• Question: Do you need a degree to do stuff like Steve Backshall?

    Asked by 354diej29 to Kevin, Liz, Beccy, Rosie on 12 Jun 2017.
    • Photo: Liz Buckingham-Jeffery

      Liz Buckingham-Jeffery answered on 12 Jun 2017:

      I don’t know if Steve Backshall has a degree.

      But if you want to work with animals like he does and you want to go to university then I would guess that a degree like biology, ecology, or veterinary science would be useful. But if you don’t want to go to university you can still work with animals. You can start working in a zoo and do an NVQ for example. I know you can do them in animal care because my brother did something like that.

      Steve Backshall also goes on amazing looking, gnarly adventures all over the world! I don’t think you need to degree to travel the world and see amazing things. Some work experience in journalism or tv would probably be useful too to become the next Steve Backshall!

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 12 Jun 2017:

      I looked up and found:
      “After this he studied English and Theatre Studies at the University of Exeter, followed by biology at the Open University.” [wiki]
      I don’t know if that is true.

      The more you know about biology and science more generally the better. I think a degree would definitely be useful. There are degrees in science communication like ours at Imperial College – see this for example: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/science-communication-unit/msc-programme/msc-science-communication/

      There are great jobs that involve working with animals and communicating with the public about science. For example I work with several scientists who work at the Zoological Society of London which is the research part of London Zoo. They do lots of great work on UK animals but also internationally particularly with threatened populations.

    • Photo: Rosie Fok

      Rosie Fok answered on 12 Jun 2017:

      An enthusiastic approach to animals, science and communicating with people is probably more important than a degree for a role like his.

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