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security science and technology, general

Types of Degrees security science and technology, general Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing security science and technology, general may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	31

What security science and technology, general Majors Need to Know

Studies in security science and technology, general develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that security science and technology, general graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing security science and technology, general emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a security science and technology, general program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to security science and technology, general careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, security science and technology, general graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by security science and technology, general professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Time and attendance software	Time accounting software	—
SAP business and customer relations management software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Oracle software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Employee scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for security science and technology, general graduates include:

• Safety Supervisor
• Shift Supervisor
• Security Guard Supervisor
• Security Manager
• Internal Security Manager
• Security Director
• Guard Chief
• Guard Supervisor
• Security Operations Supervisor
• Armed Security Supervisor
• Protection Supervisor
• Site Supervisor
• Security Site Supervisor
• Security Workers First-Line Supervisor
• Security Shift Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to security science and technology, general graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	35.8%
Some college courses	22.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	19.7%
Bachelor’s degree	13.7%
Postsecondary certificate	4.0%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Doctoral degree	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
First professional degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in security science and technology, general?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 71% of security science and technology, general degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9	29.0%
Men	22	71.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of security science and technology, general graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	16	51.6%
Asian	6	19.4%
Hispanic or Latino	2	6.5%
Black or African American	3	9.7%
Race Unknown	3	9.7%
International Students	1	3.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do security science and technology, general Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of security science and technology, general 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	$51,422
4 years	$49,125
5 years	$55,237

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,237 — roughly 7% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in security science and technology, general Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, security science and technology, general graduates earn a median of $49,125 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
Security Science and Technology	43.04
Criminalistics and Criminal Science	43.0402
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism	43.0403
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy	43.0404
Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation	43.0405
Forensic Science and Technology	43.0406
Geospatial Intelligence	43.0407
Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis	43.0408
Security Science and Technology, Other	43.0499
Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection	43.0123
Homeland Security, Other	43.0399
Securities Services Administration/Management	43.0112

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.