by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Human Sciences and Business Services will provide you with a broad education on health and family, consumer habits and the economy. You will learn how to put theory into practice when you study production, distribution of retail goods, and the management of business. You can choose to focus more on either human resource development or retail and consumer science. Human resources involves training and development, career development, and organization development. Retailing and consumer science may be more intriguing to those interested in merchandising, management, and marketing and sales of consumer goods.
Some courses you may take could include: communications studies, English, economics, mathematics, health, psychology, and sociology.
Depending on your college you may be able to choose a concentration. Some of the more commonly available are: Business Family and Consumer Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences Communication, and Consumer Merchandising and Retail Management.
A major in Human Sciences Business Services involves the study of Family And Consumer Sciences/human Sciences Business Services. Read on to learn the important information every human sciences business services major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering human sciences business services programs.
In the U.S., human sciences business services draws strong interest, with 493 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Human Sciences Business Services Schools ranking analyzes these 14 schools to determine the best overall colleges for human sciences business services students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of human sciences business services programs later in this article.
Studies in Human Sciences Business Services emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations human sciences business services graduates commonly enter.
Students who choose this major often have an interest in business, employee and consumer relationships. When organizations treat their employees better, their customers are more satisfied and the companies also perform better. Human Sciences deals directly with these relationships.
Human Science & Business Service is an ideal major for a people-person. You should feel comfortable speaking in front of large groups as well as one-on-one. Also, a natural love for learning and a desire to understand consumers and merchandising will be beneficial. This major will require you to use knowledge from all disciplines and apply it to real life situations in the work place. Critical reading skills and writing skills will be refined as you work towards completing your degree.
Skills emphasized by a human sciences business services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a human sciences business services major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several human sciences business services degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 2 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 393 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 95 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 3 |
People currently working in careers related to human sciences business services tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 37.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 21.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 18.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.9% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.0% |
| Some college courses | 3.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.0% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 2.4% |
| First professional degree | 0.6% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.3% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in human sciences business services careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
There are a wide range of opportunities in this field. Human Science & Business Services graduates find work in retail, healthcare, or education as Training Specialists, Training Managers, Instructional Designers, Human Resources Managers, Training Facilitators, or Human Resources Consultants. This major allows you to focus in on what specifically interest you to prepare you for your ideal career.
A degree in human sciences business services prepares you for numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to human sciences business services.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to human sciences business services.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 1,304,119 | 14.0% |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,267,153 | 0.4% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 830,802 | 5.3% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 671,367 | 10.3% |
| Technical Writers | 396,969 | 6.9% |
| Public Relations Specialists | 288,926 | -3.5% |
| Marketing Managers | 259,371 | -4.4% |
| Search Marketing Strategists | 199,758 | 8.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of human sciences business services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $42,391 |
| 4 years | $54,186 |
| 5 years | $63,925 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for human sciences business services graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers human sciences business services grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $124,518 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $103,749 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $99,604 |
| Marketing Managers | $90,143 |
| Search Marketing Strategists | $85,177 |
| Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | $70,619 |
| Sales Managers | $68,051 |
| Writers and Authors | $63,195 |
With 14 different human sciences business services programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased human sciences business services school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in human sciences business services, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | 366 |
| Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management | 126 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication | 1 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
