Management Sciences & Methods

Types of Degrees Management Sciences & Methods Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many management sciences and quantitative methods graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	12,583
Bachelor’s Degree	8,738
Graduate Certificate	1,451
Basic Certificate	715
Doctor’s Degree	102
Associate’s Degree	81
Undergraduate Certificate	68

What Management Sciences & Methods Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to management science were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Management Science Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• 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.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Management Science Majors

management science majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Management Science Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a management science student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Management Sciences & Methods Major?

People with a management science degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
General and Operations Managers	9.1%	$100,930
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Sciences & Methods?

This is one of the most frequently chosen business majors. It is the 11th most popular in the country with 8,738 students graduating with a bachelor’s in management science in 2019. This major tends to be male dominated. About 59% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1,144
Black or African American	443
Hispanic or Latino	748
White	4,668
International Students	1,238
Other Races/Ethnicities	497

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Management Science. About 14.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Malaysia
• Taiwan
• South Korea

How Much Do Management Sciences & Methods Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that management sciences and quantitative methods students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $51,700 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $41,650 (25th percentile) and $58,900 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to management science so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Management Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $87,140 to $116,250 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Management Sciences & Methods

Some degrees associated with management science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 management science have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.6%
Some College Courses	4.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	32.1%
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.	8.7%
Master’s Degree	24.9%
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.	2.6%
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.	1.7%
Doctoral Degree	15.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.8%

Online Management Sciences & Methods Programs

In 2018-2019, 457 schools offered a management science program of some type. 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)	44	7
Certificate (1-2 years)	10	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	1
Associate’s Degree	9	3
Bachelor’s Degree	91	28
Post-Baccalaureate	44	7
Master’s Degree	297	78
Post-Master’s	16	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	21	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Management Sciences & Methods Worth It?

The median salary for a management science grad is $92,600 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 132% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,054,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Management Sciences & Methods

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

Major	Number of Grads
Business Administration & Management	410,147
Accounting	105,123
General Business/Commerce	58,451
Finance & Financial Management	56,186
Marketing	51,241
Human Resource Management	26,823
Business Support & Assistant Services	19,483
Hospitality Management	19,042
Management Information Systems	14,747
Entrepreneurial Studies	10,427
International Business	10,181
Business/Managerial Economics	6,345
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing	5,873
Other Business, Management & Marketing	5,834
General Sales & Marketing	5,734
Real Estate	5,700
Construction Management	3,664
Insurance	2,218
Taxation	1,783
Business/Corporate Communications	968
Telecommunications Management	71

References

• 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 в±® under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.