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South Asian Studies

Types of Degrees South Asian Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in South Asian Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	23
Master’s Degree	13
Doctor’s Degree	2

What South Asian Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing South Asian 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 developed in a South Asian 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.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to South Asian 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.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, South Asian 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 South Asian Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for South Asian Studies graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to South Asian 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 South Asian Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.9% women and 42.1% men among South Asian Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	22	57.9%
Men	16	42.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	9	23.7%
Asian	12	31.6%
Hispanic or Latino	5	13.2%
Two or More Races	3	7.9%
Race Unknown	2	5.3%
International Students	7	18.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do South Asian Studies Graduates Earn?

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

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, South Asian 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.