Most Popular Majors

[sanantone]

This article is a few months old, but I thought it would be interesting to see this ranking since it's recent and trends in college majors change throughout time.

1. Business Administration and Management
2. Psychology
3. Nursing
4. General Biology
5. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
6. Criminal Justice and Corrections
7. Accounting
8. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
9. English Language and Literature
10. History

The Top 10 Most Popular College Majors in the U.S. | USA TODAY College

I bet if we were to poll this forum, we would get business administration, liberal arts/studies, and social science.

[Christopher]

You mean Theater Arts isn't on there? lol. Our CC is so desperate to graduate students interesting in theatre (and putting that new multi-million dollar performing arts building into use by students) that they changed the major course requirements from like 38 credits down to 18. And they allow "substituting" or "alternative THA classes" if you can’t do one of the requirements. They did away with AA’s in Fine Arts, English, Theater Arts: Directing, Film/Cinema, and Sociology (outside of a general Social and Behavior Science degree). This year we lost Print Journalism because it’s a dying field, and it looks like Art History is going next as all the classes have about been cut out or cancelled for spring semester according to the registration catalog. The list of AA’s without transferring are getting shorter. The General: Liberal Arts, and General: Social and Behavior Sciences are the two big ones at our community college behind Business Administration and Computer Sciences. They keep a percentage ratio of what major students “declared” and those three are the big ones right now. Zoology is the least declared major.

Zoology (AS in Exotic Animal Traning & Zoology listed under Natural Sciences) actually pays amazing. $100,000+ a year. Our CC is one of the few colleges that offer it (and have a minor state approved zoo), and it's set up to manage, train, and work directly with exotic anmials and in the major zoo's. However it's the only major that requies 60 credits (not quarter credits, actual full credits) just in the major, and about 28 or so for the standard GE requirements. About 90 credits in total. But, you usually need to move on to a BS and I hear that ends up being 180 credits when you're done instead of the 120. One of the courses alone is a 6 credit course that requires something like 10 hours minimum a week working at a zoo as an intern animal research assistant.

Liberal Arts seems to be big on the AA level. I can be totally wrong, but into the last few years and schools like TESC, I never seen a BA and/or MA program in “Liberal Arts”. Not Liberal Studies as Liberal Studies means something totally different in California, but Liberal Arts. Liberal Studies in California are mostly state certified teaching courses such as “EDU 210: Teaching Elementary School Math” and stuff like that.

There was an article stating that Liberal Arts is actually becoming popular again because it shows the college graduate has study various of areas and topics instead of just one solo area of interest. I’ll post below.

Business Administration is big out here. I mean super big. I mean SUPER SUPER big. The classes max out like the first two or three days once semester registering opens. I just looked and right now every business class being offered at our CC is closed and in waiting list (especially so many are offered online now or hybrid as a partial online / partial in class course.) This being the Los Angeles metro area might be the reason as we have a lot of cooperate offices in the city compared to more small market towns/cities in the USA. The problem is, there’s becoming so many BABA majors that the competition is getting harder. I remember out of high school everyone I knew was majoring in Business/ Economics (thinking they’re going to be the next future Donald Trump.) It’s a good degree for sure if you can handle the math, and business world.

Electrical Engineering is also popular here, and pays well in the BA/MA area. Combo degrees seem to becoming popular as I noticed from my employer hiring. Like a “BA: Business Management, AA: Accounting” or “BA: Economics, AA: Business Administration”. When hiring substitute teachers we look for two main areas over other applicants….Liberal Arts or Psychology. Liberal Arts because the person studied a vast amount of subjects and can sub the different class/grade levels and topics (and can pass the CBEST or CSET state certification exam), and psychology/Child Development because they can better handle working with the students. Most though that apply are Kinesiology majors.

Nursing pay is unbelievably great out here and you only need an AA to get into entry level nursing in California. Never seems to be a shortage of nurses. Our community college's nursing program has a two year waiting period and you have to actually interview to get into the program, and can’t get anything below a “B” grade once in the program or you're placed on academic probation, and later kicked out of the program if grades dont get to the A/B level.

Criminal Justice is used by those wanting to get into law enforcement in the Los Angeles area. A lot of police forces now require an AA in something, preferably CJ or Law Enforcement. Our county’s sheriff’s department and Park Rangers require an AA for entry level. I think, but not sure, that LAPD requires an AA now too.

Very interesting. I guess in the end, majoring in not "German" or "Chicano Studies" is not profitable? Hehe.

