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International/Global Studies

Types of Degrees International/Global Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in International/Global Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	48
Associate’s Degree	28
Bachelor’s Degree	4,548
Master’s Degree	1,099
Doctor’s Degree	14

What International/Global Studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in International/Global Studies emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that International/Global Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in International/Global Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a International/Global Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to International/Global Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, International/Global Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Analyzing Data or Information	4.8 / 7
Getting Information	4.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.7 / 7
Processing Information	4.6 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by International/Global Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
DataMystic TextPipe Pro	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Data visualization software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Europa World Plus	Information retrieval or search software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	—
Structure query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
CQ Press Political Reference Suite	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
JudgeIt II	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for International/Global Studies graduates include:

• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Survey Research Professor
• City Planning Teacher
• Family Consumer Science Teacher
• Lecturer
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Survey Research Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Foreign Service Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Naval Science Teacher
• College Teacher
• Social Science Professor
• Urban Planning Professor
• Military Science Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	88.5%
Master’s degree	7.7%
Post-doctoral training	3.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in International/Global Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.7% of International/Global Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,771	65.7%
Men	1,969	34.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,648	46.1%
Asian	573	10.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1,111	19.4%
Black or African American	390	6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	9	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.1%
Two or More Races	319	5.6%
Race Unknown	111	1.9%
International Students	572	10.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do International/Global Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of International/Global 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	$42,789
4 years	$57,044
5 years	$66,781

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,781 — roughly 56% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online International/Global Studies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for International/Global Studies. 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
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	12	10
Master’s	7	9
Doctoral (Research)	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 International/Global Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, International/Global Studies graduates earn a median of $57,044 four years after completion — roughly 50% 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
International/Globalization Studies	30.20
Geoarcheaology	30.4201
History and Political Science	30.4601
Holocaust and Related Studies	30.2101
Human Biology	30.2701

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.