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Scandinavian Studies

Types of Degrees Scandinavian Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Scandinavian Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	16
Master’s Degree	6
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Scandinavian Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Scandinavian 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.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Scandinavian 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 Scandinavian Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Scandinavian Studies graduates include:

• Women’s Studies Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Ethnology Professor
• Humanities Professor
• College Professor
• Gender Studies Professor
• Asian Studies Professor
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Scandinavian 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 Scandinavian Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.3% women and 41.7% men among Scandinavian Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14	58.3%
Men	10	41.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	19	79.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1	4.2%
Race Unknown	4	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Scandinavian Studies Graduates Earn?

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

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Scandinavian 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.