Because microscopists play such a pivotal role in explaining and interpreting the structure-property relationships in materials, they enjoy truly excellent employment prospects. In the life-sciences and technologies, our students find employment in areas as diverse as forensic laboratories, pathology and histology, hospitals, environmental agencies and monitors, government and university research laboratories.

The worldwide explosion in biotechnology has spawned numerous start-up companies and large government research centres all of which need microscopists.

In the physical sciences and engineering, our students find employment in failure analysis and structural integrity, corrosion laboratories, production and manufacturing industries involving quality control, purchase strategy, process and product development.

Similarly, museum professionals and art conservators need increasingly microscopy-based technical knowledge.

The emerging area of nanotechnology is creating needs for new types of professionals that can traverse the biological and physical worlds and can understand and interpret nanostructure. This is going to require ever-increasing skills and theoretical knowledge in microscopy.