Some of the jobs are interpretive and require the same kinds of skills as a park naturalist. Other biologists in these institutions have jobs caring for or adding to the institutions' collections. Most of these professionals have an undergraduate degree in something like biology and a Master's degree in some specialty. The employment outlook for microbiologists appears to be good. In most cases a Master's degree in some area of microbiology is most appropriate.
Microbiologists also work in hospital, clinical, and public health laboratories.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a continued shortage of trained professionals in food and agriculture for the foreseeable future. In most cases some specialization is required. A person with a liberal arts preparation in biology and some graduate specialization should be in a good position to make a contribution to our need for increased food production. Training in this area may be especially useful to students interested in missions, since increasing food production is one of the greatest needs in many developing countries. Developments in genetic engineering are resulting in an increased demand for adequately trained technologists.