On May 18, 1,221 students expect to graduate from Youngstown State University. Most will earn a degree from either the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services.
YSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Policy Analysis collects and organizes academic and non-academic data for the university. According to their statistics, 301 graduation applications have come from the College of Health and Human Services, while another 256 are from the College of STEM.
Joseph Mosca, the dean of the BCHHS, the largest college on campus, said that students are attracted to the health field for several reasons.
“I believe that first and foremost, the professional degrees that are offered in the health and human service disciplines are highly marketable,” Mosca said.
“Another factor that influences student’s choices in health and human services field is that our academic programs maintain national accreditation.”
Martin Abraham, dean of the College of STEM, said this year’s graduation numbers are “pretty typical.” The College of STEM is the second largest college on campus and consists of many full-time students.
“There are opportunities for STEM and HHS students that lead students to gravitate to these fields,” Abraham said. “Depending on the program our students are in, they are doing well finding jobs. … We appreciate the employers recognizing the capabilities of our graduates.”
Both Mosca and Abraham commended graduates on their ability to persevere to graduation.
“Students must complete very rigorous curriculum demands as well as comprehensive clinical experiences or field internships in their respective majors,” Mosca said. “I am impressed with and proud of our students and their commitment to the health, human service and safety needs of people in our society.”
Abraham also commented on student work ethic.
“[The number of STEM graduates] comes from the size of the program and the ability of the students to persevere to graduation,” Abraham said.
Karly Herman, senior nursing major at YSU, said she is sad to leave the university, but she’s not worried about finding a job in health and human services.
“I am glad to be done putting in all the hard work and see it pay off and be able to graduate. But at the same time, it will be sad to leave the friends that I have made,” Herman said. “I have been applying at hospitals in the Cleveland and Akron area. … There are a lot of job opportunities in nursing.”
George Kubas, a chemical engineering major at YSU, said he doesn’t plan to immediately enter the workforce.
“I am not really too sad to be leaving YSU because I hope to stay here. I have been accepted to grad school at YSU, and I have applied to the Ph.D. in material science to try to be able to skip my masters and go straight to get my Ph.D.,” Kubas said.