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The problem here is still that "pointless" changes radically. Geography was pointless in 2004, and now is critical. Chemistry was once critical (and is still perceived as critical by most people) but now has become pointless. Business was a critical major for decades. Now it is bottom of the barrel for pointless majors. Computer science was a pointless major for far longer than it has been a critical major.
(And people who major in CS and geography back when it was "pointless" are doing very well now.)
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Chemistry and CS are hardly pointless. They have hardly been more relevant.
Business and Geography are majors that alone are worth little. How a student designs these programs and combines with internships and work experience is everything.
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Chemistry and CS are hardly pointless. They have hardly been more relevant.
Business and Geography are majors that alone are worth little. How a student designs these programs and combines with internships and work experience is everything.
S.
CS was worthless when it first developed as a major, but not now.
Business was once a valuable major, but now is not.
Your two statements though show a lot about how perception is not the real state of the market. Chemistry has suffered badly the last few years as demand has shifted to ChemE. Particularly if you are not a petrochemical specialty, the job prospects are bleak in chemistry.
Meanwhile, ever since the rocketing forward of web GIS followed by geographic services, the business world and academic world both cannot find enough geography majors. Colleges are offering tenure track positions to ABDs and government contractors are paying $50k+ entry level and $100k+ after 5 years in the midwest.
Your two statements though show a lot about how perception is not the real state of the market. Chemistry has suffered badly the last few years as demand has shifted to ChemE. Particularly if you are not a petrochemical specialty, the job prospects are bleak in chemistry.
There's an element to truth in this, but only a little bit and the idea that the study of chemistry does not lead to productive careers is quite mistaken. It is true that there are a decreasing number of jobs available for bachelors chemists due to automation and outsourcing. However, a chemistry B.S. is a very useful degree to have for many jobs and careers. Students with a BS in chemistry get accepted into medical school and pharmacy school at a higher rate than biology degree holders, and for students with the aptitude for a PhD in chemistry, graduate school is a very attractive career option. In effect, the professional degree for a chemist is the PhD, as many of the simpler and more technical jobs have been eliminated. Students with a BS in chemistry can easily transition to a graduate degree in ChemE or materials science.
I am a chemistry professor and the graduates of my program rarely have any trouble finding jobs. While many of them do go to medical, pharmacy, and graduate school, a good number of them go straight into industry. Many of them do not have the word "chemist" in their job description, as careers working with medical devices, technology sales, and consumer products are considered separate industries, even though they employ chemists.
I have to chuckle when I see publications that list 'biochemistry' as a hot and in demand degree while 'chemistry' is in decline. The difference between a chemistry degree and a biochemistry degree is all marketing: at most institutions a chemistry major that takes certain senior electives has the equivalent of a biochemistry degree. In fact, the courses I took for my undergraduate degree in chemistry would now classify me as a biochem/mol bio major under the new descriptions. A more accurate description of the field would be to say that the number of scientists whose job title includes the word "chemist" is in decline. Enrollment numbers and employment numbers for students and graduates taking the core chemistry sequence (general chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry, and you could also throw in analytical and inorganic for those outside of health sciences) continue to rise.
CS was worthless when it first developed as a major, but not now.
Business was once a valuable major, but now is not.
Your two statements though show a lot about how perception is not the real state of the market. Chemistry has suffered badly the last few years as demand has shifted to ChemE. Particularly if you are not a petrochemical specialty, the job prospects are bleak in chemistry.
Meanwhile, ever since the rocketing forward of web GIS followed by geographic services, the business world and academic world both cannot find enough geography majors. Colleges are offering tenure track positions to ABDs and government contractors are paying $50k+ entry level and $100k+ after 5 years in the midwest.
I cannot speak to the specifics driving your comments. I was a student when the CS major was first created at my university. It was hot then and remains lucrative if one knows how to structure it. Why you would say otherwise is puzzling. Business? Business itself is not really much of a field, though its components can be (e.g. finance, accounting, etc.). Same applies for MBAs.
Perhaps the issue at hand is more the contents of the degree itself. If a student only satisfies the minimum requirements of a degree, then the job market will be pretty tough, regardless of the major. This is especially so with US graduates since many of our schools are rooted in liberal arts traditions.
Aside from courses within departments, what also matters are electives. In the end, the range of quality of graduate within the same major can be huge. Those who can push the envelope in their majors set themselves up well for grad school or for better internships --> better jobs. Those who do the minimum, do mediocre work, and who hide behind the degree/university brand will not fare well in this hyper competitive economy.
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However, a chemistry B.S. is a very useful degree to have for many jobs and careers. Students with a BS in chemistry get accepted into medical school and pharmacy school at a higher rate than biology degree holders, and for students with the aptitude for a PhD in chemistry, graduate school is a very attractive career option. In effect, the professional degree for a chemist is the PhD, as many of the simpler and more technical jobs have been eliminated. Students with a BS in chemistry can easily transition to a graduate degree in ChemE or materials science.
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Though that is really the exact same criticism made to call liberal arts degrees "worthless", that you need a graduate education to realize strong employment prospects from your major. I don't think it is a valid criticism of any of those majors and do not support the notion of "worthless" degrees. But by the criteria commonly applied, chemistry has dropped considerably in "worth" from what it once was and especially compared to technology and engineering majors.
I cannot speak to the specifics driving your comments. I was a student when the CS major was first created at my university. It was hot then and remains lucrative if one knows how to structure it. Why you would say otherwise is puzzling. Business? Business itself is not really much of a field, though its components can be (e.g. finance, accounting, etc.). Same applies for MBAs.
I realized I left out the time frame, I'm talking from 1962 to ~1978.
Perhaps if/when you choose to step into a university you will realize it's not all about the labor marketplace. In fact, the degree offerings at a university don't even match up with the labor marketplace. They match up with academia.Perhaps if/when you choose to step into a university you will realize that underwater basket weaving is not a degree that is offered at any university.
I have attended 3 institutions of higher learning.
Underwater basket weaving had titles like "Cultural Perspectives" and "Gender Studies."
I have attended 3 institutions of higher learning.
Underwater basket weaving had titles like "Cultural Perspectives" and "Gender Studies."
Neither of which are useless. There's quite a bit of academic papers published in those areas that contribute to society.
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