African American Studies

Types of Degrees African American Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many african american studies graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	75
Doctor’s Degree	33
Graduate Certificate	30

What African American Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, african american studies 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 African American Studies Majors

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

• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Skills for African American Studies Majors

african american studies majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for African American Studies Majors

As you progress with your african american studies degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

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

What Can You Do With a African American Studies Major?

People with a african american studies degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Professors	10.4%	$74,440

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in African American Studies?

The major attracts more women than men. About 69% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of african american studies majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1
Black or African American	49
Hispanic or Latino	4
White	5
International Students	10
Other Races/Ethnicities	6

Geographic Diversity

African American Studies appeals to people across the globe. About 13.3% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to African American Studies

Some degrees associated with african american studies may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for african american studies careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.2%
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.	3.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	61.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.0%

Online African American Studies 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)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	6	1
Bachelor’s Degree	19	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	29	1
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	15	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to African American Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to african american studies.

Major	Number of Grads
Women’s Studies	2,783
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, & Group Studies, Other	2,381
Latino Studies	760
Native American Studies	547
Ethnic Studies	539
Disability Studies	427
Deaf Studies	337
Asian-American Studies	149
Gay/Lesbian Studies	82
Folklore Studies	66
Comparative Group Studies	33

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By G. MГјtzel under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.