What Is/Was Your College Major?

iAMaPhoenix · June 2011

Hands down...Nursing. There is a shortage for the next ten years and counting.

brian90 · June 2011

I just got my bacholers in Accounting.

Aesop101 · June 2011

B.S. in Accounting, age 36; Masters in Accounting, age 53; Passed my last CPA exam last October and received my Congratulatory Letter on October 1, 201 at the tender age of 56.

I really admire some of those degrees, especially in Music, Archeology, and Geology.

I really enjoy accounting because I like working in a team environment and I find it personally rewarding helping companies perform better.

SoFancySoBlessed · June 2011

MY MAJOR WAS HEALTH INFORMATION/ MEDICAL MGT. I USE IT EVERYDAY! I WORK FOR ONE OF THE BEST PRACTICES IN THE 7 CITIES!!! LOOOOOOVE MY JOB!

jljohnson · June 2011

Computer Information Systems/Management Information Systems - I loved my studies, but most of it does me no good in my job. The degree, however, did help get me my dream job, so it was totally worth it.

Ashley_Panda · June 2011

Never went. :] Signed up twice for theater education and never took a class.
Went to cosmetology school, mainly because it was fast, got kicked out about 1/2-3/4ths the way through.
Now I want to open a bakery.

FunSizedK · June 2011

I working on getting my BS in Business Management!

natskedat · June 2011

Me too! Happy I did it, but I wasn't passionate about it. I love health and fitness, and am thrilled to have changed careers!

angiek2322 · June 2011

B.S. Elementary Education
Indiana University

Currently I'm a 6th grade Math/Science teacher.

mikeyml · June 2011

What is/was your college major?

If you have graduated, do you find your major useful or do you wish you got it in something else?

What do you guys think is the best college major to get a job out of college?

I'm deciding between (gonna probably do 1 major, 1-2 minors): economics, health care management, business management, anthropology, finance, and political science.

I have a B.A. in political science and I minored in Spanish and English. Also, I'm writing my thesis for an M.A. in public policy. I find my major useful because it's taught me how to research and analyze very well. However if I could go back and re-do it, I would not major in political science. I wouldn't advise anybody to get a B.A. in political science unless they know exactly what they want to do with the degree.

The majority of reports list engineering, computer science, computer engineering, nursing, and business as the most needed college graduates.

Which of those topics interest you the most? If I had to pick for you, I would say to major in business and minor in finance and health care management. That would make you look very desirable to large market of potential employers.

kcdrake · June 2011

I graduated December '10 with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and I'll be graduating this December with a Master's in Special Education. Obviously, I'm a full time student and do not have a job yet. I read a lot of people saying they left the education field because of the job market - I do understand it's an issue. But I don't know anyone that has left my program without getting a full-time position within 6 months. Even the people that didn't go on to the Master's program all have jobs now.

skinnybearlyndsay · June 2011

My major in college was ocean engineering. Now I do more environmental/civil engineering.

kerriBB37 · June 2011

I knew in 7th grade what I wanted to do for a living. I know that's pretty rare though.

I majored in speech pathology and audiology with a minor in gerontology and psychology for my B.S. Then majored in speech pathology for my M.A. It is a very very specific field so that is why I never had a problem finding a job.. I get emails and phone calls DAILY with job offers! I think the more specific you go, the better off you'll be (in my opinion.)

I also vote that with a health care degree, you can't go wrong!

best of luck

lcoulter23 · June 2011

I am a certified medical biller and coder, but there are no jobs for that around here and since I don't have the option of moving I am going to Cosmetology school starting in July. I also am 3/4 of the way into an Early Childhood education associates degree, but then I lost my financial aid so I never got to finish it. After I get my cosmetology license and a job I am going to go finish that degree with an emphasis in special needs and also get a bachelors in special education and I hope to someday become an advocate for people with special needs. I am qualified enough because my son is autistic and have done plenty of advocating for him in his 7 years of life.

HeatherShrinking · June 2011

BS in Mass Communications-Public Relations, minor in Marketing

I'm in global partner marketing now, so I guess it worked.

I"m going back in August to get my MBA in Marketing

SheehyCFC · June 2011

Started with Chemical Engineering then switched my senior year to Chemistry (with minors in History, Math, Economics). I work at a pharmaceutical company now. Was in the lab for 5 years, then they recognized my ability with computers (note that nowhere in my education does it list that), and now I run all of the lab computers. So a bit of a mix. I use my degree, but in a much more "remote" sense than I pictured.