What Good Is a Liberal Arts Degree in the Job Market? - DailyFinance

The Value of a Liberal Arts Education in Today

[sanantone]

I'm about to go on my usual criminal justice rant just because this is my field. LOL. Criminal justice has to be one of the most unnecessary degrees out there, and it is disturbing that its popularity is growing at such a high rate. Most police departments do not require a degree. Even among the 100 largest police departments, most of them require less than an associate's degree. Among the departments that require a degree, a very small percentage have a preference for any major. Most of the law enforcement jobs that require a bachelor's degree are at the federal level, and most of those have no preference or a preference for something other than CJ. For corrections, a degree is almost never required. When you are trying to promote, correctional agencies often do have a preference for CJ, psychology, and sociology degrees; but, this is not true for law enforcement. Having a degree in puppetry will not hold one back from becoming chief of police. Many police departments give educational incentive pay and some give preference points to applicants with degrees, but these things are available to people with degrees in Bowling Industry Management and Technology (yes, this is a real degree).

Criminal justice majors are the most underemployed; business administration and management majors are close behind. The problem with CJ is that it is a rarely needed degree in the criminal justice field. The problem with business administration and management is that there are way too many people with that degree. The number of people graduating with general business degrees (as in degrees that aren't focused on something specific like accounting or finance) dwarfs the second most popular major.

Sorry. After teaching in a criminal justice program, I'm just so annoyed by the large number of people who think
1. That they NEED a degree to become a police officer.
2. That a CJ degree will give them a leg up over the competition with other degrees.

I did an extensive literature review for my research proposal, and the consensus is that CJ degrees don't have much worth when it comes to obtaining employment. My rant is over. :p

[clep3705]

Biology and psychology majors are often students who hope to get into medical school. Medical school hopefuls who major in psychology instead of biology tend to choose psyc in the hopes that the courses are easier and more likely to result in a higher GPA.

[Hathery]

I'm about to go on my usual criminal justice rant just because this is my field. LOL. Criminal justice has to be one of the most unnecessary degrees out there, and it is disturbing that its popularity is growing at such a high rate. Most police departments do not require a degree. Even among the 100 largest police departments, most of them require less than an associate's degree. Among the departments that require a degree, a very small percentage have a preference for any major. Most of the law enforcement jobs that require a bachelor's degree are at the federal level, and most of those have no preference or a preference for something other than CJ. For corrections, a degree is almost never required. When you are trying to promote, correctional agencies often do have a preference for CJ, psychology, and sociology degrees; but, this is not true for law enforcement. Having a degree in puppetry will not hold one back from becoming chief of police. Many police departments give educational incentive pay and some give preference points to applicants with degrees, but these things are available to people with degrees in Bowling Industry Management and Technology (yes, this is a real degree).

Criminal justice majors are the most underemployed; business administration and management majors are close behind. The problem with CJ is that it is a rarely needed degree in the criminal justice field. The problem with business administration and management is that there are way too many people with that degree. The number of people graduating with general business degrees (as in degrees that aren't focused on something specific like accounting or finance) dwarfs the second most popular major.

Sorry. After teaching in a criminal justice program, I'm just so annoyed by the large number of people who think
1. That they NEED a degree to become a police officer.
2. That a CJ degree will give them a leg up over the competition with other degrees.

I did an extensive literature review for my research proposal, and the consensus is that CJ degrees don't have much worth when it comes to obtaining employment. My rant is over. :p

From my experience, you are correct. I am a Court Clerk, and got there with no degree (that means I am a Judge's right-hand woman.) We have a bunch of Court Aides who have CJ degrees; a Court Aide is the person who walks around the courtroom handing out papers and taking things off the printer. Sometimes it doesn't matter what degree you have if you don't have ambition to move ahead in your career!

[cookderosa]

Sanantone- draw up a poll, if you're busy I'll do it- it sounds fun!

[cookderosa]

Biology and psychology majors are often students who hope to get into medical school. Medical school hopefuls who major in psychology instead of biology tend to choose psyc in the hopes that the courses are easier and more likely to result in a higher GPA.

