Five College Degrees That Won’t Translate Into Jobs
Higher Education Articles November 5, 2012If you are planning on earning a college degree and want one that will help excite recruiters, there are some degrees you should avoid pursuing. In this article, I will take a look at five college degrees that are not likely to translate into jobs.
Avoid a College Degree in Architecture
A bachelor degree in architecture is not likely to impress employers in the current economic situation (Source: a 2012 study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce). The study found that near fourteen percent of current architecture graduates are unemployed, probably due to the housing industry collapse.
Alternative degree to pursue: Business Administration
Armed with a business administration degree, you are more likely to find employment with just seven percent of recent graduates reporting unemployment. The advantage of a business administration degree lies in its versatility that translates into opportunities in various industries including health care, energy, technology, banking and pharmaceuticals.
Avoid a College Degree in Philosophy or Religious Studies
This is another degree that does not excite employers with 10.8 percent of current graduates unemployed.
Alternative degree to pursue: Elementary Education
This is a degree that will satisfy your quest for a deeper meaning in life while making you more employable. Recent graduates in education reported a 4.8 percent unemployment rate. There are always a need for teachers and you can look forward to a fulfilling career after completing a course that will cover a variety of areas such as teaching methods, philosophy of education, and education in a multicultural society, among others.
Avoid a College Degree in Anthropology or Archeology
The lack of jobs in this field makes this a degree that you should avoid, with 10.5 percent of recent graduates finding themselves unemployed.
Alternative degree to pursue: Criminal Justice
This is a degree that will satisfy your passion for investigation into the truth while being employer-friendly, with just 7.6 percent of recent graduates reporting unemployment. Course content will include expertise in diverse areas such as drug rehabilitation and the impact of terrorism on society.
Avoid a College Degree in Area Ethnic or Civilization Studies
This bizarrely named degree suffers a lack of jobs and that should not surprise anyone. About 10.1 percent of recent graduates in this field reported unemployment.
Alternative degree to pursue: Psychology
This is a degree that will satisfy your interest in studying people and their thought process. With only 7.6 percent of recent psychology graduates reporting unemployment, a degree in this field will prepare you for a job in a health care, nursing homes or senior citizen centers. Course content will include expertise in diverse areas such as the way humans think and act, the roots of violence, and the relationship between the mind and body.
Avoid a College Degree in Information Systems
Though the phrase information systems recommend employability in the digital age, the truth is otherwise. This degree suffers in comparison with more sought after ones such as computer science, statistic shows 11.7 percent of recent graduates in this field reported unemployment.
Alternative degree to pursue: Computer Science
This is an alternative degree that is more marketable to the same employers. With only 7.8 percent of recent computer science graduates reporting unemployment, a degree in this field will prepare you for a job that involves designing a computer system or programming languages.
