Alternative Medicine & Systems
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Types of Degrees Alternative Medicine & Systems Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many alternative medicine and systems graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1,286 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 1,176 |
| Basic Certificate | 358 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 348 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 175 |
| Graduate Certificate | 120 |
| Associate Degree | 101 |
What Alternative Medicine & Systems Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to alternative medicine 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 Alternative Medicine Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in alternative medicine should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- 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.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Skills for Alternative Medicine Majors
When studying alternative medicine, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- 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.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Abilities for Alternative Medicine Majors
As you progress with your alternative medicine degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking 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 Alternative Medicine & Systems Major?
People with a alternative medicine degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncturists | 13.3% | $73,960 |
| Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners | 13.3% | $73,960 |
| Midwives | 12.5% | $54,620 |
| Naturopathic Physicians | 13.3% | $73,960 |
| Orthoptists | 13.3% | $73,960 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Alternative Medicine & Systems?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of alternative medicine majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 8 |
| Black or African American | 57 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 53 |
| White | 186 |
| International Students | 2 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 42 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Alternative Medicine, too. About 0.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- South Korea
- China
- Taiwan
- Canada
- Japan
How Much Do Alternative Medicine & Systems Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine was $25,289 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $23,312 (25th percentile) and $27,082 (75th percentile).
It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in alternative medicine, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Alternative Medicine majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $63,340 to $85,600 (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 Alternative Medicine & Systems
Some careers associated with alternative medicine require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for alternative medicine careers below.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| 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) | 3.3% |
| Some College Courses | 4.9% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 7.1% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 7.1% |
| 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. | 26.4% |
| Master’s Degree | 20.8% |
| 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. | 5.0% |
| Doctoral Degree | 25.8% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 2.6% |
Online Alternative Medicine & Systems Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 94 schools offered some type of alternative medicine and systems program. 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) | 12 | 1 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 2 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 9 | 1 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 16 | 5 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 68 | 7 |
| Post-Master’s | 9 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 4 | 1 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 27 | 1 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 7 | 1 |
Is a Degree in Alternative Medicine & Systems Worth It?
The median salary for a alternative medicine grad is $63,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 59% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $468,800 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Alternative Medicine & Systems
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Majors Related to Alternative Medicine & Systems
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to alternative medicine.
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.
- 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 Aphiwat chuangchoem under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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