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Japanese Studies

Types of Degrees Japanese Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Japanese Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	1
Bachelor’s Degree	50
Master’s Degree	13

What Japanese Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

Abilities

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Japanese 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 Japanese Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Japanese Studies graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Japanese 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 Japanese Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.5% of Japanese Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	40	62.5%
Men	24	37.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	26	40.6%
Asian	15	23.4%
Hispanic or Latino	5	7.8%
Black or African American	2	3.1%
Two or More Races	6	9.4%
Race Unknown	1	1.6%
International Students	9	14.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Japanese Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Japanese 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 Japanese Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Japanese 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.