5 More New and Emerging College Majors

Social Media, Nanotechnology, Game Design / Development / Programming / Writing, Computer Security and Popular Culture Studies made it to our first post about new and emerging college majors. Here are 5 more that are new and emerging college majors that hold tremendous potential.

Data Science

Flickr user Berkeley Lab

Data scientists extract insights from large data sets and use that information to then resolve pressing problems. These experts are already in huge demand today and play a pivotal role. Renowned companies with data scientists including Amazon, Microsoft, and also Yelp. In a few years that demand is expected to grow even more.

A degree in data science will teach you how to use predictive modeling, data mining, statistics, and also other tools to analyze and better understand customer behavior. This information can help organizations make smarter decisions on what strategies to employ to maximize productivity and profits.

Robotics

Robotics has gone from a fun hobby pursued during off-school hours to a career with huge potential. Students who major in robotics apply their expert theoretical knowledge and technical skills to diverse applications including autonomous vehicles, mechanism design, computational game theory, and also artificial intelligence.

Robotics graduates can look forward to a promising future in a wide range of niche fields. That includes fields from human assistance and home entertainment to several different commercials, and also military applications.

Homeland Security Management

Flickr user Nick

Homeland Security Management is hot right now and all indications point to it being poised for unprecedented growth for the foreseeable future. It’s not surprising, considering current U.S. security threats at various levels.

A major in homeland security management prepares students for the real world. Students who enroll in this program take extensive classes in terrorism, cyber-terrorism, crisis management, and disaster planning. They also have opportunities to do internships at local law enforcement agencies and even the FBI and the White House. Many colleges hire former military intelligence officers and ex FBI and CIA agents as instructors.

Biomedical Engineering

While biomedical engineering was being offered by a few colleges over the past 20 years, it remained a low-key major because of the lack of career prospects. Huge technological and scientific advancements in recent years have catapulted this field to the forefront.

Biomedical engineering is a challenging program with students taking classes in biology, medicine, and engineering. Graduates in this discipline have the knowledge and skills to design revolutionary medical devices that help to improve patients’ quality of life.

Environmental and Eco-Friendly Studies

With environmental concerns becoming a pressing issue today, more and more colleges offer sustainability-related academic programs in order to inculcate a pro-active approach to sustainability. A major in environmental studies encompasses multiple fields of study, from environmental policy and ecology to math, engineering and law.

Most colleges focus on applied skills rather than theoretical learning. Students who graduate in environmental and eco-friendly studies go on to work as environmental-compliance officers, energy auditors, and also sustainability coordinators in the government and large multi-national corporations.

Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.