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German Studies

Types of Degrees German Studies Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Bachelor’s Degree	79
Master’s Degree	9
Doctor’s Degree	6

What German Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in German 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 German 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 Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to German 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.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, German 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 German Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for German Studies graduates include:

• Lecturer
• University Faculty Member
• Faculty Lecturer
• Asian Studies Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• College Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Professor
• Professor
• Black Studies Professor
• African Studies Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Ethnology Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to German 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 German Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.6% women and 45.4% men among German Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	53	54.6%
Men	44	45.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	75	77.3%
Asian	4	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	2	2.1%
Black or African American	3	3.1%
Two or More Races	3	3.1%
Race Unknown	1	1.0%
International Students	9	9.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do German Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of German 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 German Studies Worth It?

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