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Other Literature

Types of Degrees Other Literature Majors Are Earning

Those studying Other Literature can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	9
Master’s Degree	25
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Other Literature Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Other Literature emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Literature graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Literature emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Other Literature program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Other Literature careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Literature graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Literature professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Graphics creation software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Literature graduates include:

• English Adjunct
• Adjunct Writing Instructor
• Humanities Professor
• Medieval English Literature Professor
• Developmental Reading Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• English Teacher
• English Adjunct Instructor
• Online English Instructor
• Language Arts Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Teacher
• Creative Writing Professor
• English Language Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.9%
Master’s degree	24.5%
Bachelor’s degree	9.4%
Less than a high school diploma	8.9%
Some college courses	7.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.0%
First professional degree	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Literature?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.3% women and 41.7% men among Other Literature graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	21	58.3%
Men	15	41.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Literature graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	12	33.3%
Asian	2	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	17	47.2%
Black or African American	1	2.8%
Two or More Races	3	8.3%
International Students	1	2.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Literature Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Literature graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,997
4 years	$42,308
5 years	$49,276

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,276 — roughly 97% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Other Literature Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Literature graduates earn a median of $42,308 four years after completion — roughly 11% 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
Literature	23.14
American Literature (Canadian)	23.1403
American Literature (United States)	23.1402
Children’s and Adolescent Literature	23.1405
English Literature (British and Commonwealth)	23.1404
General Literature	23.1401
Creative Writing	23.1302
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing	23.1303
Rhetoric and Composition	23.1304
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other	23.1399
Writing, General	23.1301

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.