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Multicultural & Diversity Studies

Types of Degrees Multicultural & Diversity Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Multicultural & Diversity Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	7
Associate’s Degree	4
Bachelor’s Degree	115
Master’s Degree	555
Doctor’s Degree	22

What Multicultural & Diversity Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Multicultural & Diversity Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Multicultural & Diversity Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Multicultural & Diversity Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Multicultural & Diversity Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 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
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Multicultural & Diversity Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Sakai CLE	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 Multicultural & Diversity Studies graduates include:

• College Faculty Member
• Latin American Studies Professor
• African Studies Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Ethnology Teacher
• College Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Humanities Professor
• Black Studies Professor
• Asian Studies Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Multicultural & Diversity Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	57.0%
Master’s degree	31.8%
Post-doctoral training	3.7%
Bachelor’s degree	3.2%
Post-master’s certificate	3.1%
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 Multicultural & Diversity Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 77.9% of Multicultural & Diversity Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	550	77.9%
Men	156	22.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Multicultural & Diversity Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	356	50.4%
Asian	44	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	88	12.5%
Black or African American	89	12.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	36	5.1%
Race Unknown	37	5.2%
International Students	50	7.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Multicultural & Diversity Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Multicultural & Diversity Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,487
4 years	$38,455
5 years	$44,952

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,952 — roughly 38% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Multicultural & Diversity Studies Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Multicultural & Diversity 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
Master’s	7	2

^{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 Multicultural & Diversity Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Multicultural & Diversity Studies graduates earn a median of $38,455 four years after completion — roughly 1% 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
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	30
Accounting and Computer Science	30.16
Anthrozoology	30.34
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.01
Biopsychology	30.10
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Climate Science	30.35
Cognitive Science	30.25
Computational Science	30.30
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	30.36
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis	30.26

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.