Post job

Department specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, department specialists don't need a college education. The most common degree for department specialists is bachelor's degree with 53% graduates, with only 21% department specialist graduates earning associate degree. Department specialists who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Boise State University. Some good skills to have in this position include product knowledge, drive sales and cleanliness.

What education do you need to become a department specialist?

What degree do you need to be a department specialist?

The most common degree for department specialists is bachelor's degree, with 53% of department specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • Associate, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a department specialist?

You should major in business to become a department specialist. 29% of department specialists major in business. Other common majors for a department specialist include accounting and psychology.

Best majors for department specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business28.6%
2Accounting8.8%
3Psychology6.2%
4Communication5.3%
5Criminal Justice4.9%

20 best online courses for department specialists

Advertising disclosure

1. Audit - Financial Statement

udemy
4.4
(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

2. Financial Accounting-Inventory & Merchandising Transactions

udemy
4.8
(267)

Mastering Inventory Accounting: From Merchandising Transactions to Cost Flow Assumptions...

3. Start Improving Customer Service

udemy
4.8
(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

4. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management

udemy
4.6
(552)

What is Project Charter? Components? Template? Example? Document Project Charter? Project Charter Specialist Earn PDUs...

5. Project Schedule: Monitor & Control Specialist (Accredited)

udemy
4.6
(515)

Schedule Management: Monitor & Control Schedule, Analyze Schedule, Solve Project Schedule Problems Earn CPDs & PDUs...

6. Financial Statement Auditing Cycles

udemy
4.3
(251)

In this course, we learn how public accountants plan and execute an audit...

7. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

udemy
4.6
(930)

Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

8. Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification Guide

udemy
4.5
(920)

Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification Exam Subjects Covered in Detail! + Real World Case Study & 2 Practice Tests...

9. Tableau Data Analyst/Specialist Desktop Certification

udemy
4.6
(12,896)

From beginners to skills needed for Data Analyst or Desktop Specialist certifications. Tableau 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020...

10. Internal Controls - Design, Implementation and Monitoring

udemy
4.4
(1,188)

Become a compliance specialist, maintain strong internal controls for SOX or FCPA, prepare for internal & external audit...

11. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch

udemy
4.7
(533)

A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...

12. Customer Service Foundation

udemy
4.5
(290)

An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

13. Tableau Certification: Desktop Specialist + Data Analyst

udemy
4.5
(1,454)

Complete guide to acing the 2021-2022 Tableau Desktop Specialist & Certified Data Analyst exams (2 full practice tests!)...

14. Product and Service Management

udemy
4.7
(957)

Know the Work that is Involved in Getting a Product Onto the Shelf and a Service Ready for Effective Delivery...

15. Travel Hacking and Credit Card Reward Basics!

udemy
4.4
(263)

Credit cards offer HUGE sign up bonuses!...

16. Cloud Security Course: Cloud Compliance, Audits,Legal issues

udemy
4.4
(309)

For CCSK and CCSP Aspirants - Cloud Agreements/Contracts, Legal and Compliance Concepts...

17. Microsoft PowerPoint - PowerPoint from Beginner to Advanced

udemy
4.3
(568)

Power Point A-Z Course - Microsoft Power Point 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 by Microsoft Power Point Certified Specialist...

18. PHP for Beginners to Inventory POS Sales Project - AdminLTE

udemy
4.2
(392)

Create Inventory POS System Project With Billing by use of Bootstrap Responsive Admin LTE Dashboard With PHP PHP7 MYSQL...

19. Computer Literacy & Basic Computer Skills for Productivity

udemy
4.5
(3,367)

Enhance Productivity With This Basic Computer Course: An Introduction To Computers, Microsoft Windows, & the Apple Mac...

20. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

udemy
4.4
(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

Average department specialist salary by education level

Department specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $56,697 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, department specialists earn a median annual income of $56,161 compared to $50,640 for department specialists with an Associate degree.
Department specialist education levelDepartment specialist salary
Master's Degree$56,697
High School Diploma or Less$49,202
Bachelor's Degree$56,161
Some College/ Associate Degree$50,640

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.