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chaplain/chaplaincy studies

Types of Degrees chaplain/chaplaincy studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing chaplain/chaplaincy studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	30

What chaplain/chaplaincy studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in chaplain/chaplaincy 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.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a chaplain/chaplaincy 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 chaplain/chaplaincy studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — 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, chaplain/chaplaincy studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 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
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by chaplain/chaplaincy studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Philosopher’s Information Center The Philosopher’s Index	Data base user interface and query software	—
University of California Thesaurus Linguae Graecae TLG	Dictionary software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for chaplain/chaplaincy studies graduates include:

• Religious Educator
• Religion Professor
• Divinity Professor
• Religion Instructor
• Religious Studies Teacher
• Philosophy Faculty Member
• Educator
• Humanities Professor
• Philosophy Adjunct Professor
• Professor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Philosophy Professor
• Metaphysics Teacher
• Old Testament Professor
• Adjunct Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	57.8%
Master’s degree	13.3%
Bachelor’s degree	10.8%
Post-doctoral training	9.8%
Postsecondary certificate	4.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Some college courses	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in chaplain/chaplaincy studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 63.3% of chaplain/chaplaincy studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	11	36.7%
Men	19	63.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	13	43.3%
Asian	4	13.3%
Hispanic or Latino	6	20.0%
Black or African American	5	16.7%
Two or More Races	1	3.3%
International Students	1	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do chaplain/chaplaincy studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of chaplain/chaplaincy studies 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	$37,962
4 years	$41,537
5 years	$44,763

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,763 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online chaplain/chaplaincy studies Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for chaplain/chaplaincy 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
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	7	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 chaplain/chaplaincy studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, chaplain/chaplaincy studies graduates earn a median of $41,537 four years after completion — roughly 9% 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
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries	39.07
Lay Ministry	39.0705
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other	39.0799
Pastoral Studies/Counseling	39.0701
Urban Ministry	39.0703
Women’s Ministry	39.0704
Youth Ministry	39.0702
Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other	39.0699
Bible/Biblical Studies	39.0201
Divinity/Ministry	39.0602
Missions/Missionary Studies	39.0301
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies	39.0604

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.