MAJORLY APPEALING NURSING, BUSINESS AMONG TOP DISCIPLINES AT NORTH SHORE COLLEGES

By Katie Lovett The Chamber

Colleges and universities around the North Shore are seeing steady enrollment numbers for their largest majors -- including nursing, business and education -- and officials expect those numbers to keep growing over the next decade.

Students are drawn to these fields because they are interesting and challenging, but also for the job security they offer post-graduation, officials say.

At Endicott College, the most-enrolled majors are Nursing, Business Management, and Exercise Science, according to Anthony Donaldson, assistant vice-president of marketing.

As part of a $20 million partnership with the Cummings Foundation, the college is currently constructing a state-of-the-art new building on its Beverly campus for its nursing and sport science program.

Endicott offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Master of Science in Global Health Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Education, and Family Nurse Practitioner; plus a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing.

The majors with the highest five-year growth rates are Engineering, Marketing Communications/Advertising, and History, Donaldson added.

At Salem State, where the top five largest programs for the last five years overall have been Business, Nursing, Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Education, students want a discipline that allows for real-world training, Director of Public Relations Nicole Giambusso said.

“While we can’t speak to why each student chooses their major, many students have expressed interest in disciplines that include internships and field experiences, and where they see a path to a career that is both of