Choosing what to major in can be a daunting task, and it may be even more stressful than selecting a university or college. Our guide to ‘Finding the Best Fit’ details what you need to keep in mind when choosing the right school, emphasizing how you should have a clear view of your interests in order to effectively narrow down where you’ll want to attain your tertiary education.
Of course, this is easier said than done. A Department of Education study found that one in ten students change their majors more than once during their college stay, due to the overwhelming pressure around choosing a major. While it can be nerve-wracking to make such a big decision, certain majors offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to future career paths and job opportunities — helping you curb your ‘major’ anxiety.
That said, here are five versatile degrees that can provide you with a diverse set of skills to prepare you for a myriad of industries.
In the past, communication degree programs failed to entice students since a lot of its graduates found it hard to score a good entry-level job. It was plagued with horror stories of after-college gap years that never seemed to end, and terrifying anecdotes of low-paying positions. However, recent developments in digital media ushered in a renewed need for communications majors, proving that there is in fact, an untapped field for people with great communication skills.
People who major in communications find their compelling idea organization and research skills to be desired in various industries like law, finance, medicine, new media, and education.
Students in finance degree programs can develop an incredible insight in management and marketing. There’s so much more to finance majors than being stuck working at a low-level bank or firm job. As many industries continue to flourish, so too will the demand for professionals with a background in finance. In fact, Maryville University states that jobs for financial planners will have grown by 30% from 2014 to 2024, with high-paying positions such as financial managers earning upwards of $100,000. There’s plenty of room for growth, and you can start with job posts that focus on crunching numbers and improving company productivity.
If you hold a finance degree, companies specializing in various businesses can find your management and efficiency skills to be of substantial value.
Psychology remains to be one of the most popular college majors — and with good reason. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that there’s a projected 14% growth in psychologist jobs from 2018 to 2028, adding that psychologists can work independently or be in collaboration with physicians, social workers, and educators.
Other than that, psychology majors can find their skills to fit in virtually any industry due to their background in human behavior. Also, they can easily work in a team as leaders since they have professional know-how in working with different personalities and fostering good social discussions.
Engineering majors can go beyond their specialization to work in different fields, as their technical knowledge applies to more than just their niche course of study. Today, there’s a need for innovators, no matter the industry — so people who hold engineering degrees can find themselves working in medicine, biology, aeronautics, and management.
Furthermore, an engineering major’s knack for designing and manufacturing transcend technical applications. In fact, there’s a huge number of engineers who wield their practical skills to create artistic pieces, while simultaneously speaking on different social and systemic issues. With engineering, you can actualize your ideas on a whole other level.
While we acknowledge that a bulk of computer science knowledge goes into coding and designing technological systems, computer science majors also acquire analytical and problem-solving skills that can be valuable to any industry. From security to data analysis, there’s always space for a computer science graduate.
Since businesses are beginning to realize the benefits of digitized data and an organically grown virtual presence, computer science graduates have numerous opportunities facilitating organizational shifts to the digital world.
Overall, there’s a push for education to make degrees more multifaceted to adapt to the ever-changing employment landscape. While it can be useful to have a specialized major early on in your college life, there’s nothing bad in taking a little more time in deciding where you want to settle and grow.
[…] become a mental health technician, or even a behavioral intervention aide. Psychology careers are expected to grow 14% by 2028, and you have the option of working independently, for a medical institution or university, in […]