Today's graduates hardly need to be reminded of the searches for jobs and graduate schools that may be ongoing, complete or yet to begin. The question of the relevance of an undergraduate major to a student's future career path is an enduring one, but now with an economy that has rendered paying jobs more scarce than in previous years, and thus spots in graduate schools increasingly competitive, the issue of the value of today's degrees has been thrown into sharp perspective.
While many students have found themselves looking far beyond their areas of study in a search for their first jobs, others with more specific degrees plan to stick close to their undergraduate focuses.
Jean Papalia, director of Tufts Career Services, explained that a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences is not intended to prepare students for anything specific.
"A liberal arts degree from a rigorous curriculum such as ours equips a student for success in a wide variety of industries, organizations and positions," Papalia said.
Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser emphasized that an undergraduate major is not intended to restrict nor magically enhance a student's prospects.
"A major is not a credential, it's a way to draw a line around what you've been studying here," he said.
Papalia does not believe that a student's major defines success in the job search or in the workplace.
"An employer is fundamentally looking for a variety of characteristics in a candidate, including your capacity to learn, leadership skills, communication skills, team skills, all of which are demonstrated by your performance both in and outside the classroom," Papalia said.
According to Papalia, economic changes have not had an effect on the way undergraduate education is viewed by employers.
"This has always been the case, and it certainly remains true in today's challenging job market," she said.
Senior Renee Birenbaum, a double major in economics and International Relations, explained that the path of her job search has, at times, surprised her.
"In this tough job market, I'm applying to a much wider range of positions than I ever imagined. In some cases, I'm targeting jobs that fall in line with my major — for example, policy research that calls upon skills I gained in economics and IR classes," she said.
Birenbaum added that her majors have served her in places that she didn't expect them to.
"I applied for a marketing job recently and was actually told that they value economics majors more highly than straight-up marketing majors."
Birenbaum feels that students' majors are less important compared to their overall experience and capability as candidates.
According to Glaser, Tufts seeks to prepare students for the job market and further education through a variety of aspects of their education.
"We try to assure that students have some exposure to many different disciplines and ways of thinking through our requirements. We try to provide opportunities for students to develop a sense of themselves, identify their strengths and weaknesses, to participate in activities, research and programs that will enrich them as people," he said. "We try to provide preparation for the future and for future careers."
Glaser explained that the fact that many students plan to follow up their studies in graduate school has been a fixed aspect of higher education.
"I don't think there's been that much of a change since I was an undergraduate. Most people did anticipate getting a graduate degree, and that's the case at elite institutions like this, where masters programs were expected for a large portion of the student body."
Nevertheless, the reality of the emphasis on graduate schooling has an effect on the mission of undergraduate educators.
"If it's the case that a large number of people go to graduate school, the undergraduate education is to help develop a worldview, interests, passions, skills and experiences. It will be useful to one in a career and in life," he said.
Nationally, the recession has caused enrollment and retention at two-year technical colleges to rise.
Senior Adam White began his studies in the school of engineering but moved off of the traditional major path.
"I decided that I wanted more breadth, so for flexibility I was able to create a course of study in international engineering or developmental issues," he said.
White hopes to follow up this education with graduate school in urban design.
Although White never named his course of study, he said, "it combined my interests perfectly."
Senior Adam Dworkin, a drama major with a concentration in directing, has drawn a direct line from his undergraduate work to his job search. "I've applied for directing assistantships for the summer, and am assisting David Auburn at the Berkshire Theatre Festival this summer," he said.
Dworkin added, however, that some of the most important benefits of his major, though related to the drama department, transpired outside of the classroom.
"All of the opportunities I've had have been because of the Tufts drama department and the relationships that the school has with the greater theater community."
Glaser explained that, even in this economy, the four-year liberal arts degree has value.
"It may not always feel like the most practical decision in terms of a career, but in fact it is practical," he said. "The kinds of things that happen here are very important to the development of people who will be successful in the workforce and successful in their lives."
