(ECNS) - University students who major in biology, engineering, or law could be faced with worrying prospects when it comes to job hunting after graduation, according to researchers.
Since 2010, biology, engineering and law have been labeled as "red" subjects, which means they have unpromising employment opportunities. Of the 15 majors listed as "red", five are technology majors and four are in the arts, reported China Youth Daily on Tuesday.
The research is published by an institute called Mycos, which releases annual integrative data on employment prospects for college graduates from different majors based on data from the previous three years.
Applied physics, applied psychology and music performance are listed as "red" for the first time according to the 2015 data. In contrast, students studying biology, technology and animation have seen their odds improve.
In October 2014, China's Ministry of Education also published a similar "black list" based on data from 2012 and 2013, highlighting several college majors with worrying employment prospects, including food security and nutrition, biology, tourism management, marketing, animation and theater.
Employment prospects depend on the overall economy as well as national policies, says Ma Yan, a researcher from Mycos.
According to Yang Dongping from Beijing Institute of Technology, "red" majors are either a consequence of universities' over-production in the field, or they are subjects that have always had a small volume, such as philosophy and history.
