If you want a warm-and-fuzzy academic experience, the conventional advice is to skip the sciences. Most professors in these fields are hired for their research skills—i.e., their ability to win federal grants—rather than their teaching skills. Students who have any trouble with the coursework are often encouraged to find another major.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, just 40 percent of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) students will end up getting a degree in their current major. In light of these circumstances, the Obama administration recently announced a series of measures designed to raise retention rates within the sciences. These include the following:
- Create additional research opportunities for science undergraduates.
- Create new two- and four-year science degrees.
- Fund projects to improve the quality of science teaching.
According to the Obama administration, a modest increase in the retention rate of STEM majors would create most of the science degrees the U.S. needs for the coming decade.
Click here to learn more on the Chronicle of Higher Education.
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