In an age where people become rich without degrees, opting out of secondary education is becoming more normalized.

Freshly graduated high school students may fear the effort it takes to obtain a bachelor’s degree only to realize that they are still ill-prepared to function in a workplace environment. After all, it is not unreasonable to expect the experience in one’s degree program to groom them into a working member of society.

That begs the question: Are the degree programs at UTSA and other schools truly effective at preparing individuals for the workplace?

According to UTSA Today, UTSA carefully crafts degree programs that will carry individuals through post-graduate life.

“As UTSA grows, it’s intentionally building degree programs to help meet Texas’s projected workforce needs.”

Jalen Ray, an environmental science major who graduated in Spring 2023, says something similar to UTSA today.

“My degree helped me in landing the job I’m doing now,” Ray said. “I got my degree in environmental science, which is a mix of studying the traditional sciences and social sciences. I think that since I’m doing public health related work, the social sciences helped me in getting the job I have.”

Mo Benson, a business administration/management major who graduated from UTSA in the Fall of 2022, disagrees.

“It didn’t necessarily help me prepare for the workforce because I majored in business,” Benson said. Benson claimed that his major only gave him an idea of things to look out for on the job, while other things did not help him because there was no actual work experience in his degree program.

“Some of the stuff you have to learn from either a manager ahead of you or someone who has been doing it for a long time in your field,” Benson continued. According to Benson, his major did not focus much on the actual work they would be doing, instead paying more attention to the concepts they would need to understand relating to business.

While Benson’s statements suggest that degree programs are generally not the best at preparing students for the workforce, he did specify that he majored in business, saying that business may simply be an exception and not the rule.

A survey by eLearning firm, ‘Go1’, found that 61% of employees of various ages felt that their work experience had offered better preparation. Benson agreed that even though colleges like UTSA provide opportunities for work experience, degree programs do not do enough to push students toward that experience.

Spring 2022 graduate Melissa Santos received her degree in architecture and had a differing opinion on the necessity of degree programs.

“For architecture, when I entered the workforce, it was essential to have a degree to even have an understanding of the job,” Santos said. “Without a degree, I most likely would not have been hired at a firm because I would lack basic design knowledge and experience needed at a firm, even in a role as an intern.”

“Architecture requires many years of learning, experience and design development to really become proficient in the field,” Santos continued. “Additionally, to become a licensed architect most states require a master’s degree in architecture, so choosing the right degree program is essential in order to succeed in the workforce professionally.”