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science/health/environmental journalism

Types of Degrees science/health/environmental journalism Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing science/health/environmental journalism have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	9

What science/health/environmental journalism Majors Need to Know

Programs in science/health/environmental journalism emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that science/health/environmental journalism graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in science/health/environmental journalism emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a science/health/environmental journalism program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to science/health/environmental journalism careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, science/health/environmental journalism graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by science/health/environmental journalism professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Avid Technology Pro Tools	Music or sound editing software	—
Video editing software	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for science/health/environmental journalism graduates include:

• Journalism Teacher
• Communications Instructor
• Communication Arts Lecturer
• Adjunct Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Communication Instructor
• Communication Studies Instructor
• Lecturer
• College Professor
• Journalism Instructor
• Interpersonal Communications Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Speech Instructor
• Communication Arts Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to science/health/environmental journalism graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	70.8%
Doctoral degree	17.4%
Post-doctoral training	10.8%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in science/health/environmental journalism?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 90% of science/health/environmental journalism degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9	90.0%
Men	1	10.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of science/health/environmental journalism graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	9	90.0%
Race Unknown	1	10.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do science/health/environmental journalism Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of science/health/environmental journalism graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,675
4 years	$49,199
5 years	$57,526

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,526 — roughly 57% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in science/health/environmental journalism Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, science/health/environmental journalism graduates earn a median of $49,199 four years after completion — roughly 29% 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
Journalism	09.04
Broadcast Journalism	09.0402
Business and Economic Journalism	09.0405
Cultural Journalism	09.0406
Journalism, Other	09.0499
Journalism	09.0401
Photojournalism	09.0404
Communication, General	09.0100
International and Intercultural Communication	09.0907
Mass Communication/Media Studies	09.0102
Political Communication	09.0904
Radio and Television	09.0701

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.