You’re Hired! Four College Majors That Will Still Get You A Job, Even In Today’s Economy

Wondering whether there are still any jobs worth getting after you slave away to earn your college degree? Let the Infrastructurist be your guidance counselor. We spoke with career specialists from a wide range of institutions of higher learning to find out what majors were still garnering good gigs for graduates, even in this brutal economy. Not surprisingly, our experts were full of suggestions linked to sectors of the economy that are receiving bundles of federal money from the stimulus package and are well positioned to grow for years beyond that. “Every area of the government is going to add jobs, especially those areas related to the stimulus package,” says Trudy Steinfeld, Executive Director of NYU’s Wasserman Center for Career Development.

Here, according to our panel, are four areas of study that have recruiters still hanging around the campus looking for someone–anyone!–they can offer a job to:

1. Energy Commerce
What it is: Energy Commerce majors focus on various energy industry disciplines including “petroleum land management,” “petroleum accounting,” and “gas marketing” – that is, the arcane and specialized set of financial skills required by the multi-trillion dollar oil and gas industry.
Why it’s hot: Tammie King, director of the career management center in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech, says, “The Energy Commerce students almost always have around a 90% job placement rate within three months of graduation. We’re seeing the same amount of recruiters hiring for energy commerce grads. Energy commerce has become an all-encompassing degree, not just oil and gas. We’re trying to keep up with energy industry by not just focusing on oil and gas anymore — now we look into alternative energy sources.” Within Energy Commerce, Texas Tech also offers a more traditional Oil and Gas concentration as well as a newer Economics and Alternative Markets concentration.

2. Environmental Engineering
What it is: Environmental engineers plan and manage systems to deal with sewage and hazardous wastes, redesign manufacturing processes to reduce pollution.
Why it’s hot: NYU’s Trudy Steinfeld says, “Engineers are generally in demand in right now, but it depends on your focus. If you want to be an automotive engineer, you’re out of luck. But if you are into green technology, bio tech engineering, civil engineering — anything connected to environmental engineering — there’s going to be job creation for that.” Witness the fact that the stimulus package has set aside $1.3 billion to support nearly $4 billion in loans and grants for needed water and waste disposal facilities in rural areas. That pays a lot of salaries. NYU offers a five year B.S. / B.E. dual degree program in environmental engineering.

3. Health Sciences
What it is: Nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and allied health fields.
Why it’s hot: Dave Kraus, Director of University Career Services at Texas Tech, says, “The market has been so good for the last several years that Health Science majors don’t really need us! Most nurses can have their choice of jobs before they graduate.”
(It’s not necessarily infrastructure related, but–what the heck!–we’re including it anyway.)

4. Environmental Science
What it is: Environmental Science focuses on the interaction between human activities, resources, and the environment.
Why it’s hot: Robert Earl, Director of Career Development at Barnard College, says, “Environmental science, as well as the medical and research sciences, are poised to take advantage very quickly of the stimulus package.” Some schools focus on specific areas within the field such as EPA regulations, waste management, and environmental technology. An E.S. degree can also lead to a career in research or advocacy / environmental law. In addition to an E.S. degree, Barnard offers Environmental Biology and Environmental Policy majors, and a 3-2 (five-year) program that leads to two degrees: the bachelor’s degree from Barnard, and a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in engineering or applied science from Columbia University.