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Cardiovascular Science

Types of Degrees Cardiovascular Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Cardiovascular Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	12
Master’s Degree	48
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Cardiovascular Science Majors Need to Know

Studies in Cardiovascular Science emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Cardiovascular Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Cardiovascular Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Cardiovascular Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Science — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Cardiovascular Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Cardiovascular Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Cardiovascular Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Statistical software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Modeling software	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Cardiovascular Science graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Ecology Teacher
• College Instructor
• Biological Sciences Professor
• Instructor
• Endocrinology Teacher
• Cardiology Teacher
• Morphology Teacher
• Lab Instructor
• Biology Adjunct Instructor
• Science Professor
• Helminthology Teacher
• Plant Physiology Teacher
• Human Anatomy Teacher
• Genetics Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Cardiovascular Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.6%
Post-doctoral training	34.2%
Master’s degree	15.7%
Bachelor’s degree	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Cardiovascular Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.1% women and 41.9% men among Cardiovascular Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	36	58.1%
Men	26	41.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Cardiovascular Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	40	64.5%
Asian	5	8.1%
Hispanic or Latino	5	8.1%
Black or African American	1	1.6%
Two or More Races	3	4.8%
Race Unknown	3	4.8%
International Students	5	8.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Cardiovascular Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Cardiovascular Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,024
4 years	$53,598
5 years	$65,802

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,802 — roughly 105% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Cardiovascular Science Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Cardiovascular Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Cardiovascular Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Cardiovascular Science graduates earn a median of $53,598 four years after completion — roughly 41% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	26.09
Aerospace Physiology and Medicine	26.0912
Biomechanics	26.0913
Cell Physiology	26.0903
Endocrinology	26.0904
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology	26.0908
Molecular Physiology	26.0902
Oncology and Cancer Biology	26.0911
Pathology/Experimental Pathology	26.0910
Physiology, General	26.0901
Physiology, Pathology, and Related Sciences, Other	26.0999
Reproductive Biology	26.0905

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.