Oncology and Cancer Biology

Types of Degrees Oncology and Cancer Biology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many oncology & cancer biology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Doctor’s Degree	140
Master’s Degree	39
Bachelor’s Degree	8
Graduate Certificate	1

What Oncology and Cancer Biology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to oncology and cancer biology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Oncology and Cancer Biology Majors

Oncology and Cancer Biology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for Oncology and Cancer Biology Majors

A major in oncology and cancer biology prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Oncology and Cancer Biology Majors

A major in oncology and cancer biology will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

What Can You Do With a Oncology and Cancer Biology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with oncology and cancer biology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	13.4%	$84,810

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Oncology and Cancer Biology?

This major is dominated by women with about 63% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of oncology and cancer biology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	2
Hispanic or Latino	0
White	3
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	0

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Oncology and Cancer Biology

Some careers associated with oncology and cancer biology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for oncology and cancer biology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	4.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.2%
Master’s Degree	20.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.2%
Doctoral Degree	29.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	45.6%

Online Oncology and Cancer Biology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	20	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	26	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Oncology and Cancer Biology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to oncology and cancer biology.

Major	Number of Grads
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology	6,299
General Physiology	3,110
Pathology/Experimental Pathology	313
Other Physiology, Pathology, & Related Sciences	215
Vision Science/Physiological Optics	84
Biomechanics	68
Molecular Physiology	40
Cell Physiology	40
Reproductive Biology	40
Aerospace Physiology & Medicine	30
Cardiovascular Science	18
Endocrinology	8

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.