---

Clinical Drug Development

A program that focuses on the scientific application of pharmacology, pharmaceutics, and industrial management to the development, production, marketing, and distribution of pharmaceutical products. Includes instruction in industrial microbiology, plasmids, expression vectors, protein chemistry, assay and evaluation, drug synthesis and purification, quality control, industrial management, production security, patent procedures, intellectual property regulations and issues, patent enforcement and defense, and research design and testing. Examples: [Clinical and Industrial Drug Development (MS)], [Clinical and Industrial Drug Development (PhD)]

Types of Degrees Clinical Drug Development Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Clinical Drug Development can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	15
Master’s Degree	224
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Clinical Drug Development Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Clinical Drug Development build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Clinical Drug Development graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Clinical Drug Development emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 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 built by a Clinical Drug Development program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Clinical Drug Development careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Clinical Drug Development graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Clinical Drug Development professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Clinical Drug Development graduates include:

• Plant Manager
• Veterinary Medicine Teacher
• Dietary Aide Teacher
• Physical Medicine Teacher
• Opticianry Teacher
• Gastroenterology Teacher
• Clinical Assistant Professor
• Chiropractic Teacher
• Nutrition Educator
• Teacher
• Podiatry Professor
• Obstetrics Teacher
• Medical Assisting Instructor
• Nutrition Professor
• Otolaryngology Teacher

What Can You Do With a Clinical Drug Development Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Clinical Drug Development 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
Clinical Research Coordinators	10.4%	$110,931	$93,765–$128,096
Natural Sciences Managers	8.7%	$132,227	$103,692–$160,762
Water Resource Specialists	-0.4%	$179,716	$147,213–$212,219

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.4%
Master’s degree	14.4%
Some college courses	10.0%
Doctoral degree	9.0%
Postsecondary certificate	8.6%
Post-doctoral training	7.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Clinical Drug Development?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.4% of Clinical Drug Development degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	184	75.4%
Men	60	24.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Clinical Drug Development graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	107	43.9%
Asian	38	15.6%
Hispanic or Latino	24	9.8%
Black or African American	28	11.5%
Two or More Races	7	2.9%
Race Unknown	10	4.1%
International Students	30	12.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Clinical Drug Development Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Clinical Drug Development 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	$100,486
4 years	$129,383
5 years	$140,029

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $140,029 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Clinical Drug Development Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Clinical Drug Development. 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	2	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 Clinical Drug Development Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Clinical Drug Development graduates earn a median of $129,383 four years after completion — roughly 240% 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
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration	18,055
Pharmacy	12,167
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other	1,079
Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences	1,000
Pharmaceutics and Drug Design	603
Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry	185
Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy	181
Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics	150
Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Policy and Regulatory Affairs	150
Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management	84
Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy	20
Pharmaceutical Sciences	—

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.