by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 12 U.S. colleges awarded 101 degrees and certificates in Holocaust Studies. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 70% of graduates. Its 5 related occupations pay an average median salary of $53,781 a year.
The holocaust involved the murder of two-thirds of all European Jews. Many want to ensure this horrific historic event is never repeated. For those who want to learn more about history as well as preventing atrocities in our own time, a major in Holocaust Studies is ideal.
Holocaust Studies focuses on human history with an emphasis on the Nazi Holocaust and the broader topic of genocide. You will explore the culture, society, politics, ethics, science, and religion surrounding the events of the Holocaust. You will also study issues of discrimination, racism, and prejudice.
Be prepared to take courses in a variety of subjects. You will study ethics, communist ideology, politics, Nazi Germany, history of the Holocaust, modern Jewish history, sociology, ethnic and race relations, perspectives on terrorism, and comparative genocide.
Studying Holocaust Studies involves the study of Holocaust And Related Studies.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, holocaust studies is a widely-pursued major, with 101 degrees awarded annually. 12 colleges award holocaust studies degrees, an average of 8 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 24.
By level, the 101 awards include 19 bachelor’s degrees, 71 master’s degrees and 11 doctorates.
Women earned 61% of holocaust studies degrees and certificates in the latest year (62 of 101). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (72) and Hispanic or Latino (4), and international students earned 4.
The most common holocaust studies credential is the master’s degree: 71 of the 101 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to holocaust studies call most for Speaking, Reading Comprehension and Writing, and for knowledge of History and Archeology, English Language and Education and Training, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Expression and Written Comprehension.
This major explores controversial and painful issues. You will learn how to research emotional events to discover the truth. Coursework will you develop critical reading and writing skills. It is important that you are able to summarize information to clearly develop and define your argument. It helps to be detail oriented as you research historical events, analyze scholarly articles and write lengthy papers on your findings.
Students should have empathy toward survivors and current people in similar situations. You may have the opportunity to hear an actual Holocaust survivor speak or interview those with experience in the topic. Work on your critical thinking skills as you analyze world views, ethics and politics of the time period as well as today. Be ready to study abroad in Poland or Germany to get a more a closer look at the Holocaust and actually visit concentration camps.
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How long a holocaust studies degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 19 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 71 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 11 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to holocaust studies, at 63.9%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 63.9% |
| Master’s degree | 32.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 2.4% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.5% |
| Some college courses | 0.4% |
Source: O*NET Online.
5 occupations are related to Holocaust Studies, with an average median salary of $53,781; the strongest outlook belongs to Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other, at 11.1% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Lecturer, City Planning Teacher, Survey Research Teacher and Social Science Professor.
A Holocaust Studies degree will allow you to work as a historian. This can be a very competitive field to get into, especially for those with a niche major. Most historian positions are paid for by public funding and donations, so job growth will depend on the funding available. However, due to well-developed critical thinking and analytical skills, graduates should be able to find work in a variety of other occupations as well. You could find a job as an educator, museum director, researcher, public service or social worker.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to holocaust studies, at 1,421,275.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 1,421,275 | 11.1% |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,269,153 | 10.5% |
| Historians | 66,368 | -1.5% |
| Transportation Planners | 43,539 | 4.1% |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | 24,588 | 6.1% |
The highest-paying occupation related to holocaust studies is Historians, with a median salary of $89,780.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Historians | $89,780 |
| Transportation Planners | $50,855 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $47,617 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $42,168 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | $38,484 |
Holocaust Studies includes 1 concentration; by graduates, the largest is Holocaust and Related Studies (101). It has 48 similar majors in the Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies field, which together award 150,321 degrees a year; the largest are Biological and Physical Sciences (29,811), Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (29,665) and Data Analytics (17,572). Browse all Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Holocaust and Related Studies | 101 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 29,811 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 29,665 |
| Data Analytics | 17,572 |
| Data Science | 11,772 |
| MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES | 11,175 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 6,906 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5,644 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 5,569 |
| Sustainability Studies | 4,567 |
| Cognitive Science | 3,911 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.