What are tertiary students choosing to study?

Abstract

Traditionally, high school graduates have placed a great deal of importance on the question “what field should I study and where?” There is a widespread assumption that this decision will determine their future and their job opportunities. Choosing a field of study means choosing a career, a professional identity, a sector of society, and to a certain extent also a way of life and a set of values. Yet there is no longer a straightforward relationship between the subject studied and future employment, as today’s students have a variety of ways to acquire new skills and multiple paths to specialise in different domains. People change jobs and professions more frequently and job mobility is becoming an increasingly important feature of contemporary labour markets.