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Middle Eastern Studies

Types of Degrees Middle Eastern Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Middle Eastern Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Bachelor’s Degree	157
Master’s Degree	127
Doctor’s Degree	32

What Middle Eastern Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Middle Eastern 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 emphasized by a Middle Eastern 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.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Middle Eastern 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 Middle Eastern Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Middle Eastern Studies graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Middle Eastern 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 Middle Eastern Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.6% women and 40.4% men among Middle Eastern Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	189	59.6%
Men	128	40.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	177	55.8%
Asian	16	5.0%
Hispanic or Latino	19	6.0%
Black or African American	11	3.5%
Two or More Races	20	6.3%
Race Unknown	24	7.6%
International Students	50	15.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Middle Eastern Studies Graduates Earn?

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

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Middle Eastern 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.