Be wary of these trendy degree programs; they risk becoming a breeding ground for unemployment

Monday, Jul 20, 2026

Popular wisdom warns against certain careers; new fields like Criminology and Psychology face oversupply despite high student demand.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Popular wisdom suggests certain careers like Philosophy, Journalism, and Art History have poor job prospects, though vocation can overcome this. However, new fields are gaining popularity among young people despite potential labor market saturation. Criminology, Video Game Development, and Psychology exemplify this trend: student enrollment and educational offerings have surged without corresponding employment growth, risking unemployment. These fields occupy a middle ground between the low employability of humanities and the strong prospects of engineering or health sciences. Sociologist José Saturnino Martínez García notes that job mismatches often stem from structural or trendy factors, criticizing the marketing of certain degrees like Criminology, which people confuse with forensic science.

Criminology saw massive enrollment growth fueled by media trends, but its actual employment rate is modest when contextualized; many graduates work in related fields rather than strictly as criminologists. While private and online universities are expanding offerings, public universities are criticized for not updating their curricula sufficiently. The National Criminology Law is hoped to expand professional roles beyond current limitations.

Video Game Development faces a paradox: high student interest contrasts with a stagnant industry growth rate that cannot absorb all new graduates. Despite this, technical skills remain highly sought after in the private sector. Psychology is experiencing unprecedented demand due to increased societal awareness of mental health. While enrollment is booming and access is increasing, job placement remains slow; the market struggles to keep pace with the rapid increase in qualified graduates, especially in the public sector where more professionals are needed. Experts conclude that responsible planning involving universities, healthcare policy, and human resources is necessary to prevent these popular fields from becoming sources of underemployment.


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