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Science department chairperson education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a science department chairperson. Science department chairpeople usually study biology, general education, specific areas, or education. 62% of science department chairpeople hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 869 real science department chairperson resumes to see exactly what science department chairperson education sections show.

The most common colleges for science department chairpeople are the Howard University and the Howard University.

There are also many online science department chairperson courses to help get the education required to be a science department chairperson.

What education do you need to become a science department chairperson?

What degree do you need to be a science department chairperson?

The most common degree for science department chairpeople is bachelor's degree, with 62% of science department chairpeople earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 29% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 62%
  • Master's, 29%
  • Doctorate, 5%
  • Associate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a science department chairperson?

You should major in biology to become a science department chairperson. 27% of science department chairpeople major in biology. Other common majors for a science department chairperson include general education, specific areas and education.

Most common colleges for science department chairpeople

Science department chairpeople often get their degrees at Howard University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here are the most common colleges for science department chairpeople in the US based on their resumes.
Science department chairperson common collegePercentages
Howard University9.35%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro6.54%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill6.54%
Michigan State University5.61%
University of Phoenix5.61%

Best majors for science department chairpeople

Best colleges for science department chairpeople

The best colleges for science department chairpeople are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.

A science department chairperson with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for science department chairpeople. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become science department chairpeople.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

20 best online courses for science department chairpeople

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1. English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

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Welcome to English for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs. To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select "Full Course. No certificate." If you want to get a Coursera Verified Certificate for free, please fill out the Financial Aid form. This course is designed for non-native...

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This course is designed to help participants examine the implications of constructivism for learning and teaching in science, mathematics, and technology focused areas. Course readings, discussions, and assignments will examine constructivist views of learning, research on students' ideas and idea-based interactions, research on instructional approaches taking student ideas into account, and challenges in implementing constructivist perspectives in instruction...

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5. Vital Skills for Data Science

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Vital Skills for Data Science introduces students to several areas that every data scientist should be familiar with. Each of the topics is a field in itself. This specialization provides a "taste" of each of these areas which will allow the student to determine if any of these areas is something they want to explore further. In this specialization, students will learn about different applications of data science and how to apply the steps in a data science process to real life data. They will...

6. Statistical Inference for Estimation in Data Science

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This course introduces statistical inference, sampling distributions, and confidence intervals. Students will learn how to define and construct good estimators, method of moments estimation, maximum likelihood estimation, and methods of constructing confidence intervals that will extend to more general settings. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The MS-DS is an interdisciplinary...

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Statistical Learning is a crucial specialization for those pursuing a career in data science or seeking to enhance their expertise in the field. This program builds upon your foundational knowledge of statistics and equips you with advanced techniques for model selection, including regression, classification, trees, SVM, unsupervised learning, splines, and resampling methods. Additionally, you will gain an in-depth understanding of coefficient estimation and interpretation, which will be...

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20. Data Science and Machine Learning Masterclass with R

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Data Science by IITan - Data Science :Data Manipulation , Data Science Data Visualization, Data Science : Data Analytics...

Top 10 most affordable universities for science department chairpeople

The most affordable schools for science department chairpeople are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for science department chairpeople are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for science department chairpeople.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for science department chairpeople

The hardest universities for science department chairpeople to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for science department chairpeople are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for science department chairpeople based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for science department chairpeople

The easiest schools for science department chairpeople to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a science department chairperson without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for science department chairpeople.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average science department chairperson salary by education level

According to our data, science department chairpeople with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $68,423 annually. Science department chairpeople with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $54,484.
Science department chairperson education levelScience department chairperson salary
Master's Degree$54,484
Doctorate Degree$68,423

Science department chairperson education FAQs

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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.

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