Scientists estimate there are somewhere between 1 and 2 million animal species on Earth, out of roughly 8.7 million species of plants, animals, and fungi combined. Ask someone what a zoologist studies and most people picture one generic image: a person in khaki, binoculars in hand, watching lions on a savanna. The reality is stranger and more specific than that. The zoologist studying deep-sea squid has almost nothing in common, day to day, with the one tracking migratory songbirds, and neither has much overlap with someone identifying fossilized bones in a museum basement.
That gap between the popular image and the actual field is exactly why “what is zoology” and “what does a zoologist do” turn out to be two different questions with two very different answers. Zoology is really an umbrella term for dozens of narrower specialties, each built around a different slice of the animal kingdom, and figuring out which slice interests you is often the real first step toward a career in the field, well before you start comparing degree programs.
Curious which of Unity’s programs lines up with your interests? We break that down specialization by specialization below, but if you want to jump ahead, Unity’s wildlife and animal science degree programs span everything from marine biology to wildlife conservation.
What Is Zoology, Exactly?
Start with the definition, since the popular image above is not entirely wrong, just incomplete. Zoology is the branch of biology concerned with animals and animal life, according to Britannica, covering everything from the molecular level inside a single organism to the behavior of entire populations. It examines how animals are structured, how they function, and how they relate to each other, to plants, and to their environment.
In practice, almost nobody works across the entire discipline. A zoologist studying whale migration and one studying beetle taxonomy have more differences than similarities in their daily work, even though both hold the same degree title. That is why zoology has splintered into distinct specializations over time, each with its own name, methods, and career path.
The specializations below are not a modern invention. Many of these fields, ornithology and entomology especially, date back centuries, long before “zoologist” was even a formal job title. What has changed is the technology available to each specialty. A modern ichthyologist has access to acoustic tagging and genetic sampling that would have seemed impossible a generation ago, and an ornithologist can track a single bird’s migration route in real time using a transmitter smaller than a coin. The specialization is old. The tools keep getting better.
What Are the Different Types of Zoologists?
That gap between disciplines is easiest to see side by side. Here are the ten recognized specializations within zoology, and what each one actually studies:
| Specialization | What They Study |
| Cetologist | Whales and dolphins |
| Mammalogist | Mammals, from mice to moose |
| Ornithologist | Birds |
| Herpetologist | Reptiles and amphibians |
| Entomologist | Insects |
| Parasitologist | Parasites and their hosts |
| Ichthyologist | Fish |
| Malacologist | Mollusks, including snails, slugs, and clams |
| Paleozoologist | Ancient and fossilized animal remains |
Which Specialization Matches Your Interests?
Knowing the ten names is one thing. Knowing which one actually fits your interests, and which Unity program builds toward it, is the more useful question.
| If You’re Drawn To… | Best-Fit Programs | Why |
| The ocean (cetology, ichthyology, teuthology, malacology) | B.S. in Marine Biology and Sustainable Aquaculture | Built specifically for marine specializations. Our how to become a marine biologist piece goes deeper into this path |
| Land animals and habitats (mammalogy, ornithology, herpetology, entomology, parasitology) | B.S. in Wildlife Conservation; B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Management | Built around fieldwork and population management |
| Captive care, behavior, and rehabilitation | B.S. in Animal Health and Behavior; B.S. in Wildlife Care and Rehabilitation | Work closer to the animals themselves than to a single species group |
| Ancient and fossilized remains (paleozoology) | A broader biology or earth science path | Sits closer to paleontology and geology than to the rest of this list |
None of these groupings are rigid. Plenty of working zoologists blend specializations, and the degree program you choose shapes your foundation far more than it locks you into a single label for the rest of your career.
Can You Change Specializations Later in Your Career?
The table above simplifies a real decision into four rows, which is a useful starting point but not the whole truth. Choosing a specialization narrows your focus, but it does not lock in your path. Many zoologists shift between related specializations over a career as interests and opportunities change. What stays constant is the education and experience it takes to get into the field in the first place, and the fact that pay and job settings vary by specialization almost as much as by degree level.
For the full walk-through of degrees, timelines, and requirements, see how to become a zoologist. For a closer look at what the job actually pays and where zoologists work day to day, our piece on zoologist salary and job outlook covers that in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is zoology the same as being a zoologist?
Not quite. Zoology is the field of study. A zoologist is a person who practices it, often within one of the specializations above rather than across the whole discipline.
Do you need to choose a specialization before starting a degree?
No. Most undergraduate programs build a broad foundation first, with specialization developing through electives, internships, and eventually graduate study or on-the-job focus.
What is the rarest zoology specialization?
Paleozoology and teuthology tend to have the fewest dedicated practitioners, largely because the subject matter, fossil remains and deep-sea cephalopods, is harder to access and study than more common specializations.
Can two specializations overlap?
Often, yes. A researcher studying seal populations might blend mammalogy with marine biology, and specialists frequently describe their work using more than one label depending on context.
Wherever Your Curiosity Landed, There Is a Path Built For It
Whether you found yourself nodding along with the cetologists, the entomologists, or somewhere in between, the throughline across all ten specializations is the same: this field rewards people who chase a specific curiosity rather than a general one. The sooner you know which slice of the animal kingdom actually holds your attention, the sooner you can stop comparing generic “zoology” programs and start comparing the ones built for your specific interest.
If land-based wildlife and conservation work is where your curiosity keeps pulling you, Unity’s B.S. in Wildlife Conservation is one of the most direct starting points. If the ocean has your attention instead, the B.S. in Marine Biology and Sustainable Aquaculture is built specifically for that path. And if you are still narrowing it down, our full breakdown of how to become a zoologist walks through the degree timeline that applies no matter which specialization you eventually choose.
