---

Asian-American Studies

Types of Degrees Asian-American Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Asian-American Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	97
Master’s Degree	75

What Asian-American Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Asian-American 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 Asian-American 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 Asian-American 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.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Social media software	Web page creation and editing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Asian-American Studies graduates include:

• College Faculty Member
• American Studies Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• African Studies Professor
• Latin American Studies Professor
• College Professor
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Professor
• Ethnology Teacher
• Humanities Professor
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• Associate Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Asian-American 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 Asian-American Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.8% of Asian-American Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	120	69.8%
Men	52	30.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6	3.5%
Asian	129	75.0%
Hispanic or Latino	9	5.2%
Black or African American	2	1.2%
Two or More Races	22	12.8%
Race Unknown	1	0.6%
International Students	3	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Asian-American Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Asian-American 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	$32,619
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,144

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,144 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Asian-American Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Asian-American Studies graduates earn a median of $46,128 four years after completion — roughly 21% 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
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.02
African-American/Black Studies	05.0201
American Indian/Native American Studies	05.0202
Comparative Group Studies	05.0212
Deaf Studies	05.0211
Disability Studies	05.0210
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other	05.0299
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.0200
Folklore Studies	05.0209
Gay/Lesbian Studies	05.0208
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies	05.0203
Women’s Studies	05.0207

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.