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Chinese Studies

Types of Degrees Chinese Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Chinese Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	52
Master’s Degree	12

What Chinese Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Chinese 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 built by a Chinese 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.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Chinese Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 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, Chinese 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 Chinese Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Chinese Studies graduates include:

• African Studies Professor
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Gender Studies Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• College Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Lecturer
• Black Studies Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Ethnology Teacher
• Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Chinese 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 Chinese Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 68.8% of Chinese Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	44	68.8%
Men	20	31.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	34	53.1%
Asian	10	15.6%
Hispanic or Latino	5	7.8%
Black or African American	4	6.2%
Two or More Races	5	7.8%
International Students	6	9.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Chinese Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Chinese Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Chinese Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Chinese 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
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.