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Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies, women's studies, or urban affairs. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $85,020 Median per year Most earn $52,070–$160,420

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  • Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 1,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools93.2%
  • Junior colleges6.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree in an area, ethnic, or cultural studies field, and they often spend a few years as a lecturer or postdoc before landing a professor role. Getting here usually takes roughly 12 to 18 years after high school, including college, graduate school, and early teaching work.

  1. Bachelor's degree in ethnic, area, or cultural studies (or a related field like history, sociology, or English)

    4 years

    You build a broad base in a culture or region, learn research and writing, and find out which topics excite you enough to study for years.

  2. Master's degree in the same area of study

    2 years

    You go deeper into one topic, write a major research paper or thesis, and often gain teaching assistant experience, which shows graduate programs you can teach.

  3. Doctoral (PhD) degree in area, ethnic, or cultural studies

    4-6 years

    You complete advanced coursework, do original research, write a dissertation, and usually teach your own courses, which is the main requirement for teaching at the college level.

  4. Lecturer or Visiting Assistant Professor

    2-4 years

    You teach courses on a fixed-term contract while publishing research and applying for tenure-track jobs, which gives you the teaching experience colleges look for.

  5. Postsecondary Teacher, Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies

    Ongoing

    You teach college courses and may also do research, often in a tenure-track Assistant Professor role.

Where it can lead

  1. Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies

    5-7 years of experience first

    After earning tenure, you usually move up by publishing more research, mentoring students, and taking on bigger responsibilities in your department.

  2. Department Chair (Ethnic Studies or Area Studies)

    5+ years as a tenured professor of experience first

    Chairs manage the department's courses, budget, and staff, and they need strong leadership and communication skills as well as teaching and research experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take history, English, and social studies classesStrong reading and writing skills are the foundation of almost every area and cultural studies program.
  • Take a world language classLearning another language opens up research on other cultures and is often valued in area studies programs.
  • Join debate, Model UN, or a mock trial teamThese clubs teach you to research a topic, build arguments, and explain complex ideas clearly.
  • Volunteer at a library, museum, or community cultural centerThis shows you how cultural history is shared with the public and helps you see what communities care about.
  • Read widely and keep a reading journalReading books and essays on different cultures and histories helps you figure out which topics you want to study more deeply.

In college

  • Major or minor in ethnic, area, or cultural studiesCoursework in your chosen area builds the subject knowledge you need, and a minor in another field, like history or a language, can add useful skills.
  • Work as a research assistant or tutorHelping a professor with research or tutoring writing gives you hands-on experience with academic work and strong references.
  • Take a research methods courseLearning how to collect and analyze sources, interviews, or data prepares you for graduate-level research.
  • Present at an undergraduate research conference or submit a paperSharing your work outside the classroom shows graduate programs that you can do original research.
  • Study abroad or take intensive language coursesTime spent in another culture or language builds real understanding of the topics you would teach and study.

Tips for getting started

  • Pick a bachelor's major with lots of reading, writing, and research, and get to know your professors well, because graduate programs rely on their recommendation letters.
  • Look for research assistant or teaching assistant jobs in college. These give you real teaching and research experience early, which is important for graduate school applications.
  • Keep a list of the cultures, histories, or topics that you could study for years. Doctoral programs care a lot about your research interests, and having a clear focus helps you stand out.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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