| The statistics are in and it's clear that the trend | | | | will continue to do so as the general population ages |
| toward engineering degrees will continue in the next | | | | in the coming years. |
| few years for those who want to bring in the big | | | | The only area where there isn't any real growth in |
| bucks. Engineering degrees, including chemical, | | | | salaries is in the Humanities or Social Sciences. Those |
| mechanical, computer and civil engineering, all ranked | | | | students who graduate from college with an English |
| near the top of the charts for earning potential in | | | | or History degree need to focus on specializing |
| recent rankings of what college graduates could | | | | somehow if they want a salary that's comfortable in |
| expect. That's good news for engineering students | | | | today's economy. Otherwise, these rather general |
| who want to graduate and enter the work force | | | | degrees will bring them salaries that are generally |
| with expectations of starting out with a comfortable | | | | below the norm. That's not to say that these |
| standard of living. | | | | degrees aren't a good idea. How can college students |
| Engineers are also increasingly entering the upper | | | | turn their love of English or History into a thriving |
| levels of management after a few years in the | | | | career option? Instead of getting a BA in their |
| trenches. Many companies are paying the tuitions of | | | | discipline alone, combine it with a teaching certificate. |
| experienced engineers to enter MBA programs to | | | | High school teachers who specialize in a particular |
| produce managers and executives with valuable | | | | discipline are in high demand. If they go on to get |
| experience. The same goes for law school. More and | | | | their Master's Degree they are even more desirable. |
| more firms are interested in that unique combination | | | | Interestingly, more and more Medical and Law |
| of practical knowledge and legal skill that can protect | | | | schools are also looking at college graduates with |
| their firm's assets and goals. | | | | degrees in the humanities. They see these students |
| What was rather surprising, however, was that | | | | as more well rounded, articulate and "human" than |
| pharmaceutical degrees were ranked even higher for | | | | some students who are entirely wrapped up in the |
| both salary expectations and need. So if you have a | | | | sciences. If you have a degree in English or History |
| pharmaceutical degree, you're going to be in demand | | | | and have toyed with the idea of law or medical |
| and paid accordingly, at least in the short term. This | | | | school, don't assume those with scientific or criminal |
| was something that was part of a general shift | | | | degrees have an edge. Today's schools are looking |
| toward a greater demand in non-engineering sciences | | | | for the well-rounded student who is an independent |
| such as biology and nursing, which are seeing a rise in | | | | thinker and who can write. |
| salaries, although they have far to go (with the | | | | Keep in mind that everything goes in cycles. What |
| obvious exception of pharmaceutical degrees) before | | | | may be the hot degree this year could be out of |
| they'll catch up with engineering. This is good news | | | | fashion in four year's time. In the end, your best bet |
| for college students who consider success in life to | | | | is to find something you love doing and talk to a |
| be a blend of making an honest living and having a | | | | career counselor about how you can go about |
| satisfying work life. If you're altruistic enough that | | | | making a living with a college degree that lets you do |
| you don't need a top-drawer salary, nursing, | | | | just that. |
| psychology and research are coming on strong and | | | | |