The profession predicament
Reading Time: 3 minutesWe look at the pros and cons of some of UVU’s most popular majors to help the undeclared find their footing.
Accounting
Personality Traits: strong quantitative skills, math, stats, ability spreadsheets, good reasoning ability, not always a cut and dried answer.
Expected Salary: $45,300-74,900
Pros: Every organization needs an account, good job market. Accounting is recognized as a professional area that is well respected. Time-honored occupation. reputation of integrity.
Cons: Difficult. if you’re not comfortable with math, steer clear.
Art/Visual Communication
Personality Traits: Creative, strong sense of self-supervision, internal drive, entrepreneurial
Expected Salary: $36,100-57,100
Pros: Versatile field. Opportunities in just about every field. UVU’s 2014 graduating class with this degree had 100% job placement rate
Cons: Skill is important. if you are not a good artist, you will not have much success.
Behavioral Science
Personality Traits: Broad Liberal Arts education, desire to understand human behavior, communication skills
Expected Salary: $33,000-92,500
Pros: Understanding of the way people operate. Well-trained for graduate programs. Interdisciplinary
Cons: Lacks in the technical sciences
Biology
Personality Traits: curious about everything (particularly living things), scientifically and mathematically inclined
Expected Salary: $40,200-70,800
Pros: Versatile, tremendous jobopportunities. diversity of talents
Cons: If you have unrealistic expectations, you won’t have as much success. More study- intensive than other majors. need to take calculus and organic chemistry
Chemistry
Personality Traits: Lab skills, analytical, versatile, mathematically and scientifically inclined, answering why and how
Expected Salary: $44,100-84,100
Pros: An understanding of how the world works in the smallest sense. chemistry is considered a “central science” to many other fields
Cons: Hard work. Difficult field. requires a great deal of desire, ability, and motivation
Communications
Personality Traits: Jack-of-all-trades, a wide range of skills and interests, good communication skills, team-oriented
Expected Salary: $40,00-69,600
Pros: Versatile. skills can be applied to many different fields
Cons: Undeservedly bad reputation among some college communities
Computer Science
Personality Traits: Interested in technology, organized, logical, attention to detail
Expected Salary: $59,800-102,00
Pros: Business is booming, job market is great for qualified individuals
Cons: Statistically, not so many women in this industry. Get on that, ladies!
Dance
Personality Traits: Creative, physically active, musically inclined, health conscious
Expected Salary: $23,000-$51,000
Pros: Regular exercise, creative work, flexibility, endorphins
Cons: If you aren’t committed, finding work will be tough.
Dental Hygiene
Personality Traits: Medically inclined Expected Salary: $44,000-87,000
Pros: Very in-demand, relatively little schooling needed, great pay
Cons: Repetitive. Limited variety of careers
Digital Media
Personality Traits: Creative, technologically inclined, attention to detail, deadline oriented
Expected Salary: $32,000-88,000
Pros: Creative work, versatile skills
Cons: Some clients don’t know what they want.
Education
Personality Traits: Knowledgeable, attention to detail, desire to impart knowledge
Expected Salary: $37,400-55,200
Pros: Consistent work schedule, opportunity to share what you love with others
Cons: Criminally underpaid. Get on that, America!
English
Personality Traits: Critical thinking love of reading, writing, and language
Expected Salary: $24,000-91,000
Pros: Broad preparation for a variety of jobs and grad programs, (law school), prepares people for situations were writing and communicating is important
Cons: Constant contact with opinionated people that might not see things the way you do
Forensic Science
Personality Traits: Attention to detail, desire for truth and justice, mathematically inclined
Expected Salary: $35,300-85,000
Pros: Convicting the guilty and exonerating the innocent, giving families closure on there long lost loved ones.
Cons: Not as sexy as it is on CSI: Miami. Jobs are typically more specialized than they are in the movies, where everyone does everything. A lot more math and science than some people anticipate. Crime doesn’t sleep, so you could be working until late in the night. Frequent exposure to gore and traumatic environments.
Physics
Personality Traits: Mathematically inclined, attention to detail, curious about everything
Expected Salary: $53,100-101,000
Pros: Lots of job options if you know where to look. Understanding how the universe works
Cons: Statistically a male-dominated field
Theatre Arts
Personality Traits: Creative, expressive, tenacious, persistent, team-oriented energetic
Expected Salary: $36,200-58,600
Pros: Expressing oneself in a very visceral way. Contributing to a large-scale work of art
Cons: Frequent rejections. Flooded market for performers