Sure but they still need their 8 premed class sequence, which is not so easy lol

[Christopher]

Yep. You're totally right. Like I said, some of the police forces here do require a degree. The Sheriff department in our county does and it newly stated policy. But, most still do not and will not require it. Like you said, the AA can be in anything. It can be in General/Liberal Studies not CJ for those getting on the force. I think it’s more so that you have the proper English writing, critical thinking, and math skills down. CJ is just popular because it introduces into some areas of criminal justice. The bachelors degree in law enforcement are for those wanting to get into more heavy advanced stuff such as maybe narcotics investigations, homicide detective, and that likes that require heavy training/education. I guess some paralegals take the same route with CJ. Outside of that, there's not really a lot going for it. What you said about Business Administration is so true. We have so many students in the L.A. area majoring in Business. The business courses max out within a few days of open registration. Even the waiting list’s max out. I would guess to say someone with say a Business degree with a concentration on accounting or marketing or even business communication would stand out far better than general business studies. Unless you’re already working at an established business or have a regular job, and getting degree just to advance up or get better pay (like myself) it’s fine. But the teenagers fresh out of high school for them the business administration degree is becoming the new high school diploma in the sense almost everyone has it, and there’s nothing unique or competitive about it anymore. Economics seems also be a popular major amongst those getting into mortgage banking. A degree is a degree. Better something than nothing. My mom wanted met to major in Business. The AA Business degree here was designed for people getting into market trading, loans, stocks, business admin. Stuff I wasn’t into as outside of office management, I had no desire to work on Sunset Blvd working the trade houses lol.

Interesting because some of the businesses even our school district don’t require your degree to be in business. As you long as you have a degree in something, because they train you on their systems and their own way’s of conducting business, and require frequent one day training classes at the district office.

But, yes, CJ is one of those degrees. Some people think you HAVE TO have a degree in Liberal Studies to be a teacher. Although the degree is designed to meet certain state requirements and to help pass CSET, one can major in anything and take an alternate route to teaching. Interesting because someone with a single subject major (BA: History, BA: Psychology, MA: Mathamatics, BA: English Lit) can take in teaching positions if they pass CSET and Single Subject exam and get certified to teach in the high schools. But, none of our Jr and Sr High Schools have classes that teach “Criminal Justice” or “Law”.

I'm about to go on my usual criminal justice rant just because this is my field. LOL. Criminal justice has to be one of the most unnecessary degrees out there, and it is disturbing that its popularity is growing at such a high rate. Most police departments do not require a degree. Even among the 100 largest police departments, most of them require less than an associate's degree. Among the departments that require a degree, a very small percentage have a preference for any major. Most of the law enforcement jobs that require a bachelor's degree are at the federal level, and most of those have no preference or a preference for something other than CJ. For corrections, a degree is almost never required. When you are trying to promote, correctional agencies often do have a preference for CJ, psychology, and sociology degrees; but, this is not true for law enforcement. Having a degree in puppetry will not hold one back from becoming chief of police. Many police departments give educational incentive pay and some give preference points to applicants with degrees, but these things are available to people with degrees in Bowling Industry Management and Technology (yes, this is a real degree).

Criminal justice majors are the most underemployed; business administration and management majors are close behind. The problem with CJ is that it is a rarely needed degree in the criminal justice field. The problem with business administration and management is that there are way too many people with that degree. The number of people graduating with general business degrees (as in degrees that aren't focused on something specific like accounting or finance) dwarfs the second most popular major.

Sorry. After teaching in a criminal justice program, I'm just so annoyed by the large number of people who think
1. That they NEED a degree to become a police officer.
2. That a CJ degree will give them a leg up over the competition with other degrees.

I did an extensive literature review for my research proposal, and the consensus is that CJ degrees don't have much worth when it comes to obtaining employment. My rant is over. :p

[Exfactor]

Sure but they still need their 8 premed class sequence, which is not so easy lol

Exactly! This was very common at one of the brick and mortar schools that I attended. So much so that a B.S in psychology required as much science courses as a Biology degree. Many would find themselves in the same situation, due to all the science requirements, along with all the psychology labs that were required.

[OfficerA]

With your rant on CJ in mind I really wanted to beat my own commander education-wise, but seeing as how I'm on the General Business track too I don't really feel much better for it lol (other than beating him in the time it took to get my degree). Other than having a better shot at my commissioning plans (including specific ones), I'm not too sure what my degree will be good for, but at this point I'll take the any degree option that the USAF will pay for vs. none at all. AACSB will hopefully help.

Also amuses me, now that I've reviewed my commander's educational history, that he promptly didn't bother with CJ, and went with an MA in MIS a few years after (that he most likely paid out of pocket for).

All in all, I'm glad all of you here at this forum keep me grounded and informed with what's going on in the outside world.