Perhaps It’s Time to Consider Majors that are Sustainable
Students usually choose a major over a period of time. I have always been a fan of taking a variety of classes until you find the ones that you enjoy most and choosing a major around that. Every school, including UGA, has its more popular majors as well. However; in these unprecedented times, students might want to take recent events into consideration when choosing or changing their major.
As with any major event, such as a recession, war, or, in this case, a pandemic, there is a shift in what type of degree a student may want to consider pursuing. Certainly, the job market will look different in the future. Contemplating what jobs were sustainable throughout the pandemic may also help in the decision-making process.
The University of Georgia has majors within the College of Public Health, Environmental Health and Health Promotion, as well as 6 different minors, 8 Master’s and Doctoral programs, and a ton of different certificate options. There are also tons of different Pre-Health majors that prepare students for medical school. While UGA does not have a nursing program, they have a Medical Partnership with Augusta University that allows students to attend the University of Georgia as well as Augusta University in Athens to ultimately achieve an MD/MBA, MD/MPH, or an MD/Ph.D. This is a great program to consider if you desire to attend UGA but also desire to achieve a type of medical degree.
UGA also has tons of different health and diet-related degrees in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. There are also degrees offered in Exercise and Sports Science, Kinesiology, and Human Development all within the Mary Frances Early College of Education. Many of these were already fast-growing majors but may continue to grow due to an upcoming need. Similarly, we definitely learned the significance of our health-care workers of late and these majors can help in pursuing post-graduate certifications, degrees, and jobs.
More Options
Since the pandemic, teaching has taken on a new role and has required educators to learn new technological skills, adapt to different ways of teaching, and figure out how to connect with students on new levels. The UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education has tons of different specialized teaching degrees available, while also awarding students the opportunity to take classes like “Technology in Education” to prepare them for the software they will be using in their chosen vocation. While the look of education has been altered, teachers will always be needed and now could also benefit from a background in computer sciences. Students with teaching degrees also have the option to further their education with a large number of graduate certifications available.
Wellness in mental health has taken on new forms (particularly those that can be done remotely) and have increased in popularity, so a major in psychology, which is one of the most popular majors at UGA, can lead to varying careers in this realm. A Bachelor of Science in psychology is widely sought in business, education, and mental health fields. The School of Social Work at UGA has a very good reputation as well, with their main focus being Social Work, but also offering different certificate programs in fields such as disability studies, gerontology, global health, substance abuse counseling, marriage & family therapy, nonprofit management, and leadership, as well as sustainability.
Majors in engineering will always be needed and range from civil, mechanical, agricultural, biochemical, and more through the newly established College Engineering. UGA’s Terry College of Business has 10 different business-related majors that will prepare students for careers in financial management, investments, and insurance, among others, and will continue to be needed. Economics and Accounting majors are taught skills and training for careers in business, law, government, politics, teaching, research, and a variety of other areas that lead to stable, higher-paying jobs that will undoubtedly remain popular. However, in today’s climate, it can’t hurt to consider what jobs can be done remotely as well.
Many certificate programs can be done outside of your major classes that can only enhance your employability. Increasing your knowledge escalates your value to potential employers and also expands your intelligence. Students may also want to add some skills like mastering Photoshop, Google-drive, Zoom, data analysis, computer programming, proficiency in a second (or third) language. Many certificate programs can be done outside of college classes that can only enhance your employability. Increasing your knowledge escalates your value to potential employers.
Some college majors may be changing; new ones may be added and others may disappear. Find out what major programs are of interest to you and how UGA can help you decide. Encourage your student to visit the Career Center or read our blog post called Career Showcase. They offer seminars and meetings to not only help find them a job but to educate them on the careers out in the working field; and for now, it is all offered virtually.
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