Job prospects are moderately good, and for some positions, just a bachelor's or master's degree is required. College and University Teaching and Research Many Ph.D. ichthyologists seek employment as college or university professors and instructors where their primary responsibilities are teaching, research and administration. Teaching can be immensely rewarding and is ideal for someone who likes to communicate the world of biology. Courses taught by ichthyologists usually include general biology and one or more specialized courses such as comparative anatomy, behavior, biometry, ecology, or systematics, in addition to ichthyology. Job performance is evaluated on number and quality of published research papers, teaching performance, and ability to get grants to support research projects.
Research funding is available from a variety of private or public agencies.
The National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service are three major public sources of research funds. The National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund are but a few of the private sources of research funding. Colleges and universities also employ people with a bachelor's and master's degree as teaching or research assistants. There is little opportunity for individual research at such levels, but fieldwork is often possible. Even though not all of these positions will be refilled, and there may be a large number of applicants for some positions, prospects for employment at a college or university are reasonably good.