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Western European Studies

Types of Degrees Western European Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Western European Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	6
Master’s Degree	53
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Western European Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

Abilities

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Western European 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 Western European Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Western European Studies graduates include:

• Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• African Studies Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• Black Studies Professor
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Lecturer
• American Studies Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Western European 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 Western European Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 50% women and 50% men among Western European Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	30	50.0%
Men	30	50.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	39	65.0%
Asian	1	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	2	3.3%
Black or African American	3	5.0%
Race Unknown	4	6.7%
International Students	11	18.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Western European Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Western European 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 Western European Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Western European 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.