---

Irish Studies

Types of Degrees Irish Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Irish Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	5

What Irish Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Irish 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 Irish 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.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Irish 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, Irish 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 Irish Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Irish Studies graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Irish 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 Irish Studies?

Gender Distribution

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

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	80.0%
Race Unknown	1	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Irish Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Irish 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 Irish Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Irish 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.