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General Writing

Types of Degrees General Writing Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Writing have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	22
Bachelor’s Degree	512
Master’s Degree	231

What General Writing Majors Need to Know

Studies in General Writing develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Writing graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Writing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a General Writing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to General Writing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Writing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Writing professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Writing graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Faculty Member
• Language Arts Teacher
• Languages Instructor
• Reading Instructor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Adjunct English Instructor
• English Lecturer
• English Instructor
• Etymology Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	31.1%
Bachelor’s degree	18.7%
Master’s degree	17.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.7%
Some college courses	9.2%
Less than a high school diploma	6.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
First professional degree	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Writing?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 73.5% of General Writing degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	562	73.5%
Men	203	26.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Writing graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	535	69.9%
Asian	20	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	112	14.6%
Black or African American	44	5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	24	3.1%
Race Unknown	23	3.0%
International Students	5	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Writing Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General Writing 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	$34,712
4 years	$44,745
5 years	$51,958

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,958 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Writing Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for General Writing. 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
Associate’s	2	0
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	1	1

^{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 General Writing Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Writing graduates earn a median of $44,745 four years after completion — roughly 18% 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
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	23.13
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
Children’s and Adolescent Literature	23.1405
General Literature	23.1401
Literature, Other	23.1499

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.