Advice for Chemist who wants to pursue career in wildlife ecology

[krittakat]

Hello! I have my B.S. in Chemistry and have been a working chemist for about 5 years now but my real passion is working with animals and I am interested in pursuing a career in wildlife ecology/conservation. Does anyone have a similar experience of switching careers from chemistry to conservation/biology/etc.? I would love to just work in the field and gain experience without having to go back to school but that's probably not possible :( I do not have a strong biology background so I don't think I have much of a chance of getting accepted into graduate programs... I'm wondering if I should try getting a post baccalaureate degree in wildlife science/ecology/conservation/etc. or possibly get a graduate certificate or take some prerequisites before applying to grad school. Also, I live in Portland, OR and don't really want to move so I think my only schooling options would be online or OSU. OSU has a few different graduate programs, two of which I'd be interested in: Masters of Wildlife Science (very competitive) or a Graduate Certificate in Wildlife Management which would be easier to get into but would still require that I take prerequisites but could be a foot in the door for meeting faculty and give me an advantage if I want to enroll in the masters program later. Or I could get a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences but not sure if it's worth the time, effort, and cost. Basically I'm really confused and don't know what to do so any advice on this would be great! Thank you so much!

[Quickmick]

Hello @krittakat! You didn't mention if you like the chemistry part of your life, but if you do you might find a way to leverage your chemistry experience to set you apart as a compelling candidate. There are (as I'm sure you know) many chemical processes that go in to ecology (habitat for example, or check this out https://www.cfc.umt.edu/research/highlights/streamwaterchemistry.php). Maybe find a part of the world that are you trying to enter that has significant elements of what you are already have? Just an idea, hope it helps!