My advice to you is to major in something that interests you, regardless of difficulty. You may use your degree in your career, or you may not - but the most important thing is that you love what you study and what you do.

truenorth4 · June 2011

I went to a service academy and my college major was Biology but my first job was an officer in the USAF so I didn't use my major at all. I ended up gaining tons of leadership and management experience during my service time that helped me transition into civilian life 7 years later when I went into Technology Program Management in the Silicon Valley.

I have since leveraged my Biology degree and my management and leadership experience, earned a Registered Nurse license and went into nursing. I am currently working in a nursing management role and am actively pursuing my Nurse Practitioner education.

In the past getting jobs out of school in healthcare wasn't too difficult. Today, it's different. You may be able to find work, it's just that the first gig may not be your first choice of jobs. You may have to "settle", but I think that's the case for most coming out of school these days.

As an undergrad, take advantage of every opportunity to volunteer, intern, or shadow anyone who's willing to let you in the door and teach you about the career field your intend to pursue. Paid or not, that's priceless experience that you can leverage for future jobs or actually show you that you may hate the career path you've set for yourself.

kapeluza · June 2011

BS in Architecture and BS of Science in Environmental Design

ErinBeth7 · June 2011

My major is Art History. Its a really interesting education, but beyond that you can't do much with it unless you plan on going to grad school.

I just graduated in May and have been looking for a job since March...so over 3 months with no luck. I've been doing web sites and graphic design since I was in high school and have had 2 yrs experience at my job so I've decided to go that route with my career. Needless to say, it is very competitive (as is every field), but now I wish I would've gotten maybe a Computer Science or Graphic Design degree. Computer Science majors are in demand. I'm always finding openings for programmers or technicians. Plus, they make good money even at entry-level positions. Graphic Design makes decent money, but not quite as much...

These days, I would tell students to research job demands and what's hot...whats needed..instead of just picking a major without even considering how useful it will be in the future.

Kris0109 · June 2011

BA - Communications (emphasis Public Relations)
Minors in Marketing & Poli Sci

Got a great internship doing corporate communications during my senior year of college, which led to full-time for about 3 years.

Got axed in 2009 (last hired, first fired, anyone?); spent 7 months renovating my mother's house with the assistance of Google.

Now do marketing for a beer distributor, which is way more fun than what I was doing before.

kunibob · June 2011

At university, I did my BA in Psychology, with a variety of language, literature and science classes as well. That was supposed to be a BSc Honours degree with a minor in French or English, and then I was going to go on to MSc/PhD, but my chronic illnesses exploded in my 3rd year and had me barely able to attend classes. I stubbornly decided to take a lighter workload and just get my degree and get out. Would have been smarter to take a year off, try to recover and then go back to it, in retrospect, but at that point I still thought a degree was an "instant career" ticket. Ha!

A few years later, after some thinking about what I really wanted to do (that BA wasn't quite the ticket I thought it would be), I went to college and did a Diploma of Game Art & Design.

I've ended up using both, though the Psych degree is more indirect. I worked in the videogame industry for 5 years (and maybe will again, once I recover from crazy overtime burnout), and now I'm in the film visual effects industry. I've done a ton of project & people management. A lot of management philosophy is really just applied psychology, so that has been very useful. The diploma has been even more useful, giving me the creative eye and theoretical background to be an effective manager. Also, both have given me great time management skills.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten into the healthcare field for something a little more stable. I originally wanted to do Optometry, but got sidetracked...that would have been awesome. I'd be at a point now where I'd have my own practice and control my own hours, which would have been pretty nifty. But then I would have always wondered what I could have done if I had followed my creative side. "I wonder if I ever could have worked on a game or a movie...I suppose I'll never know!" Really, I'm living out my 15-year-old-self's dream right now, so I think I'll keep running with it.

cdbillups · June 2011

Started off to be a Math teacher so majoring in Education with emphasis in math. At the end of my Sophomore year switched my major to Information Systems. I wouldn't really do it any different. I like what I do and do what I like.

stephgreene · June 2011

Communications with a concentration in Media Production!

nkswans · June 2011

I got my BS in history-social sciences education. Not a lot of teaching jobs available after graduation so I continued on to get my master's. Right now I am working on my Master's in Library Information Science. I'd like to work in a university library. I will be looking for teaching or librarian jobs after I graduate and hope I can get something in either one! Good luck to you!

NBabi91 · June 2011

I'm a Political Science major!

lemonbug · June 2011

Nursing

juliecat1 · June 2011

My first time through earned me a BA in Biochemistry. Minor in Studio Art. I had my oldest shortly after I graduated and ended up taking a job in customer service to support us. Did that for 4 years until I went back to college. This time for my Nursing degree. Got a year from graduation and had my son and then we moved around so much I never finished that up. Seriously considering going back and finishing that degree. Im currently a stay at home mom.