Perhaps It’s Time to Consider Majors that are Sustainable in Tough Times
Students usually choose a major over a period of time. I have always been a fan of taking a variety of classes until you find the ones that you enjoy most and choosing a major around that. Every school, including UM, has its more popular majors as well. However; in these unprecedented times, students might want to take recent events into consideration when choosing or changing their major.
As with any major event, such as a recession, war, or, in this case, a pandemic, there is a shift in what type of degree a student may want to consider pursuing. Certainly, the job market will look different in the future. Contemplating what jobs were sustainable throughout the pandemic may also help in the decision-making process.
For instance, public health which can include hospital management, infectious disease, and clinical research, among other things, was already a fast-growing major but may continue to grow due to an upcoming need. Similarly, we definitely learned the significance of our health-care workers. There are many avenues that can stem from majors in the Health Sciences which is one of UM’s strongest departments. UM even offers a Joint Degree Program in Business and Medicine.
Its Nursing Program is highly rated with an option for an Accelerated BSN. Along those same lines, UM’s combined degree; a BS and MS in Public Health, could be one to consider as well. The UM School of Nursing and Health Studies offers various tracks to prepare for careers in medicine, occupational and physical therapies, pharmacy, and health management and policy.
More Major Ideas
Teaching has undoubtedly taken on a new lens, aside from many having a newfound respect for the value of a good educator. UM offers degrees in both Elementary and Secondary Education. However, while the look of education has also been altered, teachers will always be needed and now could also benefit from a background in computer sciences, which can even be taken as a dual-major.
Politics in one form or another, particularly since politicians and government seemed to have become an integral part of our daily lives, could be worth considering. UM’s Political Sciences major has various programs; Public Administration is one of its more well-known.
Wellness from mental health to new forms of fitness (particularly those that can be done remotely) have increased in popularity as well, so a major in psychology or a degree from UM’s School of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences may be in order.
Majors in engineering range from electrical and computer engineering, industrial, biomedical, etc.. Finance, which can prepare students for careers in corporate finance, investments, banking, and accounting or Economics, that provides students with skills and training for careers in business, law, government, politics, teaching, research, and a variety of other areas lead to stable, higher-paying jobs that will undoubtedly remain popular, but it can’t hurt to consider what jobs can be done remotely as well.
In addition to choosing a major, students may want to add some skills like mastering Photoshop, Google-drive, Zoom, data analysis, computer programming, proficiency in a second (or third) language. There are many certificate programs that can be done outside of college classes that can only enhance your employability. Increasing your knowledge escalates your value to potential employers.
Some college majors may be changing and many are offered almost solely online. New ones may be added and others may disappear. Find out what major programs are of interest to you and how UM school can help you decide. Encourage your student to visit the Career Center or its website, to utilize online resources like Career Guides that walk students through selecting a major, Match Major Sheets that help students explore career options once they have decided on a major, and online databases for career outlook information.
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