In the current economic environment, students increasingly focus on matching the extent that gain from the job market after graduation. To be competitive in today's job market, students need to graduate with marketable skills. They also have to become broadly educated individuals - art therapy bachelors degree.

Many people still value a liberal arts education, providing a broad understanding of a wide range of subject areas and encourages the acquisition of knowledge rather than information, thus creating a more "complete" individual. In the past, these employers are seeking graduates with general knowledge.

In an article in the New York Times entitled "Making relevant university" (2009), Kate Zernike notes that a liberal arts college in Maine is offering free tuition or student loans that are granted for one year any student who can not find job in their field within six months of graduation. She also points out other examples such as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which is the elimination of his philosophy major, and Michigan State University, who is finishing his studies in America and offers the classics. Zernike goes on to point that parents and students are "more and more on what comes after college. What is the return on investment ..."

Colleges and universities have always adjusted their course offerings to reflect the needs, desires, and social causes and economic realities of the times. During the years 1960 and 1970, the universities offer courses that addressed environmental rights, civilians, women, and fight the war. Topics may be different, but the reaction is the same - to adapt and change or face obsolescence.

The key to the management of the college experience is to achieve an economic balance with the practical aspects of the need to acquire skills for life. Each year college students "choose a major." Selecting a field of study is often based on academic interest and professional practicality. Four years of study in college will be better and be easier to choose something that stimulates the mind. It is also a good idea to know that some races have a surplus of graduates in comparison with available jobs and vacancies. The following will help in the process of decision making.

Levels and growth rates

More than 1.5 million degrees were awarded in the year ending June 2007, an increase of nearly 39,000 over the previous year. By way of comparison, in 1965, 494,000 graduated with a degree. Since then, graduates of bachelor show an increase of almost uninterrupted, with few exceptions.

Between 1990 and 2007, 22.5 million people received BA degrees from U.S. universities and colleges. During the same period the labor force increased by 28.4 million people.

The annual growth rate of people receiving BA degrees during that period of 17 years was almost twice the rate of growth in the workforce, or 2.21 percent compared to 1.14 percent. Bachelor's growing faster than the workforce ensures that college graduates have a growing share of the workforce.

So what does this mean for the student trying to decide on a specific major in college?

Degrees in selected programs

The increase in new graduates entering the workforce with skills college degree is important in itself. A consistent and successful work in college is related to the job and job performance, ensuring that the degrees of BA in any program to improve employment opportunities. Completing a degree has advantages in the labor market, regardless of the degree. However, the distribution of grades by the program of changes in the labor market, especially in the entry level.

For those who have specific work preferences and career goals, it is good to know that some races have many graduates, but few new jobs and vice versa. Given that the National Center for Education Statistics in the Department of Education data released by the degree program and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Department of Labour publishes employment data by occupation, it is possible to match degrees jobs to make informed decisions and avoid surprises.

Job List and Titles

Take a degree in psychology, a major with a degree of job mismatch. There were 90,000 undergraduate degrees in psychology in the year ending June 2007, or about 6 percent of the degrees of BA for the year, but no jobs are using, or need, psychology skills that do not require a master's degree or PhD. Therefore, unless a student is willing to complete a degree, there are few job opportunities in the field.

Computer Science and Information also has a lag, but in the opposite direction. Computer Science and Information and Support Services had 42,000 BA degrees in ten degree programs. Since 2004, jobs that require skills BS in computer science are above 324,000, with openings expected about 100,000 a year. Systems analysts, software engineers, network administrators of computer systems, and analysts are in high demand and is doing well.

BA had 67,092 engineering degrees in 34 degree programs. Engineering work continues to grow, with nearly 149,000 new jobs since 2004 with 48,000 jobs expected. Engineering remains a great job.

Communication and journalism programs had 78,420 BA degrees in eight degree programs. The large number and the continued growth of these grades comes at a time when newspapers and television are cutting jobs. Job prospects here are hopeless, because the media selected and jobs are rising. Public relations specialists, editor and technical writer has about 400,000 jobs and the growth of some, but the titles of journalism are in surplus.

The teaching profession continues to grow at the levels of primary, secondary and post-secondary with more than one million jobs a year in high school and only an estimated 20,000 new jobs annually in recent years. It's a good idea for anyone doing graduate programs in social sciences to consider completing the requirements for a teaching certificate. Those with BA degrees in mathematics (14,954 titles), English, Foreign Language and Literature (75 392 degrees), and Liberal Arts, General Studies and Humanities, (44,255 titles) can be found teaching is a viable and rewarding employment.

Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences Programs produced 101,810 BA degrees in 34 degree programs. Jobs in health care have continued to grow every month right through the recession of 2008 and 2009 with the registered nurse at the head and therapy technologist and technician jobs back. There are many more jobs than BA, so that a health care securities of the United States more employable.

John and Scott Olster Bedecarre CNN Money.com state (2010) that "the number of registered nurses is expected to increase to 3.2 million in 2018, representing about 581.500 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics". With the aging of the population aged 65 years (19% in 2030), the need for skilled nursing care and home care, in particular, will increase significantly. Bedecarre Olster and design fields, such as network systems and data analysis, software engineering, biomedical engineering, accountants, auditors, and veterinarians are the growth areas of the future.

A word of warning

Some in the world of financial planning is of the opinion that the value of a college degree has declined in recent years. In a Washington Post article entitled "Is college overrated?" (2010), Sarah Kaufman raises the question of whether the cost of a college degree is a wise investment. In his article, says Kaufman, "The high price of a college degree has some experts fear that their benefits are fading." She goes on to quote Richard Vedder, an economics professor at the University of Ohio, as saying "I think it makes less sense for the greatest number of households five years ago. It is more problematic if people must go to college."

He noted financial planner Ric Edelman (2010) has noted that in 1970, tuition and fees for full-time students graduate an average of $ 480 at public universities and $ 1,980 in private universities. Today, those numbers are $ 7,020 and $ 26,273, respectively. It is clear that investment is much more than it was 40 years ago.

In defense of a four-year degree, Kaufman (2010) notes that, on average, they earn a college degree earn an income of 53% over his career than those with only a high school diploma. The average annual income of young adults with a college degree is $ 46,000. For people with high school diplomas, the average income is $ 30,000. For many of them with degrees in engineering, computer science, accounting, and the field of health, this is true. For others, in fields such as psychology, journalism and behavioral sciences, this wage gap is reduced. In Kaufman's words: "If in accounting or engineering, it is quite likely to get a return on your investment. If you are specializing in the work of social anthropology and education, the exchange rate will be good business lower, on average. "

On top of all this information, the stories of people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Dan Snyder, Michael Dell, and David Geffen - billionaires who never graduated from college - are dumped daily in all respects a model of how young people can succeed without a college degree. While engaging stories usually are as unreal as the stories of sports figures with less than high school grades also become extremely wealthy. Statistically, this is not the fate of most young people.

A final word

Newspaper articles like the one discussed above question the value of an investment of the university. The data for employment and wages makes it certain university continues to pay, especially for those who attend state community colleges supported and four years. Matching a curriculum for today's job market professional and financial sense.