“Stand alone” undergrad majors beside CS and Engineering

[Anonymous]

What undergraduate degrees allow a recent grad to live independently (modestly but not with parents) these days other than CS and Engineering? Does everything else require a graduate degree? Maybe marketing?

[Anonymous]

Accounting

[Anonymous]

Nursing

[Anonymous]

I would add Economics and Business majors. Even Econ majors where the university has a Business major do well without a second degree. I also know some women who were English and Communications majors who are successful without postgraduate education, but they’re all conventionally attractive. Reality is that probably helps.

[Anonymous]

My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC has an international affairs degree and is living independently. No grad degree.

While extremely admirable, this is atypical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would add Economics and Business majors. Even Econ majors where the university has a Business major do well without a second degree. I also know some women who were English and Communications majors who are successful without postgraduate education, but they’re all conventionally attractive. Reality is that probably helps.

+2

Goes without saying but being good-looking (and charming, pleasant) opens up doors for men and women alike. See: world history

[Anonymous]

Physics majors. It’s like engineering and CS on steroids. Extremely employable because involves a lot of higher order math. All physics majors can do engineering and CS, but the opposite is not true. However, physics is a difficult major and not for everyone. A lot of the underpinnings of AI math comes from theoretical physics.

[Anonymous]

Any major with a minor or some classes in data science. If you can generate actionable insights from data and clearly communicate them in writing and through brief presentations, you’re gold.

[Anonymous]

Dental hygiene

[Anonymous]

Yes to Accounting and Nursing. We have two generation Zers in our family that are living independently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Physics majors. It’s like engineering and CS on steroids. Extremely employable because involves a lot of higher order math. All physics majors can do engineering and CS, but the opposite is not true. However, physics is a difficult major and not for everyone. A lot of the underpinnings of AI math comes from theoretical physics.

That's true for the top elite physics majors, but top elite engineering CS and math majors can do physics too. Basic every non Social STEM major is a sufficient major because they can get a technology or data analysis job.

[Anonymous]

Education

[Anonymous]

Assuming "independently" includes with roommates, I know recent grads at my company who are doing so after majoring in psychology, political science, history. Their jobs aren't necessarily directly related to those majors (history major is in marketing) but it's really about the skills more than the specific major.

Among my large extended family I know recent grads not living with parents who are in teaching, PR, nursing, sales coordinator, medical office. PR person was a communications major, medical office was kinesiology and still considering med school. I don't know what the sales one majored in.

I also wouldn't assume a recent grad living with parents is doing so because they can't afford an apartment (with roommates). If the parents home is in a reasonable location for the commute and everyone gets along, living there for a couple years and saving a lot of money is a great way to start life on a solid financial footing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What undergraduate degrees allow a recent grad to live independently (modestly but not with parents) these days other than CS and Engineering? Does everything else require a graduate degree? Maybe marketing?

I am sorry, what? Any major from any good school. I am excluding grad school.