Report Supports the Practical Value of STEM Diplomas

By The New York Times

Over at The Times’s Economix blog, Motoko Rich reports today on a new study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce that indicates that college students might do well to study science, technology, engineering or math.

As Ms. Rich writes:

The report shows that professions that depend heavily on skills learned in these fields are the second-fastest growing occupational group in the United States, after health care.

According to the study, people with talent in science, technology, engineering or math don’t often major in such disciplines during college in the first place. And even if they start out doing so, many switch majors.

Compared with other fields outside of these disciplines, STEM workers can earn higher wages. On average, 65 percent of those who hold a bachelor’s degree in such fields will earn more than those who hold a master’s degree in other subjects. Among those with associate’s degrees in the science and technical fields, 63 percent earn more than those who hold bachelor’s degrees in other subjects.

But lest proponents of STEM degrees over liberal arts (like Gov. Rick Scott of Florida) take this news as another reason to steer clear of majoring in philosophy, Ms. Rich notes that:

In surveys of employers, one of the biggest complaints about technical workers is that they ‘can’t talk and can’t write a memo and have horrible interpersonal skills.’ So maybe the best course of study is a double major. Physics and poetry, anyone?

What do readers of The Choice make of the study’s results? Share your reactions in the comment box below.

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Alice October 20, 2011 · 12:58 pm

It is incumbent upon our secondary schools to ensure that all children can read with comprehension and write well. As a parent of a high school Senior, a former Board of Education member and currently the Executive Director of an Education Foundation, it is my experience that our district, who focuses on these skills starting at a very young age, graduates students who can major in engineering yet still write beautifully. Our Administrators and faculty understand the importance and invest in the resources to make this happen. No – not every “math or science” kid wants to take Honors or AP English but if the universities emphasize the need for that skill set, in addition to perfect math SAT and AP scores, the students will take the courses and succeed. They may not be as skilled as a student majoring in English Comp but they will have the tools.

Richard October 20, 2011 · 2:48 pm

Now they tell me.

I was a liberal arts major who seriously wishes I picked up Computer Science, or Biology as a second major. My school made it possible for everyone to double-major. My only hope now is that I can save money for graduate school/continuing education in the sciences. I’m in a job that has no career advancements, so I’m working my butt off to go back to school to study something relevant so I don’t get left behind.

hen3ry October 20, 2011 · 2:56 pm

Not everyone is interested in the sciences as a career. But, just as we all should know how to write a decent sentence so should we know enough to understand science and that ability has been sadly lacking. Our politicians show their ignorance when they speak about any science. I’ve known people who have no idea where the sun rises and sets or about the difference between centigrade or Fahrenheit in terms of temperature measurements.

The issue isn’t college: it’s education in grades K-12. Graduates from high school ought to be able to find and hold down a job. They should be able to do more than just take tests or write their names. There is a real need for apprenticeship and vocational programs in high schools all across the country. College, given how expensive it is, is not the place for those who are not interested in advanced learning.

Kristyn October 21, 2011 · 12:51 am

I feel as though the problem lies with the overemphasis on the name of the degree and not the skills it provides students with. I’m a History major gearing up for law school, but even if I decided to start a career now, the skills I have in communication, research, analysis, critical thinking, and writing make me highly important. It’s employers that are too lazy to see that. If they’d step outside the box of the name of the degree, this major push for STEM degrees wouldn’t be happening.

Redpoint October 21, 2011 · 11:12 am

Some of us need guidance. Jacques Steinberg, it would be a service if you could compose a panel of real experts for a Q and A to get to some real understanding of this matter.

My husband got his PhD in Physics from one of the top universities in this field during the late 80s/early 90s. At the time Bush Sr. was talking about the importance of science education and encouraging degrees in these fields. But my husband and his friends quickly found out, when it was time to get jobs, that they had been sold a bill of goods, that there weren’t actually many jobs in these fields. Most of his friends took low-paid post-doc positions, and had little chance of ever becoming full professors. The only thing in their favor was their degrees were paid for by the universities (but only because it was their pay for teaching the undergraduates–they worked for it), so they didn’t have loans to repay.

Fast forward twenty years, and people are still saying one should get these degrees in science. But are there any jobs? Some articles say there are great job opportunities, others say there are few. Which is it?

