International Studies

Types of Degrees International Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	834
Graduate Certificate	67
Doctor’s Degree	17

What International Studies Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to international studies and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for International Studies Majors

International Studies majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for International Studies Majors

international 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.
• 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.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for International Studies Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a international studies student include the following:

• 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.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a International Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with international studies:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Political Scientists	2.7%	$117,570

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in International Studies?

Roughly 52% of the graduates are women, and 48% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	45
Black or African American	97
Hispanic or Latino	129
White	366
International Students	125
Other Races/Ethnicities	72

Geographic Diversity

International Studies appeals to people across the globe. About 15.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Japan
• Saudi Arabia
• India

How Much Do International Studies Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of international studies students with a master’s degree is $46,659 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $38,888 (25th percentile) and $54,607 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in international studies, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

International Studies majors often go into careers with median salaries of $115,300. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to International Studies

Some degrees associated with international studies 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.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	3.3%
Master’s Degree	13.3%
Doctoral Degree	73.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.3%

Online International Studies Programs

In 2020-2021, 426 schools offered a international studies program of some type. 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)	7	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	22	2
Bachelor’s Degree	21	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	47	6
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	7	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in International Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a international studies grad is $115,300 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 189% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,508,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to International Studies

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

Major	Number of Grads
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	2,491
Sustainability Science	1,547
Nutrition Science	1,496
Behavioral Science	1,358
Computational Science	1,063
Human Computer Interaction	822
Data Analytics	793
Museum Studies	696
Gerontology	655
Biological & Physical Science	639
Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution	522
Systems Theory	461
Dispute Resolution	416
Interdisciplinary Studies	402
Data Science	373
Mathematics & Computer Science	290
Historic Preservation	266
Science, Technology & Society	198
Multicultural & Diversity Studies	176
Cultural Studies & Analysis	161
Cognitive Science	123
Marine Science	104
Natural Sciences	76
Holocaust Studies	54
Medieval Studies	46
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	28
Human Biology	18
Classical & Ancient Studies	17
Earth Systems Science	13
Maritime Studies	9
Accounting & Computer Science	8
Environmental Geosciences	6
Linguistics and Computer Science	6
Linguistics and Anthropology	2
Biopsychology	0
Thanatology	0

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 Yerpo under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.