Re: What classes should I take in high school to be a zoologist?

Hello Katrina!

I'm glad to hear that you're interested in becoming a zoologist.  If you 
love animals, you'll probably find zoology a fascinating and satisfying 
field of study.

From what I remember of high school curricula - and it has been a LONG time 
since I was in high school, so my memories may not reflect the current state 
of affairs - you'll have to take a certain number of science courses to 
graduate.  At least I hope this is the case.  Anyway, the serious training 
in zoology likely won't occur until you get to college, so your best bet in 
high school is to take as many science courses as you can, and apply to a 
college or university with a good program in zoology.

Zoology is a subject within biology, so you should definitely take biology 
and advanced biology, if it is offered.  These courses should give you a 
pretty good foundation in ecology and evolution.  If you're interested in 
vertebrate zoology, a course in human anatomy would be helpful (Trust me on 
this one.  Compared to the animals that I study, all vertebrates are very 
similar in structure).  Since there's no biology without chemistry, it would 
be a good idea to take a chemistry class, too.  And make sure your math and 
English skills are up to snuff, since as a science major in college you'll 
be writing a lot of papers.  If your high school offers a course in 
statistics, take it.  Statistics are a very important facet of modern 
experimental biology, and you will need to understand how to use them.  

If you want to get a little hands-on experience with zoology, contact a 
local college or university and ask if they have any field course programs 
for high school students.  Or you can ask to visit a zoologist's lab and see 
what he/she studies.

Good luck with your future studies!

Allison J. Gong
Mad Scientist