Writing

Types of Degrees Writing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many writing studies graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	6,030
Master’s Degree	4,160
Basic Certificate	1,994
Graduate Certificate	457
Associate Degree	312
Doctor’s Degree	137
Undergraduate Certificate	86

What Writing Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to writing and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Writing Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Writing Majors

When studying writing, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Writing Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a writing student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Writing Major?

People with a writing degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Copy Writers	7.6%	$62,170
English Language and Literature Professors	9.8%	$66,590
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Professors	9.4%	$65,660
Technical Writers	10.9%	$71,850

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Writing?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 6,597 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in writing studies in 2021, making it rank #65 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 70% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of writing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	225
Black or African American	514
Hispanic or Latino	758
White	3,884
International Students	92
Other Races/Ethnicities	557

Geographic Diversity

Writing appeals to people across the globe. About 1.5% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Writing

Some careers associated with writing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to writing have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.4%
Some College Courses	7.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	8.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	42.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	12.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.5%
Doctoral Degree	16.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Writing Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	24	5
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	69	13
Bachelor’s Degree	122	36
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	326	39
Post-Master’s	14	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	35	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Writing

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to writing.

Major	Number of Grads
General English Literature	35,472
English Literature (Other)	877
Literature	774

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By KOKUYO under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.