---

regulatory science/affairs

What regulatory science/affairs Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in regulatory science/affairs emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a regulatory science/affairs program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to regulatory science/affairs careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, regulatory science/affairs graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by regulatory science/affairs professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for regulatory science/affairs graduates include:

• Compliance Analyst
• Compliance Coordinator
• Regulatory Compliance Specialist
• Regulatory Analyst
• Environmental Compliance Inspector
• Compliance Investigator
• Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEO Officer)
• Equal Opportunity Counselor
• Appeals Coordinator
• Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist (EEO Specialist)
• Complaint Investigations Officer
• Affirmative Action Officer (AA Officer)
• Grievance and Appeals Coordinator
• Human Rights Officer
• Civil Rights Representative

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to regulatory science/affairs graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	55.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	8.5%
Master’s degree	8.0%
Some college courses	6.5%
Postsecondary certificate	5.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.0%
First professional degree	1.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

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

How Much Do regulatory science/affairs Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of regulatory science/affairs 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	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online regulatory science/affairs Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for regulatory science/affairs. 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
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	3	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 regulatory science/affairs Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, regulatory science/affairs graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{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
Health and Medical Administrative Services	90,166
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	28,347
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	11,963
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	11,828
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder	10,171
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary	7,771
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	3,494
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	3,168
Medical Office Management/Administration	2,900
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	2,781
Community Health and Preventive Medicine	2,571
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195

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.