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Central Asian Studies

Types of Degrees Central Asian Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Central Asian Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	2
Master’s Degree	7
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Central Asian Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Central Asian 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 developed in a Central Asian Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Central Asian 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.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Central Asian 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 Central Asian Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Central Asian Studies graduates include:

• College Professor
• Asian Studies Professor
• Black Studies Professor
• African Studies Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Associate Professor
• Ethnology Teacher
• Gender Studies Professor
• American Studies Professor
• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• University Faculty Member
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Central Asian 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 Central Asian Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 80% of Central Asian Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	20.0%
Men	8	80.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Central Asian Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6	60.0%
Asian	1	10.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1	10.0%
International Students	2	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Central Asian Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Central Asian 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.}

Is a Degree in Central Asian Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Central Asian 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
Appalachian Studies	05.0135
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

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.