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Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences

Types of Degrees Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	147
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Majors Need to Know

Studies in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
EcoLogic ADAM Indoor Air Quality and Analytical Data Management	Data base user interface and query software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
InteractElsevier Netter’s 3D Interactive Anatomy	Medical software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates include:

• Pharmacology Professor
• Recreation Therapy Aides Teacher
• Adjunct Clinical Instructor
• Radiology Teacher
• Medical Aides Teacher
• Inhalation Therapy Aides Teacher
• Dental Assistant Teacher
• Manual Arts Therapy Teacher
• Pharmacy Teacher
• Nutrition Teacher
• Music Therapy Teacher
• Therapy Teacher
• Public Health Aides Teacher
• Occupational Therapy Professor
• Dermatology Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	35.9%
Doctoral degree	24.9%
Post-doctoral training	19.1%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.7% of Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	94	62.7%
Men	56	37.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	53	35.3%
Asian	16	10.7%
Hispanic or Latino	12	8.0%
Black or African American	5	3.3%
Two or More Races	2	1.3%
Race Unknown	2	1.3%
International Students	60	40.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$209,489
4 years	$191,956
5 years	$225,886

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $225,886 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates earn a median of $191,956 four years after completion — roughly 405% 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
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	51.05
Advanced General Dentistry	51.0502
Dental Clinical Sciences, General	51.0501
Dental Materials	51.0505
Dental Public Health and Education	51.0504
Digital Dentistry	51.0512
Endodontics/Endodontology	51.0506
Geriatric Dentistry	51.0513
Implantology/Implant Dentistry	51.0514
Oral Biology and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology	51.0503
Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery	51.0507
Orthodontics/Orthodontology	51.0508

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.