What’s Your Major?

Today on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, the discussion is about college majors versus the labor market and employability. One of the questions asked was about the current trend of college majors and the institutions from which they come. As stated by the guest, many are now treating college as an education towards a vocation. I.E., they study specific things to do a specific job when they get out. Things like health care, engineering and education. However, fewer students are studying the social sciences and liberal arts.

My degree from Missouri State University is sociology. I often call soc the most useless degree on earth. Yet, that’s not true. I often compare soc to communications – no one will ever give you a job as a communicator nor a sociologist (unless you have a doctorate), but no matter what job you do, these social sciences will help you do that job better. Why? Because at the heart of every job, there is human interaction.

If you work with people in any capacity, those who go to the top are those who can communicate. Long live the useless social sciences! We may not make much moolah coming out of college, but we’ll surpass your earnings later!

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