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appalachian studies

Types of Degrees appalachian studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying appalachian studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	6

What appalachian studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in appalachian studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, appalachian studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by appalachian studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for appalachian studies graduates include:

• College Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• American Studies Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Humanities Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Asian Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Professor
• Lecturer

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.5%
Master’s degree	31.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in appalachian studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 83.3% of appalachian studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5	83.3%
Men	1	16.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of appalachian studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	66.7%
Two or More Races	1	16.7%
Race Unknown	1	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do appalachian studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of appalachian studies 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	$37,815
4 years	$54,317
5 years	$64,382

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,382 — roughly 70% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online appalachian studies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for appalachian studies. 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	1	0

^{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 appalachian studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, appalachian studies graduates earn a median of $54,317 four years after completion — roughly 43% 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
Area Studies	05.01
African Studies	05.0101
American/United States Studies/Civilization	05.0102
Arctic Studies	05.0136
Area Studies, Other	05.0199
Asian Studies/Civilization	05.0103
Balkans Studies	05.0116
Baltic Studies	05.0117
Canadian Studies	05.0115
Caribbean Studies	05.0119
Chinese Studies	05.0123
Commonwealth Studies	05.0121

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.