Find Grad Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Management Sciences & Methods Major

Find Schools Near

Management Sciences & Methods

29,299 Master's Degrees Annually
127 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#4 in Popularity (Master's)
$92,600 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Management Sciences & Methods Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many management sciences and quantitative methods graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 29,299
Graduate Certificate 2,275
Doctor’s Degree 127

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:

undefined
  • 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:

undefined
  • 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

As you progress with your management science degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

undefined
  • 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
Actuaries 22.5% $102,880
Business Professors 18.0% $83,960
General and Operations Managers 9.1% $100,930
Mathematical Science Professors 9.4% $73,230
Operations Research Analysts 27.5% $83,390
Statisticians 33.9% $87,780
Survey Researchers 2.1% $57,700

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

29,299 Master's Degrees Annually
42% Percent Women
21% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is one of the most frequently chosen graduate majors. It is the 4th most popular in the country with 29,299 students graduating with a master’s in management science in 2021. This major tends to be male dominated. About 58% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 3,047
Black or African American 1,030
Hispanic or Latino 1,426
White 9,706
International Students 12,748
Other Races/Ethnicities 1,342

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Management Science. About 43.5% 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?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in management science was $81,246 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $74,315 (25th percentile) and $91,549 (75th percentile).

undefined

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to management science.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $87,140 to $116,250 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to management science. 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.

Median Salary for a Management Sciences & Methods Major  ( 87140 to 116250 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

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.

undefined
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 2020-2021, 513 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) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 13 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 1
Associate’s Degree 10 2
Bachelor’s Degree 141 41
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 415 68
Post-Master’s 24 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 32 2
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!

undefined

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

Major Number of Grads
Business Administration & Management 131,555
Accounting 19,309
Human Resource Management 12,117
General Business/Commerce 9,137
Finance & Financial Management 5,784
Marketing 4,011
Management Information Systems 2,766
International Business 2,007
Entrepreneurial Studies 1,823
Taxation 1,350
Hospitality Management 1,341
Real Estate 1,280
Other Business, Management & Marketing 1,073
General Sales & Marketing 537
Construction Management 466
Specialized Sales, Merchandising & Marketing 180
Business/Managerial Economics 162
Insurance 143
Business/Corporate Communications 117
Telecommunications Management 23

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Graduate Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited graduate schools across the U.S.