Theology & Religious Vocations

Types of Degrees Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many theology & religious vocations graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	13,310
Bachelor’s Degree	6,878
Doctor’s Degree	2,718
Graduate Certificate	1,380
Basic Certificate	845
Associate Degree	792
Undergraduate Certificate	749

What Theology & Religious Vocations Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, theology & religious vocations majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Theology & Religious Vocations Majors

Theology & Religious Vocations majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Theology & Religious Vocations Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to theology & religious vocations:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Theology & Religious Vocations Majors

As you progress with your theology & religious vocations degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Theology & Religious Vocations Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with theology & religious vocations:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Clergy	8.2%	$48,990
Directors, Religious Activities and Education	7.1%	$40,810
Music Directors	5.7%	$49,630
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890
Religious Workers	7.7%	$29,820

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology & Religious Vocations?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 55% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of theology & religious vocations majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	242
Black or African American	552
Hispanic or Latino	602
White	4,709
International Students	141
Other Races/Ethnicities	632

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Theology & Religious Vocations, too. About 2.1% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Theology & Religious Vocations

Some careers associated with theology & religious vocations require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to theology & religious vocations have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.9%
Some College Courses	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	35.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.2%
Master’s Degree	28.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.2%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	27.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.1%

Online Theology & Religious Vocations Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	212	68
Certificate (2-4 Years)	58	22
Associate’s Degree	532	218
Bachelor’s Degree	522	188
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2,112	668
Post-Master’s	142	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	342	52
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	174	32
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	144	30

Majors Related to Theology & Religious Vocations

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to theology & religious vocations.

Major	Number of Grads
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities	511,953
Social Sciences	190,792
Communication & Journalism	109,432
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences	51,926
English Language & Literature	50,299
History	31,255
Foreign Languages & Linguistics	29,738
Philosophy & Religious Studies	19,301
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies	15,254

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Daderot under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.