The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Major unemployment awaits for some students

For the almost 600 Marquette students who are undecided upon a major, recent reports from the 2010 U.S. Census data on unemployment rates could provide information to help them reach a final decision.

Six majors on the list have zero percent unemployment, while 10 majors have an unemployment rate more than 10 percent.

According to the Census data, psychology majors have particularly high unemployment rates.

Industrial and organizational psychology (the study of employees, workplaces and organizations), educational psychology (the study of how humans learn in educational settings), clinical psychology and miscellaneous psychology majors all have unemployment rates more than 10 percent.

Clinical psychology was the highest on the list with a 19.5 percent unemployment rate.

Marquette only offers one cover-all psychology major, which, with 300 students studying the field, makes it one of the larger majors on campus.

McKenzie Richardson, a junior psychology major in the College of Arts & Sciences, chose the area of study because of its real world application and ability to contribute to a body of knowledge.

She acknowledges job prospects might be dim but says she does not let that impact her decision.

“Everyone would love to graduate and be flooded with job opportunities, but that just doesn’t happen,” Richardson said. “I refuse to let (the unemployment rate) interfere with allowing me to do something that I’m very passionate about.”

Although it may be harder to find a job, being happy in one’s field is all that really matters, she said.

Other majors offered at Marquette with unemployment rates more than 10 percent include history and performing arts.

Environmental engineering and nursing majors should be confident in their ability to land a job after graduation, with both majors boasting only a 2.2 percent unemployment rate.

Kristen Meehan, a sophomore environmental engineering major in the College of Engineering, chose her course of study so she can ultimately work with water purification in third world countries.

Meehan said she thinks the unemployment rate for environmental engineers is low because of the push to “go green.”

“I think the unemployment rate will stay low because the economy is shifting toward being more eco-friendly and environmental engineers will only be more in demand,” Meehan said.

Environmental engineering recently became its own major at Marquette, separating from civil engineering. Only 40 students are enrolled in the program, making it one of the smallest programs in the college.

If students have a hard time finding employment after graduation, they can always seek assistance from Career Services.

Matthew Myers, a career counselor in the Career Services Center, said he does not want students to worry about being unemployed.

“Each student at Marquette has the capability to become employed,” he said. “It comes down to getting experience while you are a student and applying yourself to find the right opportunity to you.”

He said a Marquette degree will always help a student’s chances of employment, but it is only one step in the process.

“Each student has to take it upon themselves to take charge of their own job search and sell their skills and experiences effectively,” Myers said. “We at career services are happy to be able to help students learn those skills, but ultimately, they have to be the ones to impress their prospective employers.”

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