Over the next few weeks, entering freshmen will take the steps necessary to continue their educational pursuits at colleges and universities across the nation. Most are looking forward to the unique challenges and opportunities they expect such an experience will provide.
Within the first month, they meet new people and make special friends, and many of them will be asked the same questions over and over. Specifically: What’s your name?, Where are you from?, What’s your classification?, and What’s your major?
The first three will be easy to answer and the responses will become almost automatic. The last one might take a bit more thought and, over the course of the year, could change dramatically as students become more aware of the various professions beckoning them today.
There are very few limitations on career possibilities if students properly prepare and sufficiently apply themselves. Sex, race, ethnic and social backgrounds, and even financial resources, are no longer barriers to future success and satisfaction in a chosen field. While there are some professions that would prove more difficult for the physically challenged, the doors are opening wider nowadays in many of those areas to allow exceptional individuals to realize at least part of their dreams.
Decisions regarding a major may sometimes depend on the popularity of a career field at the time or the prospects of employment and financial remuneration. Unfortunately, the popularity of majors does not always translate into something of significant value when seeking employment after graduation. Additionally, the career fields that have the greatest volume of openings do not always generate enthusiastic responses among students.
Many of those entering college for the first time have undoubtedly reviewed books, pamphlets, and specialized handbooks on the potentials of particular majors. Shortly after enrolling, some will inevitably encounter classmates eager to evangelize on behalf of their own personal career choices. The possibilities regarding how to spend the rest of one’s life can be overwhelming!
Some college students will remain firm in their first career choice and make every effort to fortify their decision by diligently applying themselves and fulfilling all prerequisites. Others will undoubtedly change their minds—and often lengthen their time in school—as they face daunting hurdles, discover greener academic pastures, or decide to explore avenues more closely associated with their innate abilities or aptitudes.
Many reputable sources survey undergraduates annually to determine the majors for which there is the greatest interest. Over the years, the list has varied with some fields gaining rapidly and others slowly slipping, tenaciously trying to cling to the top tier.
According to The Princeton Review, over the last few years, there are several majors that have held fairly steady in popularity. They include (in alphabetical order) accounting, biology, business administration and management, chemistry, communications, computer science, education, English, history, mathematics, nursing, political science, psychology, and sociology.
The most in-demand college majors according to the Job Outlook 2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers include accounting, computer and information sciences, economics, various engineering fields, and marketing-related areas.
Some of these fields could be considered “naturals” because of the current and perceived employment openings. Others might be surprises. For at least one—economics, I could say, “about time.”
As an economist and one who for more than a quarter century has analyzed, scrutinized, and categorized myriad economic-related matters (and that includes an almost endless number since practically every aspect of life has some economic facet), I have watched the number of students majoring in economics grow, particularly over the past decade.
At Harvard, economics is the most popular major. Last year, nearly a quarter of the entire graduating class at the University of Chicago received economic degrees. Columbia University has experienced a 67% increase in economics majors since 1995.
The attraction of economics is not just an American phenomenon. There is a growing interest in studying economics among college students around the world.
As the globalization of economies continues to expand and impact all societies, everyone will invariably be affected to some degree. Because of this situation, I would suspect that as college campuses begin to fill up and students face those time-honored questions, there will be many who give economics as the answer to the “major” question.