So you are about to study science at university.
Which one should you choose?
Will you be able to get a job at the end of your studies, and what do employers think about your chosen university?
It’s comforting to know that The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, is one of the world’s top 100 ranked universities.
UQ is also consistently ranked as a number one University in Australia for graduate outcomes.
Average starting salaries for UQ graduates are also considerably higher than the national average.
A solid science background can lead you on a career path into research, teaching, industry, business, government, consulting, project management…the potential is almost endless.
A high proportion of well-paid government, business and industry leaders globally have UQ science qualifications.
But don’t just take our word for it…hear what employers have to say about UQ:
Find out where our talented Science graduates are employed via our Careers that started in science page.
Recruiter Ruby Lio of Kelly Scientific said UQ graduates were highly regarded by employers nationally and internationally.
“A lot of the UQ graduates I have recruited or interviewed have demonstrated really good skills not only academically but they also have the right motivation skills, they are determined, and passionate about their area of science,” she said.
“I believe UQ has a good brand in the market not only for the theory and academic side of things, but for its strong program in providing internships for graduates.
“This makes them marketable in Australia and internationally.”
Ruby said UQ’s reputation had been long standing and therefore many of her clients recognised the University when they were in the market for employees.
Tom Forbes, CEO of Biarri Commercial Mathematics, based in Australia, said the company sought science graduates with a focus major in mathematics, particularly operations research.
“What we look for in a graduate is technical skills, but also having studied real world problems and how they might apply to the type of jobs we might do for our clients,” he said.
“We also look for people who might have experience, personality, and the ability to consult in the real world.”
Tom said he sought graduates who were able to speak well with clients on their terms, learn about their needs and requirements, and not just understand the mathematics.
“If you like, we would like them to be able to translate the mathematics into lay terms,” he said.
“UQ graduates are quite well prepared when they come into Biarri, we are able to put them onto jobs immediately.
“For me, as a person who runs a business, that’s important.”
Michelle Chee praises the industry placement opportunities in UQ’s Faculty of Science as assisting her career.
Michelle completed her industry placement with the Cook Medical company while doing a Bachelor of Science with a chemistry major at UQ.
She was subsequently employed by Cook Medical after graduation. Michelle recently took up an internship in trade and investment with the Business Development Section at the United Nations in Bangkok.
“The University of Queensland prepared me for life after university with their support networks throughout the program, which helped develop a solid grounding in my field of study,” she said.
“Their programs are set up in such a way where you become more independent, learning soft skills, time management and organisational skills crucial to a working environment.
“When it came time for me to apply for jobs, my qualifications from UQ were recognised by potential employers.”
Michelle’s first job role out of university was as a project manager in India for three months through the Queensland government and a US multinational sponsor.
“I was one of six science applicants who applied out of a pool of 240 applicants who didn’t have science degrees so that made me stand out a lot,” she said.
“I worked at Cook Medical as a new technology association with my role within the Asia Pacific new technologies team where we went out and engaged with universities, research institutes and start-up companies, and found new ideas and technologies for medical applications.
“Our role was to maintain those relationships and work with the experts within the companies and evaluate these technologies to look in to development of medical devices.”
Michelle advised potential and current science students to balance study life and also extra-curricular activities.
“I would also suggest you maintain writing skills outside of just scientific report writing because there is a lot of documentation within the medical devices industry,” she said.
Networking was also important, and she recommended that students attend both UQ and industry networking events and speak to a broad range of people. Industry networking events were quite welcoming to students who participated.
“I would definitely recommend The University of Queensland to pursue a Science degree,” she said.