Area Studies

Types of Degrees Area Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many area 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	3,649
Master’s Degree	1,407
Basic Certificate	499
Doctor’s Degree	293
Associate Degree	165
Graduate Certificate	131
Undergraduate Certificate	26

What Area Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, area studies majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Area Studies Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in area studies should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Skills for Area Studies Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to area studies:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Area Studies Majors

A major in area studies will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Area Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with area studies:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Professors	10.4%	$74,440

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Area Studies?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 4,550 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in area studies in 2021, making it rank #84 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 68% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	412
Black or African American	239
Hispanic or Latino	677
White	1,704
International Students	249
Other Races/Ethnicities	368

Geographic Diversity

Area Studies appeals to people across the globe. About 6.8% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Area Studies

Some degrees associated with area studies may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.2%
Master’s Degree	31.5%
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.	3.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	61.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.0%

Online Area Studies 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)	15	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	3	0
Associate’s Degree	41	3
Bachelor’s Degree	91	4
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	238	4
Post-Master’s	26	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	84	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Majors Related to Area Studies

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

Major	Number of Grads
Ethnic Studies	9,022
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other)	62

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 Karl Udo Gerth under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.