Degree Options
Availability of Niche Degrees Continues to Grow
Expanding programs to specialized niches could be a way to attract a very specialized group of students. BaccalaureateDegree.org explores some of the more uncommon degrees offered throughout the nation. Beer Brewing For those who like to do their drinking with their pinky finger down, there are degrees available in brewing. Just this year, Appalachian State University began pursuing efforts to establish a university-run brewery and academic program in fermentation science for students. They will learn the science and art of brewing in order to get jobs at distilleries, breweries, and even vineyards.
Master’s Degree Becoming New Entry Standard
Competition in job markets is fiercer than any other time in recent memory, and unemployment rates aren’t the only contributor. As the New York Times reports, a drastic increase in the number of Master’s degree holders in the last decade has made the Bachelor’s degree a much less competitive resume line item. Call it credential inflation. Once derided as the consolation prize for failing to finish a Ph.D. or just a way to kill time waiting out economic downturns, the master’s is now the fastest-growing degree. The number awarded, about 657,000 in 2009, has more than doubled since the 1980s, and the rate. Read More.