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Topology & Foundations

Types of Degrees Topology & Foundations Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Topology & Foundations have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Topology & Foundations Majors Need to Know

Programs in Topology & Foundations emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Topology & Foundations graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Topology & Foundations emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Topology & Foundations program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Topology & Foundations careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Topology & Foundations graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Topology & Foundations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Topology & Foundations graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Research Manager
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Study Manager
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	44.6%
Master’s degree	16.3%
Doctoral degree	11.4%
Post-doctoral training	6.8%
Postsecondary certificate	6.2%
Some college courses	4.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
First professional degree	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Topology & Foundations?

Gender Distribution

How Much Do Topology & Foundations Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Topology & Foundations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,386
4 years	$65,097
5 years	$75,512

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,512 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Topology & Foundations Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Topology & Foundations graduates earn a median of $65,097 four years after completion — roughly 71% 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
Mathematics	27.01
Algebra and Number Theory	27.0102
Analysis and Functional Analysis	27.0103
Geometry/Geometric Analysis	27.0104
Mathematics, General	27.0101
Mathematics, Other	27.0199
Applied Mathematics, General	27.0301
Applied Mathematics, Other	27.0399
Computational and Applied Mathematics	27.0304
Financial Mathematics	27.0305
Mathematical Biology	27.0306
Mathematics and Statistics, Other	27.9999

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.