Toxicology

A degree in toxicology prepares students to identify the positive and negative effects of man-made and natural toxic chemicals. Insight is gained into the toxicant activity – from a micro to macro level – in cells, molecules and entire ecosystems. Students learn how toxicants impact the health of humans, animals and the environment. An understanding is gained of how they enter the body and cause damage to tissues and organs. They test new drugs and determine whether or not they’re safe for human consumption. Students will be able to research and provide data explaining the outcomes caused by toxicants on different populations. Required science courses typically include biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry. Within the major, classes are taken in health physics, environmental toxicology, neurotoxicology, toxic substances and forensic toxicology.

An abundance of career opportunities are available to toxicology majors upon graduation. They enter the fields of biochemistry, biomedicine, cancer research, medicine, pharmacology and pharmaceuticals. Many desire to research and teach at the university level. This allows them to find new data on how toxic substances produce their effects. They might evaluate product safety by testing food, drugs and cosmetics. Most toxicologists work for industries, academia and government. Like most science-related careers, the pay is rewarding. Toxicologists with less than one year of experience earn a median salary ranging from $34,700 to $84,000, according to PayScale. After ten years of experience, the median income ranges from $71,387 to $134,636.