course in instruction in what? What are you qualified to do? That is the question employers are asking. If you want a job, what skill set are you bringing to the table?

You come out of computer science, you can write code. You come out of materials engineering, you can work on new materials.

And at one time, a B in chemistry made you a professional with an ability to get a pretty good job. Now, that makes you a lab tech. You need a PhD to get a r&D job.

It is about the realities of the job market, not what someone wants them to be.