studying neuroscience and cognitive science
“The neuroscience and cognitive science major combines both brain chemistry and biology with psychological studies. I chose it because I was interested in brain research and had heard good things about the small, new NSCS program. I am still in the NSCS major not just because of our great professors and the content, but because of the sense of community within the major. I plan to attend graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.”
Natalie Robbins, science reporter — environmental science senior
“I chose environmental science when I was first applying to college because it was something I have always been interested in. When I got to [the] UA, I fell in love with the program—the professors are passionate, and it is great to be in a major where my peers are interested and excited about the same things as me. After school, I am hoping to work in environmental consulting and perform field work or permitting for projects that require environmental impact studies.”
Pearl Lam, science reporter — senior studying molecular and cellular biology
“When I was a freshman I never thought I would study molecular and cellular biology. But then came a time when I wanted to gain expertise in the research field in which I was involved. It just helped me get into the conversation of everything, and I grew in a way I never thought I would have grown.”
Bailey Bellavance, science editor — geosciences senior
“The UA geosciences department is one of the best in the country and it shows. It may seem like geosciences majors only study rocks, but that could not be farther from the truth. I chose to be a geoscience major because I wanted to work with seismology and earthquake detection, but through my time here chose to study geoarchaeology—all because of the geosciences department. It’s possible to study anything with a geoscience degree, from dinosaurs to Mars, and as for careers, you could become anything from a geoarchaeologist to an astronaut.”
Artie Bradic, science reporter — senior studying neuroscience and cognitive science
“I chose to be a neuroscience/cognitive science major because I was initially very interested in psychiatry and wanted to understand how the brain works. I consider the brain one of the final frontiers because although neuroscience is a quickly growing field, we still don’t really understand much about it. Recently, I’ve gotten really interested in herpetology and how anti-venom affects the nervous system and wish to pursue that in the future.”
Julianna Renzi, science reporter — environmental science senior
“Environmental science at the UA is a unique blend of hard science courses, practical skills and specialization. While we take core courses like chemistry and biology, over the course of four years students also learn how to texture soils, process natural resource data, write technically and conduct environmental risk assessments. On top of this well-rounded base, each student specializes in a focus area—whether that be biology, soils, climate, hydrology, biochemistry, or environmental law and policy. I chose environmental science because I wanted to have a strong foundation in environmental mechanics and pick up some technical skills along the way—not to mention that [the] UA’s environmental faculties are some of the best in the world. I’m focusing my studies on marine science and after graduation I want to work in the realm of global food security before going on to graduate school.”
Lizzie Hannah, science editor — mathematics senior
“After trying out both biochemistry and neurosciences, I settled on being a math major because of its emphasis on logic and problem solving. I love that math is challenging in a way that other subjects are not. It requires analytical skills beyond pure memorization of facts. I am also looking forward to the flexibility that a math degree will provide. After college I know that my background in math will open doors to a wide variety of opportunities.”
Alexandria Farrar, science reporter — cognitive science junior
“Cognitive science is a major that synthesizes many different scientific fields to create a wide-scale view of what it means to think complexly. This includes putting together discoveries from artificial intelligence, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience and philosophy. The ultimate goal is to understand our own thinking process. One of the best ways to prove that we do is to mimic and reproduce it through artificial intelligence.”
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