The job market is a daunting place for many college graduates, but some Ferris students will find themselves in a particularly favorable position once they toss their caps into the air.
It’s no secret that with the current state of the economy, many graduates are having a difficult time finding a job. However, according to Kiplinger (a personal finance magazine), some professions are not only hiring, but also paying exceptional salaries. Associate editor Cailtin Dewey recently appeared on The Today Show to share the 10 best college majors for a lucrative career. According to Dewey, some college majors simply offer better prospects than others.
When making its list, Kiplinger used data from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Payscale.com to analyze the unemployment rates and salaries for graduates of the 100 most popular college majors.
Of the 10 majors selected, Ferris offers either the major itself or a similar version for seven programs on the list. These majors include management information systems, construction services, medical technologies, electrical engineering, treatment therapy professions, nursing and pharmacy.
Sophomore Mitch Griffis is a student in Ferris’ construction management program which provides students the ability to manage and supervise the entire constructions process Construction-service majors study project scheduling and construction law in addition to overseeing projects.
“I chose construction management because I hate sitting behind a desk,” Griffis said. “With construction management, you don’t just have to sit behind a desk. You get to go out into the field and make sure everything is working properly.”
Despite a down economy, there is still a demand for general contractors and construction managers. Griffis said he learned about the field’s low unemployment rate (5.4 percent) at his freshmen orientation. Recent graduates in this field enjoy a median salary of $50,200.
“There are a lot of options for construction management once you earn your degree,” Griffis said. “I’m interested in the environmental aspect, like cleaning up pollution. I also think it would be cool to own my own business.”
Like construction management, pre-pharmacy is another unique undergraduate program found at Ferris. Pharmacy took the top spot on Kiplinger’s list. Sophomore Andy Carlson, who just started his second year of pre-pharmacy, was not surprised by his major’s ranking.
“Anything in the medical field is always growing,” Carlson said. “My professors are very reassuring that we’ll find jobs as long as we’re willing to move anywhere.”
From 2010 to 2020, the projected job growth for pharmacy and pharmacology is 25 percent.
Carlson was debating between studying engineering and pharmacy prior to enrolling at Ferris. In the pharmacy and pharmacology field, the unemployment rate is 3.2 percent and the median salary for a recent graduate is $51,200 (pharmacists working in hospitals and stores can expect to make six figures). Statistics like these are what made the choice a “no-brainer,” according to Carlson.
“Once I graduate pharmacy school, I’m interested in being either a pharmacist in a hospital or pursuing the business aspect, such as pharmaceutical sales,” Carlson said.
While many soon-to-be college graduates may be worried about their chances in the looming job market, Ferris students like Griffis and Carlson should be able to breathe a bit easier knowing their fields of study have been recognized for security.
“It’s good to know that all my hard work will pay off,” Griffis said. “It makes sitting down to study a lot easier.”