And how about the jobs in Bio or Chemistry? Are our highly intelligent children with advanced degrees going to be stuck working in labs for $10 or $20 and hour because there are no jobs for them. What is the difference between a science student who gets stuck in one of these jobs vs. one that manages to make the big bucks? I don’t know that it’s IQ. What paths should our children with scientific inclinations really be choosing in order to thrive in the new economy? Help! Please.

(As an aside I must say I am tired of posters who say all kids must study Engineering. Not all people are made to study Engineering! Not all of us can do math. And those that can would most likely be lousy at Art History, so stop saying one is better than another.)

John Maeda October 21, 2011 · 3:25 pm

“Physics and poetry, anyone?” is actually exactly the way STEM proponents need to start thinking. The biggest misconception reports like this produce is that by investing solely in more STEM research and education, America will get back on track – that by somehow producing more STEM workers, we will compete more successfully in the global economy. In the current moment of economic uncertainty, every economy is taking stock and once again turning to innovation as the silver bullet that will guide us forward. And in the eyes of many leaders, and through studies such as this innovation is birthed from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. As a lifelong STEM student myself, I don’t discount the power of STEM. But I also know that it’s missing a critical element – art and design. Without adding \”Art\” to turn STEM into STEAM, we will not realize true ground-breaking innovations we need to turn the economy around. As president of Rhode Island School of Design, I see the critical thinking, critical making and creative leadership embodied at RISD can lead us to an enlightened form of innovation where art, design, technology, and business meet. //www.stemtosteam.org

Jessica October 22, 2011 · 6:03 pm

As a college student majoring in communications and about to graduate, I am fully aware that I may be at a disadvantage in the job market, compared to fellow graduates with STEM degrees. However, i believe most jobs require good writing skills in general. Not to say one needs to have excellent communications skills, or be a master in rhetoric, but even the sciences need to be communicated in some shape and form. STEM degrees may help you get a job because of the demand in those fields, but you can never underestimate the power of writing and verbal skills.

Some of my friends are studying for STEM degrees and I’ve noticed it’s not too uncommon for one of them to ask for help writing personal statements for med school admissions and so on.

I believe there is a reason why colleges devote so much time to writing centers and writing core courses. We have to understand that not everyone thinks in a technical way and that writing is the most accessible form of communicating ideas and learning. A STEM degree may give us one leg up in getting the first job out of college, but having strong communication skills may be just as important in the long run.

//www.aplustutoring.com/

Amy October 25, 2011 · 6:53 am

Dr. Maeda –

That is a very cool idea, and RISD is a great school for spearheading that effort. Does your school collaborate with any nearby engineering schools? Have you thought about starting a consortium with schools that have strong STEM and design programs, like CMU and Cooper Union?

D. November 1, 2011 · 11:43 am

I agree with Redpoint. Salaries in engineering are stagnant, which is what prompted me to leave my job as an engineer and go to law school. In addition, it is easy to send STEM jobs offshore to places like China and India.

M November 2, 2011 · 9:39 am

I am a freshman at a top 20 college who has just decided to major in computer science within my school’s college of arts and sciences. I am thankful my school allows this option, otherwise I would not go through the engineering school to pursue this option!

What I believe I will bring to the job table is a female in computer science who also can communicate and present herself well. You wouldn’t believe how rare this is given the types of people seen in my classes. No offense, but some STEM kids just cannot communicate their ideas or present themselves well. My mix of liberal arts and computer science will give me a leg up in 4 years.

K November 6, 2011 · 1:53 am

I also agree with Redpoint. I started college in the late eighties with plans of pursuing a PhD, but opted out after completing a bachelors in biology due to hearing story after story of our former teaching assistants languishing in jobs that would barely pay the bills, let alone any student loans they might have had. Not in their field and some not even in jobs that required a degree of any kind. These were all intelligent, motivated individuals. I’m currently in healthcare, and now see many young people, especially young women, who also have pursued science as undergraduates and now are working low-level, low-paid “assistant” positions which fail to utilize their intelligence or challenge them at all.Their unhappiness is evident. It is sad to see. It sounds great to say “we need more people in science”, but where are the jobs?