Additional Information
Four years of college and a bachelor's degree are the minimum requirements
for most careers in botany. With a bachelor's degree, you can work as a laboratory
technician or technical assistant in education, industry, government, museums,
parks and botanical gardens. People with master's degrees are more employable.
Those wanting to work as consultants require a minimum of a master's degree.
A PhD is required for most teaching and research positions in colleges and
universities.
"You will need at least 12 years of university, including your post-doctoral
work, before you are qualified," says marine botanist Louis Druehl. "But the
further you go, the more interesting it gets."
Students considering a career in marine botany should study chemistry,
physics, biology, mathematics, English and foreign languages, and should participate
in science fairs and science clubs wherever possible. Summer jobs or internships
related to botany are also helpful, suggests the American Botanical Association.
According to aquarist Charles Kopczak, marine botanists require the following
skills or traits: communication skills, flexibility, computer skills and curiosity.
Marine botanists studying underwater plants might also benefit from scuba
diving training and experience.