<p>"A great deal of research indicates that the number of jobs for individuals who have degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) are growing rapidly. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the number of positions for mathematicians is expected to increase by approximately 22% through 2018, while jobs for computer software engineers and computer programmers are predicted to grow by 21%.</p>
<p>On the whole, growth in STEM positions has been about three times larger than non-STEM-related jobs over the past decade, according to a 2011 press release from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration. Additionally, this growth of STEM positions is expected to continue into the next decade."</p>
<p>Not all STEM majors have good job and career prospects. In particularly there is a huge supply of biology graduates compared to the few good jobs (and more not so good jobs) for them.</p>
<p>Biology and chemistry graduates also seem to be less recruited for other types of jobs like finance, which picks up a decent number of math, statistics, and physics graduates.</p>
<p>What a weird example they use. First, they cite 22% growth in jobs for mathematicians, which typically requires a PhD and for which there are inherently few jobs; second, they choose to lump software engineering and programming - which require different qualifications, and both of which require less training than to become a mathematician - into one, less impressive, figure. Seems a more compelling example would have been to simply cite the 2 or 3 fastest-growing STEM professions.</p>
<p>Based on 2010 statistics, the unemployment rate for civil engineers doesn’t appear to be drastically different from those of other engineering professions. The rest of the construction industry was hit hard, but seemingly not so much the civil engineers.</p>
<p>^civil unemployment rate lower than that of mech? I’ll believe it, but that’s curious. It would be interesting to see the rate of civil engineer’s unemployment by geographic region, say, comparing LA, NY, midwest, etc…</p>
<p>Anyway, each of the fields listed above encompasses many other fields. Civil could be divided into structural, geotech, water, enviro, and others. And I’d bet the unemployment rate in structural would be higher than the one for water. But the aggregates that Ken listed reflected all subsets, which may include opposite extremes.</p>
<p>I found it interesting as well. One thing to keep in mind is that a sizable percentage of civil engineering majors aim for positions as construction managers, which does have a higher unemployment rate (8% in 2010). </p>
<p>A statistic of interest to many on this forum would be unemployment rate in these fields, further divided into age groups. I would think the new graduates and the least experienced are the most expendable and would be the last to be re-hired as the economy recovers.</p>
<p>I was a civil engineering major, but am working as a construction manager.</p>
<p>It’s certainly a relief to read this thread, after reading the other thread that said that STEM majors are oversold to students. After reading some of the posts (rants) on that thread, you would think students should just pack up and vacate their Engineering majors as fast as they can. Too late for me, I already have a BS in Mechanical Engineering.</p>
<p>I am now a first year Masters student, and I have a research assistantship in GPS Technology and Autonomous Vehicle Control at Auburn University, and I love it. That said, I wonder if some of those posters would say that my job prospects would be BETTER if tomorrow morning, I called my academic advisor and told him, “Good bye, I’m not coming back.”</p>