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A Major in Turfgrass?08-18-08 | News

A Major in Turfgrass?

For some 70 years, Penn State University had a major in agronomy with a concentration in turfgrass and enrolled an average of 50 students each year. When the school decided to make turfgrass its own major in 1992, enrollment boomed and would have kept rising if the school hadn?EUR??,,????'?????<

For the past 30 years, career-oriented majors like turfgrass science have been popping up in colleges nationwide, as an increasing number of students feel this kind of specialization will make them more competitive in tight job markets than a broader degree in liberal arts and sciences.

As of 2004, about 80 percent of all U.S. four-year institutions now offer degrees in practical studies?EUR??,,????'?????<

Too Specialized?

Anthony Marx, president of Amherst College, says there is a danger of overspecializing on the undergraduate level because it could prevent students from developing the broader critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills that graduates need to succeed in a competitive job market. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Marx says pragmatic skills can be learned on the job or in graduate or professional school programs, but a well-rounded education is harder to replicate. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Others disagree. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Penn State?EUR??,,????'?????<

Focused Degree

This is a common mindset among students and parents who realize that having a college degree, regardless of its focus, is no longer a guarantee for employment, says Marc Scheer, an education researcher and author of the book No Sucker Left Behind. He says pressure to choose the right major is greater than ever because of the rising cost of education, causing students and parents to start treating college more like an investment than academic endeavor. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

But Amherst?EUR??,,????'?????<

Mixed Messages

Meanwhile, employers are sending mixed signals on the issue. Of some 275 employers surveyed last year, one third said new graduates lacked communication and writing skills necessary for the workplace, according to the 2008 Job Outlook Survey. In the survey, communication skills ranked highest of qualities most desired by employers, whereas technical skills barely made the top 10 list. Yet a 2008 study by the National Center for Education Statistics suggests that, over time, specialization may be the economically safer route. Researchers tracked the experiences of 9,000 bachelor?EUR??,,????'?????<

Getting Stuck?

Still, some worry that students are choosing these specialized majors while in high school and may get stuck in a profession they don?EUR??,,????'?????<

Source: US News and World Reports