With plenty of innovative sectors on the rise, including robotics, machine learning, big data or blockchain, today’s labour market will be witnessing substantial changes in the following couple of years. Consequently, choosing the right study course for you is incredibly important, so you should do your homework before going off to university. To that end, we set out to identify the best courses to sign up for going into 2023 — taking into account popularity and job market opportunities.
Hopefully, you’ll be able to find something that both suits your interests and ensures a successful and rewarding career in the long run.
1. Computer science
Our number one hardly comes as a surprise, seeing the evolution of the labour market over the last decade or so. Technology has been making its way into business and other areas of our society more and more and the field itself is quite broad, as specializations range from programming, game technology and numerical/linguistic analysis, to databases, network security and AI, among others. According to CWJobs, the average annual salary in the UK for computer scientists is £57,500, but it can go up to £87,500 in Central London.
2. Business management
According to data from MyTopSchools, the US sees the highest number of students enrolled in business management study programs and the trend has definitely crossed the ocean already. As another complex and diverse area of study, business management can drive your career towards accounting, administration, marketing, finance or even leadership, providing you with the ins and outs of managing everything from small-scale corner stores to huge companies worth millions. The average salary for business managers in the UK is £55,000.
3. Digital technologies
The UK is also emerging as a global leader in digital technologies and there has been a drastic increase in the number of such courses at the national level. Moreover, approximately 80% of UK businesses are expected to spike up the hiring of data scientists in the following years, for example, making this career path a potentially secure and successful one. Additionally, you can work as an electronics engineer, software developer, solutions architect or forensic computer analyst. Average salaries vary depending on employer and job description but you can expect annual earnings exceeding £50K.
4. Civil engineering
In the diverse field of engineering, civil engineering is generally regarded as one of the widest and most extensively employable sub-specialties. Companies in very different industries seek out competent engineers who possess structural skills and expertise. Engineering has no less than 37 different sub-specialties in the UK. Nowadays, civil engineering is gaining more ground as a wide range of services (from highways and airports to electricity, water access and buildings) need to be accessible to an increasing number of people. Current average salaries in engineering hover around £42,000 but can go much higher depending on the exact industry you work in.
5. Public health and nursing
The study of epidemiology started making waves (no pun intended) and played a crucial role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Medicine, in general, still represents one of the best courses to study at the university level, ensuring a rewarding career path and numerous employment opportunities in global health organizations, research centers and major institutions. Additionally, besides the practice of doctors, the skills and abilities of nurses are very much sought after nowadays, making this a secure career decision. Another up-and-coming sub-specialty is home healthcare, which is increasingly acknowledged as an important part of the larger healthcare system. Salaries in these fields differ considerably depending on sub-specialty and employer, but they are generally rewarding.
6. Project management
Nowadays, globalised companies are eager to find people who can manage the entire lifecycle of a project in a variety of cultural and socio-economic contexts. The complexities of the increasingly international business arena lead to a growing need for critical awareness and industry-specific skills which can ensure that a project successfully reaches its closing and implementation stage. In this sense, decision-making abilities and efficient communicational processes are essential values regardless of the type of business you are part of. The average salaries for project managers in the UK hover around £50,000.
7. Social media marketing
Being the fastest-growing sub-field in marketing, it is no wonder that more and more students regard it as an exciting career path. Successfully running marketing campaigns on social media has its own particularities, but once you get the gist of lead generation, innovative marketing practices and market branding, you will be able to plan, execute and deliver solid marketing strategies for companies. Social media marketing is incredibly interdisciplinary, so you will acquire skills related to overall communication strategies, SEO, data analysis, copywriting, video editing, public relations and much more. Digital marketing experts get paid £47,500 on average and social media marketing is not far behind it, in terms of earnings.
8. Law
The profession of a business lawyer is currently booming in the UK and the trend is expected to continue. Companies of all shapes and sizes need legal counsel and attorneys for their legal affairs. Besides private practice and government positions, you can work as an in-house lawyer or go into legal publishing and journalism, along with several other opportunities. Additionally, the UK is regarded as having one of the best systems of legal education, so there’s no better place to kick off your judicial career. Salaries certainly vary depending on the exact position and job description, but the annual average of £47,500 can give your a rough idea of your future earnings.
9. Mental health counselling
Mental health issues are on everybody’s minds in today’s world and for good reason. Given the anxieties and stress of modern-day living, it is no wonder that educational opportunities in this field also abound. Emotional and psychological issues can be addressed efficiently by mental health professionals who thus have a direct impact on the lives and well-being of patients. As a counsellor, you can learn about preventing and treating distress and you can help people live healthier and happier lives. Average salaries in the field of mental health hover around £25,000 but can go up to £37,500.
10. Finance and accounting
Finance degrees open up a lot of doors and provide various employment options for graduates. As the world advances from an economic and technological standpoint, businesses need more accountants and financial specialists. Besides acquiring analytical and problem-solving abilities, you will also learn how to work with numbers in an efficient way. Moreover, all industries need specialists who can deal with financial information, so graduates stand a good chance of being employed in the first six months after finishing the course. The average annual salary for financial jobs currently stands at £52,500.
