• Question: Do you have to go to uni to be a scientist?

    Asked by away485ant on 21 Jun 2023.
    • Photo: Alastair Henniker-heaton

      Alastair Henniker-heaton answered on 21 Jun 2023:

      Yes & No – I started as an apprentice straight from A-Levels – however since my employers have paid for me to complete Bachelors and Masters degrees. Win for me as I have zero student debt and I also got paid to do my training on day release one day per week to go to uni. I also found it helped a lot with assignments as I had industry experts at work who could help me.

    • Photo: Paul Waldron

      Paul Waldron answered on 21 Jun 2023:

      You don’t have to go to University, however I think it would help if you did.
      Many people are now studying alongside their jobs, and therefore getting paid and learning at the same time.

    • Photo: Enya Gomes Clynch

      Enya Gomes Clynch answered on 21 Jun 2023:

      No you don’t! I know many people who have completed apprenticeships instead of going to university and are very successful now in what they do! Most jobs offer fantastic on the job and formal trainings too to help you develop 🙂

    • Photo: Alexander De Bruin

      Alexander De Bruin answered on 22 Jun 2023:

      not at all, though it’s the most common route. We have several technical apprentices who left school after GCSEs or A-Levels and have either earned their degree while working, or simply built expertise and experience and are now working as vital members of our research staff

    • Photo: Cat Cowie

      Cat Cowie answered on 22 Jun 2023:

      Absolutely not, but it can be really helpful and beneficial to you. Also, there are courses these days where you can work while you study, so you are gaining experience and getting paid. Or, you can do a ‘year in industry’ (a year working) in the middle of some degree courses – I did this and I think it made me stand out when I then went on to look for a job or further studies.

    • Photo: John Grasmeder

      John Grasmeder answered on 22 Jun 2023:

      No, you can become a scientist with a few GCSEs. Being interested in science, being curious, and wanting to learn new things are the important things. My company employs school leavers (GCSE and A level) as science apprentices who then train to be science technicians but we also employ graduates and higher from universities.

    • Photo: Amy Stockwell

      Amy Stockwell answered on 22 Jun 2023:

      Most people I know did and that is perhaps the most straight forward route.
      But I have had colleagues come through apprentices and some who started as a lab technician and worked their way up through experience and on the job training.

    • Photo: Sharron Kenny

      Sharron Kenny answered on 26 Jun 2023:

      not directly a lot of companies take on apprentice scientists and they offer various vocational qualifications and in some cases pay for your degree while you work for them. then usually you attend university part time.

      there’s ways around having student debts and still becoming a scientist eventually

    • Photo: Tom Price

      Tom Price answered on 27 Jun 2023:

      No, you can become an engineer or scientist without a university degree. It might help you apply to some companies, but there are other ways to learn and get experience without going to uni.

      One of the best engineers I work with started as a motor vehicle technician at college, and worked his way up to become an engineer. His training is an advantage, because he knows more hands-on about cars than most other people.

    • Photo: Chathuri Silva

      Chathuri Silva answered on 27 Jun 2023:

      Not at all, There are so many paths you can become a scientists without attending university.

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