My topic of interest is outside of the scope of EHE, but
closely relates to the value of a degree. I am not entirely sure why I am
particularly interested in my topic, but I find it perplexing and interesting
to contemplate. My topic is about how an influx of bachelor degrees affects the
value of degrees in the job market.
There are thousands of colleges and universities today that
are yielding increasing amounts of graduates. Considering the idea of supply
and demand, when supply is low the value is high, and when the supply is high
the value is low. If a bachelor’s degree becomes common place, then that
education level could just become the new expected minimum for many jobs
without being worth much else. Now experience can definitely set someone apart,
but for new graduates that’s likely little to none. The bar for whom is sought
after in the job market is inevitably raised if everyone’s education level is
nearly identical on paper. So what will be sought after? I am wondering what
will be the next desired educational background in the job market. The only
strategy I used to pull this question out of my topic was clarification. I had
a general idea of what I wanted to get at and understand, but struggled to
clearly state it.
Obviously, students who plan to graduate with a degree is
the potential stakeholder. Even more specifically, those who want to get a job
in their field of interest. Because I know people who have graduated, and a
decent fraction of them have not gotten a job related to their degree. So my
purpose is to convince the stakeholder to consider alternatives, and present
possible academic avenues that will be highly valued and standout in the job
market. To do this I will find trends about college graduates and employment,
and some trends I can look for are as follows. How many people are graduating
with a bachelor’s, master’s, PhD., or dual/interdisciplinary degree? How many
people with various educational background are unemployed? What job markets are
developing quickly? How many applicants do employers get for positions that
require a bachelor’s, master, etc. Statistics of this general sort will be
useful in determining what is likely to become the next sought after education
background.
Some likely answers to my question I think are likely are;
increased demand for masters/PhD, increased demand for dual degree/interdisciplinary
focus. Essentially being very knowledgeable and specialized or knowledgeable of
and applying several specialties. Likely, a multi-degree background will become
extremely valuable. For example, there is a lot of controversial debate
currently surrounding genetic modification of humans. If someone were to possess
a degree in biology and philosophy, then they would be a valuable intellectual
to that debate. Dual degrees and PhD’s give people unique expertise, and in a
flooded market such experts will likely stand out. If this degree inflation
continues, someone with a PhD may no longer be considered overqualified for a
job that only requires a bachelor’s.
Personally, I am working on a dual degree in physics and
philosophy, with a philosophy concentration in science and technology. I am
curious about the moral, social, and political impact of new technologies
because I want to develop new technologies. It’s hard to determine what the
impact of a new technology will be, but I will argue that innovators have a
moral obligation to resolve issues that arise from their developments. I came
to consider this a while back because of another project I intend to develop in
my lifetime. A rapid, general purpose, method of assembling molecular structures.
Completing such a device would enable us to manufacture anything from the
atomic scale up. Going for this dual degree enables me to develop this
technology, but also critically consider the implications of giving humanity
the creative power of a god. Could we “print” out a living being? Difficult,
yes, but impossible? I don’t think so.
No comments:
Post a Comment