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Missionary Studies

Types of Degrees Missionary Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Missionary Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	416
Associate’s Degree	24
Bachelor’s Degree	319
Master’s Degree	399
Doctor’s Degree	85

What Missionary Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Missionary Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Missionary Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Missionary Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Missionary Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Missionary Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Missionary Studies graduates include:

• Religious Educator
• Adjunct Faculty Member
• University Faculty Member
• Ethics Professor
• Old Testament Professor
• Religious Studies Teacher
• College Professor
• Adjunct Philosophy Professor
• Philosophy Adjunct Instructor
• Educator
• Religion Instructor
• Church Music Professor
• Professor
• Theology Teacher
• Philosophy Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	59.3%
Master’s degree	12.3%
Bachelor’s degree	10.6%
Post-doctoral training	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	4.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%
Some college courses	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Missionary Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 52.8% women and 47.2% men among Missionary Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	659	52.8%
Men	590	47.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	816	65.3%
Asian	49	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	51	4.1%
Black or African American	39	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	18	1.4%
Race Unknown	78	6.2%
International Students	195	15.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Missionary Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Missionary Studies 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	$31,015
4 years	$29,516
5 years	$31,974

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $31,974 — roughly 3% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Missionary Studies Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Missionary Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	12	6
Bachelor’s	12	12
Master’s	21	14
Doctoral (Research)	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Missionary Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Missionary Studies graduates earn a median of $29,516 four years after completion — about 22% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{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
Theology and Religious Vocations	39
Bible/Biblical Studies	39.02
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries	39.07
Religious Education	39.04
Religious Institution Administration and Law	39.08
Religious Music and Worship	39.05
Theological and Ministerial Studies	39.06
Theology and Religious Vocations, Other	39.99
THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS	39.00

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.