Muhlenberg College Releases Class of 2011 Career Survey

Muhlenberg College has released the responses of its annual career survey, submitted by members of the class of 2011, who report on their employment status or enrollment in advanced studies.

 Wednesday, November 14, 2012 09:58 AM

This year, 92 percent of the class chose to participate in this survey, and 97 per cent are employed full time or enrolled in graduate or professional schools.                                                      

Of the 444 survey respondents, 304 graduates are currently employed full-time.  A sample of companies where positions have been obtained includes the National Institutes of Health, Northwestern Mutual, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs, Edelman and CNBC.  Five students received Teach for America placements in cities across the nation, and one student accepted a position in the Peace Corps.  The career survey breaks down all respondent information by the primary major of each respondent, which highlights the diverse range of possibilities students can choose from following graduation.      

One hundred and twenty seven survey respondents made the decision to enroll in a program of advanced study.  Perhaps in no other areas has Muhlenberg been more successful than in its placement of students in medical and law schools during their senior year.  Muhlenberg’s success rates with medical and law school placement historically average between 70 percent and 90 percent, and the College does not prohibit any student from applying to medical or law schools.   

In the class of 2011, 22 survey respondents reported they are pursuing advanced study in the health professions field.  As Muhlenberg is known for its strong science programs, it is no surprise that advanced study in health professions is a popular option for students.  In the class of 2011, students pursuing medical degrees received placements in a number of prestigious institutions including Drexel University College of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine.  Five graduates went on to study at Jefferson Medical College of Health Professions of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where the College has a cooperative agreement that allows students to receive their degree from Muhlenberg in three years and go on to receive a doctorate of physical therapy or a master’s degree in occupational therapy.  In the past four years, nine Muhlenberg graduates have gone on to pursue biomedical research at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Additionally, students are also enrolled in the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. 

Although there is no pre-law major at Muhlenberg, it is offered as a pre-professional program and students from an assortment of academic backgrounds choose to pursue law after graduation.  In the class of 2011, 16 survey respondents reported attending a law school.  Majors in business, economics, English, history, political science, psychology and religion studies enrolled in law schools including the Washington College of Law at American University, Fordham University School of Law, Villanova University School of Law and the University of Miami School of Law.    

89 additional survey respondents are attending graduate school pursuing advanced degrees in other areas.  Some of the institutions enrolled in include Boston University to study biostatistics, Carnegie Mellon University to study biology and Princeton University to study chemistry.  In addition, the class of 2011 has two members attending Yale University, two at the University of Pennsylvania, four at Lehigh University, six at Columbia University and eight at New York University, pursuing degrees in a variety of subjects.   

Muhlenberg students are encouraged to begin using the College’s Career Center as early as their first year, and the center vigorously assists students in exploring careers, finding internships and jobs and seeking admission to graduate school.  The annual career survey is used as a way to demonstrate their success in this endeavor.   

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  The Muhlenberg experience is characterized by a deep sense of community and connection, intense student-faculty relationships and collaboration; small classes; passionate teaching and active learning; and powerful outcomes in terms of graduate school and entry-level career placement.