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American Literature (United States) Major

American Literature (United States)

1 Master's Degrees Annually
#1,071 in Popularity (Master's)

Types of Degrees American Literature (United States) Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many american literature (united states) graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Graduate Certificate 14

What American Literature (United States) Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, american literature (united states) majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for American Literature (United States) Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Skills for American Literature (United States) Majors

A major in american literature (united states) prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for American Literature (United States) Majors

American Literature (United States) majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a American Literature (United States) Major?

People with a american literature (united states) degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
English Language and Literature Professors 9.8% $66,590

Some degrees associated with american literature (united states) may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to american literature (united states) have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 10.0%
Master’s Degree 31.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.3%
Doctoral Degree 60.5%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.3%

Online American Literature (United States) Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 2 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 1 0
Bachelor’s Degree 1 1
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 3 0
Post-Master’s 2 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to american literature (united states).

Major Number of Grads
General Literature 403
English Literature (British & Commonwealth) 249
Children’s & Adolescent Literature 60
Other Literature 22

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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