The numbers are in and communications, mathematics, science, languages and finance are the hot majors on campus. A few musings on the results:
First, to the College of Arts & Sciences: Congratulations to communications for once again being the popular major on campus (a position it has held since 2003.) However, this does not come as a surprise if one takes a look at the classes required for the major. The major allows students to pursue a plethora of opportunities upon entering the workforce in the areas of: journalism, production, public relations, advertising and broadcasting. For students in the College of Arts & Sciences, this major encompasses many desirable jobs and gives students, in this job economy, a leg up.

The rise in the number of students in the Pre-Med program is good news for the babyboomers, who will be in dire need of their services in the next two decades. Although perhaps that number will steadily begin dropping if President Obama and the Democrats get the one thousand page controversial healthcare bill passed.

The sudden increase of twenty million people to a healthcare program would send me running from that profession, either that or the lack of a glass ceiling for malpractice suits. Nonetheless, I wish you, happy seventeen hundred undergraduates, the best of luck!

It is gratifying to see the Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literature Department continue to grow by leaps and bounds in under a decade from just seven majors to forty-eight. Hopefully, the administration will allow more majors and minors to develop out of this expansion.

Perhaps by the time I graduate in 2011, BC will feel compelled that it has enough majors and minors in this department to finally getting around to naming the Asian American Scholarship after twenty-five years. It would be a shame to wait another decade for this scholarship to be named.

Next, to the Carroll School of Management: Despite the rough waters the economy has faced in the past two years, CSOM students seem to have faith that finance is still the wave of the future.

Add on that the Finance Department is ranked in the top twenty-five of the country and it is no wonder why it remains year in and out one of the most popular majors in the business school.

Accounting wrestled out marketing as the second most popular major in CSOM, a feat not accomplished since 1994. Perhaps this change can be accounted for all the changes currently underway in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after all the debacles last year with bonuses.

Economics, shared between A&S and CSOM, also continued its upward march. The major, a popular one for drop-out pre-med students, has been undergoing changes in the past year. For new freshmen, the number of electives has been cut from five to four, and a new class has been added under its required intermediate courses. However, I have often heard economics majors complain that there are too few electives to choose from and not enough professors in the economics department.

We have often heard the quote that “your undergraduate major” does not matter in the long run. And perhaps this is true. However, that does not give leeway to begin budget cutting.

Let me be clear, this is not an indictment against the administration but rather, in my opinion, a helpful set of guidelines. I realize BC has fallen on hard times from the economic crisis, however, now is the time to take a hard look at what can be done to make students enjoy their time here at BC.