I’m having trouble deciding which of these to major in. I’m currently a sophomore, with no direction as to what career I want in the future. I’m interested in an engineering-type major that will allow for versatility in finding a job. I’ve always wanted to be an engineer up until senior year of high school, where I realized that physics and math were just too difficult. I’m not particularly artistic but I’m interested in learning… does UIUC offer introductory art classes for Arch majors? My concerns about Urban Planning and Arch studies are primarily the low pay and office-type careers they lead to.
Urban Planning at Illinois is an multidisciplinary, social science-based major, good for someone interested in the fields of geography, sociology, economics, history and political science. It is not an engineering type degree unless you supplement your coursework with engineering courses. It is a relatively small major at Illinois, which leads to a tight-knit group among students and professors. It is very well ranked and I found my fellow students for the most part to be passionate about their studies.
You are correct about job prospects, as many in this field rely upon public funding for their jobs. If you have a passion for it, then go for it. But if you are not, it may be hard to endure the low pay typical of most entry level jobs in this field. Most planners need to earn an M.A. to compete for better employment positions. You can search on the Internet for jobs to better understand your prospects post-graduation.
If you are uncertain, how about taking some time off and working a few jobs or internships to better discover your interests and talents? If you are just entering sophomore year of college, then can you find intership opportunities at school before declaring a major?