Daggumit higher education, teach me how to “techy.” North Carolina is known for its top colleges and universities. It is also known for its high-tech jobs, ranking 9th in the country in a recent CNBC special report.
But even though the UNC system is producing some of the best and the brightest, it still is lacking when it comes to educating students in areas like science and technology.
The top undergraduate degrees for 2010-2011 at The University of North Carolina (a 17-campus system) are as follows:
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Psychology, General
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric
According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the following industries (in no particular order) are “thriving” in North Carolina: aerospace and aviation, defense, automotive, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, green and sustainable energy, financial services, and software and information technology.
Unless all the business majors are serving as administrators in these research, technology and energy jobs, a problem arises for many North Carolina students. Are there jobs for psychology majors in aviation? Can a registered nurse apply his or her education to the field of pharmaceuticals? While the answer may not be clear, there is inconsistency in the top majors and key industries in North Carolina.
Despite this, the state remains a leader in higher education. This week, WhichWayNC will explore why.
