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Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences

Any instructional program in advanced/graduate dentistry and oral sciences not listed above.

Types of Degrees Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	147
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio	Computer based training software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
InteractElsevier Netter’s 3D Interactive Anatomy	Medical software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Turning Technologies TurningPoint	Multi-media educational software	—
TechSmith Snagit	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe Presenter	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates include:

• Clinical Laboratory Aides Teacher
• Dentistry Teacher
• Podiatry Teacher
• Pharmacology Teacher
• Occupational Therapy Teacher
• Gastroenterology Professor
• Hospital Aides and Assistants Teacher
• Neurology Teacher
• Clinical Assistant Professor
• Veterinary Medicine Teacher
• Respiratory Therapy Instructor
• Radiologic Technology Teacher
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Physical Medicine Teacher

What Can You Do With a Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	35.9%
Doctoral degree	24.9%
Post-doctoral training	19.1%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.7% of Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	94	62.7%
Men	56	37.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	53	35.3%
Asian	16	10.7%
Hispanic or Latino	12	8.0%
Black or African American	5	3.3%
Two or More Races	2	1.3%
Race Unknown	2	1.3%
International Students	60	40.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$209,489
4 years	$191,956
5 years	$225,886

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $225,886 — roughly 8% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Graduate Dentistry & Oral Sciences graduates earn a median of $191,956 four years after completion — roughly 405% 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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences	1,981
Dental Clinical Sciences, General	426
Orthodontics/Orthodontology	323
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Oral Biology and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology	187
Endodontics/Endodontology	157
Pediatric Dentistry/Pedodontics	154
Prosthodontics/Prosthodontology	95
Dental Public Health and Education	84
Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery	41
Dental Materials	—

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.