The majors and orientations of the biologists vary from the microbe level to the macro level – from genes and microbes to ecology and taxonomy. Biology extends from medical sciences to chemistry and botany and environmental sciences, and teacher students usually study all these disciplines.
Biologists and ecologists (M.Sc.) graduate from the University of Helsinki, the University of Turku, the University of Jyväskylä, the University of Oulu and the University of Eastern Finland. Approximately 200 biologists graduate annually.
Sources of employment and examples of employers
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- Bayer
- Orion
- BluePrint Genetics
- FinVector
- GlaxoSmithKlein
- Immuno Diagnostics
- Medix Biochemica
- PerkinElmer/Wallac
- Roal
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
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- Kemira
- Valio
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- KVVY Tutkimus
- Lounais-Suomen vesi- ja ympäristötutkimus
- Water protection associations
- VTT
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- Regional state administrative agency
- Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment
- Finnish Food Authority
- Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea
- Cities, municipality
- National Bureau of Investigation
- Natural Resources Institute Finland
- Ministy of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland
- Metsähallitus
- Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
- Academy of Finland
- Finnish Environment Institute
- Finnish institute for health and welfare
- Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency TUKES
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
- Ministry of the Environment
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- Central and university hospitals
- Hospital services e.g. laboratories: HUS, TYKS, Nordlab, Islab
- Fimlab
- Folkhälsan
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service
- Yhtyneet Medix Laboratoriot
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- Ramboll
- Afry
- Gaia Consulting
- Golder Associates
- Sitowise
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- Aalto university
- University of Helsinki
- University of Eastern Finland
- Universtity of Jyväskylä
- University of Lapland
- University of Oulu
- Univerisity of Tampere
- University of Turku
- Åbo Akademi
Phenomena in the field
- doctoral degrees
- periodic nature of work
- the public sector emphasised as an employer
- consultation activities are increasing
- the number of students has been high previously and there has been oversupply of biologists
- a great number are working as teachers
- in the Statistics Finland’s and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s material, laboratory-based biosciences such as microbiology, molecular and cell biology and genetics are found under biology
- need of fluent Finnish language skills in most of the industry and public sector jobs
Biologists’ titles in Finnish job market
Employment and career opportunities
- Approximately 4,000 graduates work in the labour market, and this is the third largest natural sciences sector after information sciences and mathematics.
- The largest number of unemployed natural scientists is found from this large biology group: little less than 200, resulting in an unemployment rate near 5 %.
- There are approximately 1,400 doctors in the labour market, and their unemployment rate has dropped to less than 3% (approximately 40 unemployed jobseekers).
Looking for a job?
We have listed the job adds in English in the field of biology – check it out!