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contemplative studies/inquiry

Types of Degrees contemplative studies/inquiry Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing contemplative studies/inquiry may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	10

What contemplative studies/inquiry Majors Need to Know

Coursework for contemplative studies/inquiry develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that contemplative studies/inquiry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in contemplative studies/inquiry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 2.7 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a contemplative studies/inquiry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to contemplative studies/inquiry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, contemplative studies/inquiry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by contemplative studies/inquiry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Windows Movie Maker	Video creation and editing software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Video editing software	Video creation and editing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for contemplative studies/inquiry graduates include:

• Teacher
• Instructor
• Computer Technology Instructor
• University Teacher
• Flight Simulation Instructor
• Foreign Service Teacher
• Flight Simulator Teacher
• Military Science Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Medical Secretary Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Science Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Flight Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to contemplative studies/inquiry graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	29.1%
Bachelor’s degree	25.9%
Postsecondary certificate	19.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	13.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
Post-doctoral training	0.6%
Some college courses	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in contemplative studies/inquiry?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 60% women and 40% men among contemplative studies/inquiry graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6	60.0%
Men	4	40.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of contemplative studies/inquiry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	7	70.0%
Asian	2	20.0%
Two or More Races	1	10.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do contemplative studies/inquiry Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of contemplative studies/inquiry 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	$46,058
4 years	$67,809
5 years	$79,238

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,238 — roughly 72% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in contemplative studies/inquiry Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, contemplative studies/inquiry graduates earn a median of $67,809 four years after completion — roughly 78% 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
Cognitive Science	30.25
Cognitive Science, General	30.2501
Cognitive Science, Other	30.2599
Thanatology	30.5301

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.