A career study may have students considering changing their majors to those in the College of Science and Engineering.

According to a New York Times article, a recent study conducted by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce showed disciplines based in science and math, such as engineering and statistics, are the second largest growing job field. Richard Rinewalt, associate dean for undergraduate studies of the College of Science and Engineering, said the college has grown since last year, and credited a “renewed interest in technology” for the increase.

The College of Science and Engineering has an enrollment of 1,468 undergraduate students, an increase of 87 students since last year, Rinewalt said.

This year, 222 students are majoring in engineering and 73 are majoring in mathematics. Biology accounts for 411 majors and psychology for 447 majors.

A salary survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers surveyed 893 mechanical engineering jobs and found the average salary offer was $60,345 annually. A survey of 92 mathematics employers yielded the annual salary of $53,914.

J.B. Litterer, a senior mechanical engineering major, said he was not surprised to find that individuals who major in math and science disciplines have greater job opportunities than those in other fields of study. He said he heard that after graduation he could make $60,000 to $80,000 a year. 

Litterer credited TCU Career Services for helping students find job opportunities. He interviewed with  EOG Resources, an oil and gas producing company after finding it on FrogJobs. FrogJobs offers a huge advantage to students looking for employment, he said.

Susan Sledge, assistant director of employer relations, said she worked with engineering and math majors frequently in the quest for job opportunities.

Sledge said students may overlook opportunities within a company. She gave an example of a student who decided to major in political science. This individual could get a job in marketing for governmental candidates and analyze how the public responds to the candidates and what they could do to get votes.

“That’s marketing, but your degree is actually in political science,” Sledge said.

When searching for a job, students should  draw attention to skills they have learned, as well as what employers see on a degree, she said.