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Modern Language Education

Types of Degrees Modern Language Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Modern Language Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	70
Master’s Degree	238
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Modern Language Education Majors Need to Know

Studies in Modern Language Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Modern Language Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Modern Language Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Philosophy and Theology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Modern Language Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Modern Language Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Modern Language Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Modern Language Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Modern Language Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Adjunct Instructor
• Professor
• College Professor
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Language Instructor
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Bilingual Teacher
• Spanish Teacher
• Teacher
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Secondary Education Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Modern Language Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	52.0%
Bachelor’s degree	29.5%
Master’s degree	8.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.9%
Less than a high school diploma	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Modern Language Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 82.1% of Modern Language Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	256	82.1%
Men	56	17.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Modern Language Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	133	42.6%
Asian	43	13.8%
Hispanic or Latino	51	16.3%
Black or African American	11	3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	10	3.2%
Race Unknown	11	3.5%
International Students	52	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Modern Language Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Modern Language Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Modern Language Education Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Modern Language Education. 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	5	4

^{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 Modern Language Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Modern Language Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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	CIP Code
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	13.13
Agricultural Teacher Education	13.1301
Art Teacher Education	13.1302
Biology Teacher Education	13.1322
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education	13.1303
Chemistry Teacher Education	13.1323
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education	13.1339
Computer Teacher Education	13.1321
Drama and Dance Teacher Education	13.1324
Driver and Safety Teacher Education	13.1304
Earth Science Teacher Education	13.1337
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	13.1305

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.