Innovative majors at ASU help students compete
By Kelly Casey
PHOENIX – Just about everyone has been hit hard in these tough economic times, including, college students.Not only does the recession put a strain on students financially, but
can limit them academically.
Students across the country have made appointments with their college advisors, and on the schedule: request a new major.
Rebecca Karel, 21, was originally a painting major in the art program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts her freshman year at Arizona State University. Four years later, she is still enrolled in school, majoring in a combination of design and marketing.
Rebecca Karel, 21, was originally a painting major in the art program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts her freshman year at Arizona State University. Four years later, she is still enrolled in school, majoring in a combination of design and marketing.
“Painting has been a lifelong passion, and when I first attended ASU I was excited to take art classes and not math classes,” she said. "During my second semester of sophomore year I realized I wouldn’t make a lot of money painting the rest of my life."
ASU offers over 250 academic undergraduates programs and majors. One of them is a unique major that allow students like Karel to combine passion and practicality.A degree in interdisciplinary studies can help students meet the world’s challenges in a new way. Instead of declaring one major, you could receive a degree that includes courses from multiple disciplines.
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree program is a high-quality interdisciplinary studies degree program. It offers students the freedom to select two concentration areas from a rich menu of more than 100 possibilities, and it enables students to integrate those areas into a degree with intellectual cohesion, and practical value.
The major is very practical in today’s economy because it sets its students apart from the masses who graduate with one concentration. Employers may see a recent graduate with an array of skills as more marketable.
These unique BIS majors can give college students the best of both worlds. They can still explore their passions and learn how to culminate it into a substantial career.
“Now I am able to use my creativity in a different way,” said Karel who hopes to one-day work in the graphic design field.
What about the expert’s advice when it comes to picking a college major? Career counselor Debbie Haughton emphasized importance of finding balance.
“You have to do what you’re wired for, and what your personality fits best,” she said. A degree in BIS can allow students to do exactly that.
She noted that today’s incoming freshmen are thinking about their major selection more than ever since the economic crash. Some majors she regards as recession proof are anything related to healthcare, like nursing, medical assistting and physical therapy.
ASU offers over 250 academic undergraduates programs and majors. One of them is a unique major that allow students like Karel to combine passion and practicality.A degree in interdisciplinary studies can help students meet the world’s challenges in a new way. Instead of declaring one major, you could receive a degree that includes courses from multiple disciplines.
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree program is a high-quality interdisciplinary studies degree program. It offers students the freedom to select two concentration areas from a rich menu of more than 100 possibilities, and it enables students to integrate those areas into a degree with intellectual cohesion, and practical value.
The major is very practical in today’s economy because it sets its students apart from the masses who graduate with one concentration. Employers may see a recent graduate with an array of skills as more marketable.
These unique BIS majors can give college students the best of both worlds. They can still explore their passions and learn how to culminate it into a substantial career.
“Now I am able to use my creativity in a different way,” said Karel who hopes to one-day work in the graphic design field.
What about the expert’s advice when it comes to picking a college major? Career counselor Debbie Haughton emphasized importance of finding balance.
“You have to do what you’re wired for, and what your personality fits best,” she said. A degree in BIS can allow students to do exactly that.
She noted that today’s incoming freshmen are thinking about their major selection more than ever since the economic crash. Some majors she regards as recession proof are anything related to healthcare, like nursing, medical assistting and physical therapy.
The BIS degree program gives students, like Rebecca Karel (not shown), an opportunity to select multiple areas of study, such as design and marketing.
photo by: Slongood
