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Scientific Communication

Types of Degrees Scientific Communication Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Scientific Communication have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	83
Master’s Degree	107
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Scientific Communication Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Scientific Communication emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Scientific Communication program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Writing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Scientific Communication graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Scientific Communication professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Scientific Communication graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Speech Teacher
• Public Speaking Teacher
• Interpersonal Communications Professor
• Journalism Instructor
• Communication Instructor
• Adjunct Communications Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Speech Communication Professor
• Communication Studies Professor
• Professor
• Communications Instructor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• College Faculty Member
• Journalism Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	51.9%
Doctoral degree	12.6%
Bachelor’s degree	10.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.9%
Post-doctoral training	7.7%
Some college courses	4.5%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Scientific Communication?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.7% of Scientific Communication degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	135	70.7%
Men	56	29.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Scientific Communication graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	120	62.8%
Asian	8	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	21	11.0%
Black or African American	18	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.5%
Two or More Races	7	3.7%
Race Unknown	6	3.1%
International Students	8	4.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Scientific Communication Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Scientific Communication 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	$43,317
4 years	$55,248
5 years	$64,495

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,495 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Scientific Communication Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Scientific Communication. 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
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Scientific Communication Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Scientific Communication graduates earn a median of $55,248 four years after completion — roughly 45% 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
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	19,636
Communication, General	11,299
Journalism	9,378
Mass Communication/Media Studies	8,694
Advertising	4,308
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	4,077
Public Relations/Image Management	4,061
Communication Management and Strategic Communications	1,956
Organizational Communication, General	1,789
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other	1,296
Sports Communication	1,202
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	1,080

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.