Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
IMHO if the degree does not require at least three courses in calculus and one course in differential equations then it is NOT STEM.
I am a mechanical engineer that took those courses and I don't even agree. I have literally never used anything more than basic calculus and differential equations (I mean really really basic) during my professional career or research. They are excellent math courses that are enriching, but are by no means a qualifier for STEM.
Well, your first sentence sums it up. And yet, the self-righteous among us still promote that idea. So what else do you call it?
Do STEM majors generally demand higher salaries? Yeah, and I don’t think anyone in the entire universe has ever tried to say otherwise. The self-righteousness comes in when they have to constantly remind non-STEM majors that they are inferior and/or bound to be failures in life when that is not true. It’d be like Art History majors jumping in to constantly bash STEM majors for being un-cultured, anti-social, virgin rubes. When you rag on others for their achievements, it seems like you’re over compensating for your own short comings. It’s like the Red Pill men who strive to become uber successful because they think that’s the only way to get laid. They think the perception of success will mask how truly awful they are as a person.
How about just making it a rule of thumb not to knock someone for their hard work and accomplishments in life? Or would that be too difficult?
Most adults live in a world with nuance in it. The diatribe of absolutes above does not jive with that reality. I have been a scientist and educator for over 20 years now and I have never once told someone that they are "bound to be a failure" or inferior for choosing a non-STEM major. Meanwhile I also tell people the truth, aka STEM is a growing field, they tend to make more money, and so on. The difference is you hear those truths and think that means the same thing as saying someone is "inferior" or whatever. Really the issue is one in which people hear something that is not said.
Your inability to communicate effectively is the problem here. I doubt anyone here understood what you were trying to get at with your two blunt and unrelated questions that you posed with no context.
It is beyond bizarre to accuse others of not "communicating effectively" when you cannot seem to actually read what they write. For example you summed up a detailed and balanced look at psychology as a "death sentence" when nothing in the post even approached that level of hysteria or hyperbole.
I am a mechanical engineer that took those courses and I don't even agree. I have literally never used anything more than basic calculus and differential equations (I mean really really basic) during my professional career or research. They are excellent math courses that are enriching, but are by no means a qualifier for STEM.
As an oceanographer that also had to take those classes I also disagree.
psychology is a stem degree that doesn't pay well. stem isn't the answer!
It certainly isn't the answer to the questions you asked.
But what was the real question? If the question is "what is the easiest path to a guaranteed high paying career" than no, STEM is not the answer. But if the question is "what GROUP of majors has a high growth rate, high income potential, etc." than yes, STEM is an answer.
Psychology to me is more in line with the social sciences such as Political Science, Sociology, etc. so therefore no, it is not a STEM subject like Physics, Chemistry, etc. Notice that most STEM programs require 2-3 courses in calculus and likely even more college math courses beyond that. Psych programs themselves do not and often do not cross over STEM subjects. You'd have to go beyond basic Psych and into Behavioral Neuroscience or some other hybrid field for it to cross over the hard sciences.
And no a bachelors in Psychology does not give anyone solid standing in their field. A masters or PhD. is required to be considered a professional in the Psych field.
Psychology to me is more in line with the social sciences such as Political Science, Sociology, etc. so therefore no, it is not a STEM subject like Physics, Chemistry, etc. Notice that most STEM programs require 2-3 courses in calculus and likely even more college math courses beyond that. Psych programs themselves do not and often do not cross over STEM subjects. You'd have to go beyond basic Psych and into Behavioral Neuroscience or some other hybrid field for it to cross over the hard sciences.
And no a bachelors in Psychology does not give anyone solid standing in their field. A masters or PhD. is required to be considered a professional in the Psych field.
Psychology, anthropology, and sociology are behavioral sciences. The behavioral sciences are a subset of the social sciences, but nothing days that a social science can't be STEM. As a matter of fact, the behavioral sciences are classified as STEM by the people who came up with the concept of STEM.
Psychology programs often do require biology courses. Schools sometimes have two different tracks with one requiring more biology courses.
Many life science programs do not require anything above calculus I. Some don't require calculus at all.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
