What are the education requirements and job opportunities for paleontologists?
A Bachelor of Science degree (BS) is the minimum requirement. The BS is the usual four year degree in geology, earth science or biology. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) is not widely accepted because it does not require as many credit hours in upper level classes, especially math. A Masters degree is a minimum of two years of study and often four after the BS degree. The purpose of the degree is two fold. Someone with a masters degree has specialized in a certain field of study and has gained knowledge about the scientific process and how to approach problems analytically. A field of study outside paleontology such as animal behavior, animal physiology, computer modeling or museum studies can actually provide special insight into paleontology. A Doctorate or Ph.D. degree is a minimum of two yes of study but may take many more after the BS degree. Some people will skip the Masters degree and begin their Ph.D. work after completing their undergraduate work but this in not the standard course of
