Pictured Above: On the St. Petersburg campus, biology was the most pursued major of the 36 undergraduate degrees offered.
Courtesy of Cassidy Schuck
By Edyn Gottlieb and Molly Ryan
What the USF St. Petersburg campus may lack in size, it makes up for in the diverse array of undergraduate degree programs it provides.
On the St. Petersburg campus, biology was the most pursued major of the 36 undergraduate degrees offered.
Students in this major may seek careers in:
- Biomedical science
- Agricultural and food science
- Environmental science
- Wildlife biology
- Conservation science
Dr. Deby Cassill, associate professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, believes that students are choosing majors in biology because it prepares them for 21st-century career opportunities.
“21st century jobs are related to ‘health’ or ‘green,’ ” Cassill said. “Biology covers a vast array of topics from DNA, to genes, to cells, to organisms, to communities, to ecosystems. In short, biology is us.”
The biology program was designed in 2012 by Campus Chair, Melanie Riedinger-Whitmore with the expectation that 50 students would enroll. This goal was far surpassed when 450 students enrolled for the first year. In five years, that number almost doubled as 850 students enrolled as biology majors.
“Our students are serious about learning and are laser-beam focused on getting the most out of the content of our courses,” Cassill said. “Personally, I learn as much from my students as they learn from me. They are a total pleasure to work with.”
Psychology was found to have the second most students pursuing an undergraduate degree.
A highly versatile major, psychology explores the science of human behavior: touching on the biology of the human brain, mental processes and cognitive and social development.
Career opportunities in psychology include:
- Mental health counseling
- Human resources
- Medical and health services
- Social work
While an undergraduate degree in psychology is a possible gateway for many careers, most of the listed jobs require a master’s degree in the major.
Health sciences ranked third on the list of most common majors at USF St. Petersburg.
“(Health sciences) combines many health disciplines into one,” according to the U.S. News and World Report. “Health sciences studies health and disease in the human body. Students in this major are prepared to work in a variety of health-related careers and settings and to pursue graduate-level education.”
This major is a comprehensive combination of lectures, coursework and hands-on lab experience: all centering around promoting the quality of health care, health research and its practices.
Some post-graduate school career prospects for health science majors include:
- Medical assistants
- Occupational therapists
- Radiology and ultrasound technicians
- Dietitians
- Health educators
Accounting came in as the fourth most sought after degree on campus.
According to the U.S. News and World Report, “Accounting majors learn how to create, maintain and audit a detailed and accurate system that displays the finances of a business or organization.”
Fundamental economic theory, business tactics and careful calculations are essential to the accounting major. Students in this major can pursue careers as:
- Certified public accountants
- Financial/budget analysts
- Investment bankers
- Stock market brokers
- Hedge fund managers
- Business and financial consultants
Education completes the list as the fifth most common major at the university.
Exploring the ways in which people think and learn, a major in education can lead to various positions from the classroom to the admissions office.
Education majors may find careers in:
- Academia
- Education communication
- Admission counseling
- After-school program directing
- Corporate training
Visit the Career Center or email them at usfspcareercenter@usf.edu for more degree-oriented career prospects.
