Really... Are You Serious?!?!?!?!

College Majors That Are Useless
By Terence Loose (Source: education.yahoo.net)

If you're considering going back to school in hopes that you'll graduate to more opportunities, there are certain degrees that you might want to avoid.

Consider the National Association of Colleges and Employers' (NACE) 2012 Job Outlook study, which surveyed almost 1,000 employers on their future hiring plans. Many areas of study, such as fashion design and the performing arts, didn't even make the list.

On the other hand, majors like business had 83 percent of the surveyed employers saying they planned to recruit them. Close seconds were accounting and computer and information science majors with nearly 60 percent of surveyed employers planning to recruit them.

At the other end of the spectrum are degrees that are either so specific they can't be applied in a variety of fields, or those linked to careers with virtually little to no projected job growth.

Want to make sure you don't pick a dud of a degree? Check out our list of most useless degrees.

Useless Degree #1 - Agriculture
Number of Students Awarded Degree in 2008-2009: 24,988
Typical coursework: Crops, plant diseases, animal husbandry, basic veterinary science

When schools such as the University of Idaho cut their agriculture programs, you know times are tough for this degree. The state has more than 25,000 farms, for cow's sake, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census, in 2007.

Still, if your idea of a good day is getting up with the sun and working till it sets as an agricultural manager, a degree in agriculture might be your calling.

Just don't expect farms and ranches to be calling you, says Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., and author of "The 10 Best College Majors for Your Personality." "It's true that farms are becoming more efficient now and so there is less of a need for farm managers," he says. That means less jobs. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor projects 64,000 fewer jobs in this field over the next seven years.

Total Number of Agricultural Managers in 2008: 1,234,000
Projected Change in Number of Jobs 2008-2018: -64,600
Percent Change: -5

Useless Degree #2 - Fashion Design
Number of Students Awarded Degree in 2008-2009: 89,140
Typical coursework: Fashion history, sewing, tailoring, color, design, pattern making

The world of high fashion is glamorous, exciting, and, unfortunately, highly exclusive and competitive.

"Fashion never dies out, never ends, and even though everything gets made overseas now, there's always a need for designers. But it's incredibly competitive. It's one you really have to establish yourself in," Shatkin says.

And those glamour positions are expected to be the ones with the fewest opportunities among an already small field, says the U.S. Department of Labor. Because it's so tough, Shatkin suggests that getting a practical minor with this degree is very smart.

Total Number of Fashion Designers in 2008: 22,700
Projected Change in Number of Jobs 2008-2018: +200
Percent Change: +1

Useless Degree #3 - Theater
Number of Students Awarded Degree in 2008-2009: 89,140
Typical coursework: Theater, acting, directing, design, playwriting, communications, dramatic literature

Here's the good news: Sign up for theater as a major and at least you'll be really good at acting like you have a job.

Here's the bad news: Actors endure long periods of unemployment and frequent rejection, says the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department goes on to say that because earnings are erratic for actors, producers, and directors, many hold second jobs. In other words, how do you feel about waiting tables?

Of course, says Shatkin, "People go into this with such a love for it you can't stop them."

Total Number of Actors/Producers/Directors in 2008: 155,100
Projected Change in Number of Jobs 2008-2018: +16,900
Percent Change: +11

Useless Degree #4 - Animal Science
Number of Students Awarded Degree in 2008-2009: 80,756
Typical coursework: Animal breeding, reproductive physiology, nutrition, meat and muscle biology

Here's another degree aimed at a career that at first glance doesn't look all that discouraging. After all, animal scientist employment is projected by the U.S. Department of Labor to grow 13 percent from 2008 to 2018.

But crunch a few more numbers and you quickly realize that you could be in for stiff competition to grab a piece of that pie. Fewer than 5,000 animal scientist jobs are projected to exist in the field by 2018.

The problem, says Shatkin, is the degree is so specific that trying to apply it to anything else means a tough time convincing people it gives you any useful skills for jobs outside animal science jobs.

Total Number of Animal Scientists in 2008: 3,700
Projected Change in Number of Jobs 2008-2018: +500
Percent Change: +13

Useless Degree #5 - Horticulture
Number of Students Awarded Degree in 2008-2009: 24,988
Typical coursework: Crops, plant diseases, agricultural business and economics, crop and fruit science

If you like the farm life but aren't all that keen on all the whining and clucking of an animal farm, perhaps a degree in horticulture is growing on you.

Unfortunately, the number of jobs in the field itself is not growing, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. And Shatkin agrees. "Better than agriculture, but not by much. If you're lucky, you may find some way to apply that to a related business like food processing or production," he says.

Total Number of Farmers and Ranchers in 2008: 985,900
Projected Change in Number of Jobs 2008-2018: -79,200
Percent Change: -8



Not everyone agrees with the above article, however....
Among the companies speaking out is family-owned Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, an independent seed company based in Alexander, Iowa.

Shannon Latham, Vice President of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds and graduate of Iowa State University where she earned degrees in Agriculture Journalism and Public Service Administration in Agriculture, attributes her agriculture degrees to many of her successes over the past 19 years. From lobbying on behalf of Iowa agribusinesses, providing public relations services for agriculture leaders, and now, owning and operating an independent seed company, Shannon recognizes that her degrees provided her with the tools necessary to help make an impact within the agriculture community.

Shannon says that because of her career in agriculture, she is afforded the opportunity to work daily with those who help feed, clothe and fuel the world, and, for that reason, she views an agriculture degree as not one of the most useless degrees, but one of the most useful degrees.

Since the Yahoo! article surfaced, many have been using social media platforms, such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter, to spread the word on the value of earning a degree in agriculture. The Facebook page, I Studied Agriculture and I Have a Job, was launched in response to the Yahoo! article, and nearly 4,500 agriculture graduates have “liked” the page in just five days.