---

Ancient Studies/Civilization

Types of Degrees Ancient Studies/Civilization Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Ancient Studies/Civilization may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	136
Master’s Degree	9
Doctor’s Degree	12

What Ancient Studies/Civilization Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Ancient Studies/Civilization emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Ancient Studies/Civilization program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Ancient Studies/Civilization careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ancient Studies/Civilization graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ancient Studies/Civilization professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ancient Studies/Civilization graduates include:

• University Faculty Member
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• College Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Online History Instructor
• Historiography Professor
• Art History Adjunct Professor
• Russian History Professor
• Art History Instructor
• History Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ancient Studies/Civilization graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	64.5%
Master’s degree	30.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Post-doctoral training	1.2%
Bachelor’s degree	0.9%
First professional degree	0.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%
Some college courses	0.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ancient Studies/Civilization?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 63.7% of Ancient Studies/Civilization degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	100	63.7%
Men	57	36.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	115	73.2%
Asian	11	7.0%
Hispanic or Latino	10	6.4%
Black or African American	4	2.5%
Two or More Races	10	6.4%
Race Unknown	1	0.6%
International Students	6	3.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ancient Studies/Civilization Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ancient Studies/Civilization 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	$32,054
4 years	$34,228
5 years	$48,797

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,797 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Ancient Studies/Civilization Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Ancient Studies/Civilization. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Ancient Studies/Civilization Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Ancient Studies/Civilization graduates earn a median of $34,228 four years after completion — about 10% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{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
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Classical and Ancient Studies, Other	30.2299
Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology	30.2202
History and Language/Literature	30.4501
Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis	30.1202

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.