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Medical Science

Types of Degrees Medical Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Medical Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	8
Master’s Degree	900
Doctor’s Degree	255

What Medical Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Medical Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Medical Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Medical Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Vitera Healthcare Solutions Vitera Intergy	Medical software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Benchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHR	Medical software	—
simplifyMD	Medical software	—
HealthFusion MediTouch	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Science graduates include:

• Physician
• MD (Medical Doctor)
• DO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician)
• Hospitalist Physician
• Urologist
• Neurology Hospitalist
• Neurohospitalist
• Internal Medicine Hospitalist
• Hospitalist
• Intensivist
• Academic Hospitalist
• Nocturnist Hospitalist
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospitalist (Neonatal ICU Hospitalist)
• OB Hospitalist (Obstetrics Hospitalist)
• Hospitalist Nocturnist Physician

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Post-doctoral training	47.1%
Doctoral degree	35.3%
Master’s degree	6.5%
Bachelor’s degree	5.5%
First professional degree	2.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.6%
Some college courses	0.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.7% of Medical Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	764	65.7%
Men	399	34.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	534	45.9%
Asian	178	15.3%
Hispanic or Latino	102	8.8%
Black or African American	120	10.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	35	3.0%
Race Unknown	53	4.6%
International Students	140	12.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Medical Science 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	$160,729
4 years	$166,630
5 years	$197,894

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $197,894 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Medical Science Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Medical 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	6	4
Doctoral (Research)	2	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 Medical Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medical Science graduates earn a median of $166,630 four years after completion — roughly 338% 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
Health Care Professions	51
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	51.05
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	51.09
Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services	51.34
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	51.33
Chiropractic	51.01
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	51.10
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	51.02
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	51.06
Dentistry	51.04
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	51.31

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.