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Film Studies

Types of Degrees Film Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Film Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	221
Bachelor’s Degree	4,575
Master’s Degree	928
Doctor’s Degree	42

What Film Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Film Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Film Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Film Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Film Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	✓
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Film Studies graduates include:

• Orchestra Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Stagecraft Professor
• Dancing Teacher
• Media Arts Professor
• Baton Teacher
• Piano Performance Professor
• Theater Teacher
• Studio Instructor
• Music Theory Teacher
• Music Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Adjunct Art Instructor
• Dance Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.8%
Master’s degree	29.6%
Doctoral degree	17.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.2%
Some college courses	2.8%
Postsecondary certificate	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%
First professional degree	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Film Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 49.2% women and 50.8% men among Film Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,844	49.2%
Men	2,933	50.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,622	45.4%
Asian	475	8.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,089	18.9%
Black or African American	579	10.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%
Two or More Races	358	6.2%
Race Unknown	123	2.1%
International Students	504	8.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Film Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Film 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	$25,545
4 years	$35,590
5 years	$41,647

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,647 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Film Studies Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Film 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	1	4
Bachelor’s	1	4
Master’s	1	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 Film Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Film Studies graduates earn a median of $35,590 four years after completion — about 6% 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
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	50.06
Cinematography and Film/Video Production	50.0602
Documentary Production	50.0607
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other	50.0699
Photography	50.0605
Directing and Theatrical Production	50.0507
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General	50.0501
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other	50.0599
Musical Theatre	50.0509
Theatre and Dance	50.0512
Theatre/Theatre Arts Management	50.1004
Acting	50.0506

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.