A recent study has found that people who study a social science at university are the most employable after they graduate. The study showed that 84 percent of social science graduates are in employment three and a half years after their degrees. This is in comparison with 79 percent of graduates who had taken a humanities degree and 78 percent of graduates who had studied a science, engineering or mathematics based subject.
The study was undertaken by the Campaign for Social Sciences, an initiative that began in 2011 to work on raising the profile of social sciences. James Wilsdon, the Chair of the Campaign said, “the Campaign was set up a couple of years ago to try and raise the visibility of social sciences in policy debates, in the media and in broader public debate.”
He commented on the results of the study saying, “It should help to remind decision makers of the critical importance of those subjects and of the value that they are bringing to the workplace.”
Oxford students were similarly enthused by the news. An E&M finalist said “As a finalist job hunter, it’s heartening to hear that social science students are seen as more employable. When facing such a grim jobs market, it’s good to know that the skills I have developed whilst doing my degree can translate into tangible results.” Paul Moroz, who studies PPE, said “It’s great to know that all those 9am lectures will be worth it.”
Other students however were not intimidated by the success of social science graduates. A third year Classicist commented, “As a classicist, I think that my degree, or any arts degree, fosters skills of analysis and communication just as much as a social science degree does. I do not think that I’m disadvantaged by studying for an arts degree, nor would I have picked a social science degree in preference because it may be more employable.”
This sentiment was shared by Shearer West, the Head of the Humanities Division at Oxford who claimed students should not be put off studying humanities or scientific subjects because they might be less employable. She said “Generally, I feel that the collective evidence demonstrates that pupils at school should feel confident in choosing an academic subject that reflects their interests and passions and not feel deterred by anxieties about their future career prospects.”
The study also found that not only do more social scientists find employment after they graduate, but there are also more social science graduates in jobs like senior officials or managers. 7.6 percent of people who have social science degrees are in jobs like these compared to only 3.6 percent of people who did mathematics or science based degrees.
A Balliol Chemist however was unconvinced by the findings; he said “I find it hard to believe. The statistical maths and computer programming, and complex problem solving learned during a science degree can be applied almost anywhere. Scientists have the widest range of transferable skills and I think employers know that.”
