Theology

Types of Degrees Theology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,785
Bachelor’s Degree	1,061
Doctor’s Degree	942
Graduate Certificate	282
Basic Certificate	137
Associate Degree	47
Undergraduate Certificate	20

What Theology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to theology and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Theology Majors

Theology 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.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills for Theology Majors

When studying theology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Theology Majors

As a theology major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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.
• 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.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Theology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with theology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Clergy	8.2%	$48,990
Philosophy and Religion Professors	12.3%	$71,890

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology?

Roughly 45% of the graduates are women, and 55% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	65
Black or African American	52
Hispanic or Latino	120
White	694
International Students	53
Other Races/Ethnicities	77

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Theology. About 5.0% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Theology

Some degrees associated with theology may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	12.0%
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.	4.0%
Master’s Degree	40.5%
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.	0.4%
Doctoral Degree	36.8%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.2%

Online Theology 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)	10	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	1
Associate’s Degree	22	11
Bachelor’s Degree	52	15
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	231	73
Post-Master’s	21	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	51	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	12	1
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	13	1

Majors Related to Theology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Divinity/Ministry	6,575
Other Theological & Ministerial Studies	1,697
Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies	207
Rabbinical Studies	175

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 Jonund under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.