Colleges Adapt to Evolving Job Market with Innovative Degree Programs
In the ever-changing landscape of higher education, colleges are introducing groundbreaking degree programs to align with the dynamic job market and attract prospective students. Recent initiatives in education have seen the launch of new majors in fields such as influencing, artificial intelligence (AI), and health sciences, marking a significant shift in academic offerings.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Wailin Wong and Ricky Mulvey from the Indicator at Planet Money delve into how educational institutions are overhauling their degree programs to meet modern employment demands.
WAILIN WONG, BYLINE:
Eddie Hernandez, affectionately known as Dr. H by his students, is a professor at UT San Antonio. He observed a need for a specialized health sciences degree that would better serve their student demographic.
EDDIE HERNANDEZ: “We have a fantastic biology degree, but it seemed a little broad, and it also seemed like it didn’t reflect our specific population of students.”
RICKEY MULVEY, BYLINE:
Case Brown, one of Dr. H’s students, was excited to learn about the new major, which meets all prerequisites for medical school and offers tailored courses aimed at preparing students for a career in medicine.
CASE BROWN: Dr. H came to me like, hey, Case, this is new. This is how it’d benefit you. I was like, cool, sign me up.
MULVEY: Dr. H reports that the current cohort consists of approximately 500 undergraduates.
WONG: If these aspiring doctors choose to establish their careers in Texas, the program will achieve another significant milestone.
MULVEY: The ultimate objective of these novel degrees is to ensure sustainable careers, leading to the removal of programs that lack a direct employment trajectory.
WONG: Over the past decade, liberal arts have faced challenges, with a notable 30% decline in humanities bachelor’s degrees since 2012, according to data from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
MULVEY: At the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), decisions regarding program offerings are heavily influenced by job market trends. This year, SCAD ceased new enrollments in its sculpture program, a decision driven by economic factors.
JASON FOX: “These are economic decisions, as much as they were – either A, we weren’t delivering on the promise, or B, there was no promise to deliver on because there was no market out there for it.”
WONG: Recognizing the growing demand for AI expertise, SCAD launched a major in applied AI in September 2025, partnering with Nvidia to enhance the program’s industry relevance.
MULVEY: Jason Fox, SCAD’s chief academic officer, emphasizes that the primary focus is on the employability of graduates.
FOX: “If you’re offering generalized degrees, especially in a specialty university like ours, it begs the question – OK, what am I going to do next? And at the undergraduate level, I don’t think education consumers today are comfortable with that.”
MULVEY: With the rising cost of higher education, students and their families are increasingly focused on the return on investment, prompting many institutions to add AI to their curriculum. Currently, there are around 80 AI majors available across the United States, as tracked by Northeastern University.
WONG: However, liberal arts are not entirely sidelined. UCLA’s new Department of Digital Humanities aims to integrate digital tools with the exploration of the human experience.
MULVEY: Ricky Mulvey.
WONG: Wailin Wong, NPR News.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
