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Ethics

Types of Degrees Ethics Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Bachelor’s Degree	54
Master’s Degree	89

What Ethics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Ethics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.1 / 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 built by a Ethics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Ethics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ethics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.8 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ethics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
University of California Thesaurus Linguae Graecae TLG	Dictionary software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Philosopher’s Information Center The Philosopher’s Index	Data base user interface and query software	—
InteLext Past Masters	Data base user interface and query software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ethics graduates include:

• Religion Professor
• Theology Professor
• Philosophy Adjunct Professor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Philosophy Instructor
• Philosophy Specialist
• Adjunct Instructor
• Online Philosophy Instructor
• Pastoral Ministries Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Associate Professor
• Religious Educator
• Divinity Professor
• Philosophy Assistant Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	73.8%
Master’s degree	13.1%
Post-doctoral training	12.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ethics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.3% of Ethics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	96	65.3%
Men	51	34.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	63	42.9%
Asian	19	12.9%
Hispanic or Latino	27	18.4%
Black or African American	10	6.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.7%
Two or More Races	11	7.5%
Race Unknown	5	3.4%
International Students	11	7.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ethics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ethics 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	$35,242
4 years	$46,522
5 years	$56,339

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,339 — roughly 60% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Ethics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Ethics graduates earn a median of $46,522 four years after completion — roughly 22% 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
Philosophy	38.01
Applied and Professional Ethics	38.0104
Logic	38.0102
Philosophy, Other	38.0199
Philosophy	38.0101
Buddhist Studies	38.0202
Christian Studies	38.0203
Hindu Studies	38.0204
Philosophy and Religious Studies, General	38.0001

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.