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Management Science

Types of Degrees Management Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Management Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	61
Associate’s Degree	22
Bachelor’s Degree	8,318
Master’s Degree	25,616
Doctor’s Degree	226

What Management Science Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Management Science emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Management Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Management Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Management Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Management Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Management Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Management Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Tableau	Business intelligence and data analysis software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Management Science graduates include:

• Business Process Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Data Analyst
• Business Systems Analyst
• Business Consultant
• Reports Analyst
• Research Scientist
• Research Analyst
• Analytics Consultant
• Business Operations Analyst
• Forms Analyst
• Market Intelligence Analyst
• Business Systems Consultant
• Information Analyst
• EDI Analyst (Electronic Data Interchange Analyst)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.6%
Master’s degree	32.9%
Doctoral degree	6.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.0%
Some college courses	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%
Postsecondary certificate	0.3%
First professional degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Management Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 41.5% women and 58.5% men among Management Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14,203	41.5%
Men	20,042	58.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Management Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	12,679	37.0%
Asian	4,628	13.5%
Hispanic or Latino	2,727	8.0%
Black or African American	1,655	4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	61	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	37	0.1%
Two or More Races	868	2.5%
Race Unknown	997	2.9%
International Students	10,593	30.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Management Science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Management Science 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	$88,001
4 years	$83,500
5 years	$95,189

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $95,189 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Management Science Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Management Science. 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	1	1
Bachelor’s	17	16
Master’s	73	53
Doctoral (Research)	4	1

^{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 Management Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Management Science graduates earn a median of $83,500 four years after completion — roughly 120% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	62,236
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Finance, General	49,828
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other	21,232
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies	10,661
International Business/Trade/Commerce	6,933
Business Statistics	5,396
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management	2,454
Actuarial Science	1,363

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.