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Commonwealth Studies

Types of Degrees Commonwealth Studies Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	1

What Commonwealth Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Commonwealth 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

Skills developed in a Commonwealth 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

Abilities most relevant to Commonwealth 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.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Commonwealth 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 Commonwealth Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system 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 Commonwealth Studies graduates include:

• Black Studies Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Professor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Asian Studies Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Ethnology Teacher
• African Studies Professor
• Faculty Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Commonwealth 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 Commonwealth Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 100% of Commonwealth Studies degrees.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1	100.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Commonwealth Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Commonwealth Studies 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	$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 Commonwealth Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Commonwealth 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.