Degree in scientology
-
LIVE: GWS Giants v Brisbane Lions - 7:30PM Sat
Squiggle tips Lions at 65% chance -- What's your tip? -- Team line-ups »
-
AFLW 2024 - Round 3 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Tertiary and Continuing Which degrees are useless/useful?
- Thread starter rick James
- Start date
- Tagged users None
camsmith
Brownlow Medallist
LOL someone doesn't like Arts degrees.
I think it depends really on what you do the Arts degree for. For instance Arts with a diploma education can lead to a good career in teaching. Major in International relations/development (or politics) and there are many gov and non gov organisations you can work for in policy development or other similar areas.
Just a basic Arts degree in sociology or creative writing, cinema studies etc.. sure there isn't much scope in that without further studies or exceptional skill in a specific area. But to tar everyone that does Arts with the same brush (ie: all drop kicks/no career prospects) is pretty ignorant and elitist.
camsmith
Brownlow Medallist
So what do you study???
It's obvious isn't it.
Doesn't take away from my points. For example, a couple of my friends have an IT degree, hated it. Did (Arts) Education and now happily primary school teachers.
But to ask someone whats the better degree IT or Arts? Nine times out of ten they'd say IT. For some people it really isn't.
- Banned
- #380
Anything with a diploma can lead to teaching. And if you specifically want to become a bureaucrat, why would you do Arts when you could do Law or International Relations? The point is that there is no job out there for which Arts is ideal, or even preferred.
Your post reeks of someone trying desperately to rationalise a poor choice.
And for an Arts student to label someone else elitist is quite amusing (not that Arts students have a monopoly on smugness, but they do have a majority I'd say). I don't consider either of my degrees to be elite actually- I consider STEM degrees, particularly medicine and engineering to be elite degrees. Law is now just a glorified Arts degree, that's my point.
ron436
Debutant
- Jun 9, 2014
- 101
- 36
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
yep, you are right
imo, theology is useless and I definitely do not want to be a priest
Well I hated my engineering degree, but it got me a decent job which I don't mind. And yeah if you can handle teaching good for you, you'll always have work wherever you wanted to move. The better degree is the one which leads you to a job you can handle, it's different for everyone.
- Feb 11, 2009
- 28,079
- 35,083
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- #rompingwins
You study all the same stuff as any other arts degree, languages, literature, history and philosophy. It's still pretty popular in the UK for example.yep, you are right
Personal Protective Equipment?
Dagless
Hall of Famer
Keep on diggin' MB...
- Feb 11, 2009
- 28,079
- 35,083
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- #rompingwins
Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
- Banned
- #388
Anything constructive to say?
Dagless
Hall of Famer
Yes, because you've been a bastion of critical discussion.
camsmith
Brownlow Medallist
That is sort of what I had in mind when I started Arts, as its the only real pathway for a mature student.
Did you complete that in the UK?
Some pretty well known people have suceeded after completing a PPE. Current prime minister and opp leader in the UK for example, also our current PM.
I suppose it's about what grounding you want for teaching, public service etc.. Why would I do Law when I have no interest in it? As for trying to rationalise a 'poor choice'. Speaking for myself, I had limited options and to be in a uni environment after years of intermittent work and travel is exactly what I need at this point. Where I take it will determine whether it was a poor choice, or 'useless degree'.
Hollow Knight
Imperfect vessel
- May 3, 2005
- 96,998
- 108,274
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
- Other Teams
- Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
My Arts degree (Political Science & Public Policy majors with a heavy Economics flavour) got me jobs with clear career progression in government economic/regulatory policy, an economic think tank/advisory body, and (in conjunction with a Grad Dip) facilitated my move into teaching when I wanted a total career shift.
The blinkered view some people are expressing here about Arts degrees is pretty amusing. The Degree itself is one part of the picture. I'll take an Arts grad with well honed critical thinking, problem solving abilities, collaborative mindset and creativity over just another another Law grad with little else to offer professionally than the fact they were able to jump through the appropriate hoops at University.
If you are a good enough package and are able to demonstrate your "value-add" (hate that term), your particular paper scroll isn't the limiting force some would have you believe.
Obviously you do need to give some consideration to the market and to how you tailor your degree. If you dual major in Occult Studies and Russian Literature, then you aren't exactly doing yourself a favour.
The blinkered view some people are expressing here about Arts degrees is pretty amusing. The Degree itself is one part of the picture. I'll take an Arts grad with well honed critical thinking, problem solving abilities, collaborative mindset and creativity over just another another Law grad with little else to offer professionally than the fact they were able to jump through the appropriate hoops at University.
If you are a good enough package and are able to demonstrate your "value-add" (hate that term), your particular paper scroll isn't the limiting force some would have you believe.
Obviously you do need to give some consideration to the market and to how you tailor your degree. If you dual major in Occult Studies and Russian Literature, then you aren't exactly doing yourself a favour.
- Banned
- #392
Blinkered view much? And Law doesn't teach you critical thinking or problem solving skills either?
Law graduates are used to competition, you will find very few Law graduates that don't have a host of ECs at the same time.Not all Arts degrees are equal, I get that, and there are a few Arts majors which are useful, but all of them have equivalents which give you a technical grounding at the same time.
And you may have attained a "clear career progression in government economic/regulatory policy" but at the expense of having access to a wider range of jobs. Law graduates can work in law, but are also attractive in policy, compliance, mediation, research, management as well as whole bunch of other areas that you would struggle to gain access to because your degree path was too specific. And teaching is simply a matter of getting a grad dip, pointless to bring that up in the context of making Arts more attractive.
So, are there any career paths outside of "government" or teaching (both of which can be attained without getting an Arts degree) for Arts graduates?
Fact is, Arts is less attractive to employers than just about any other degree:
http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gca002770.pdf (page 6)
- Feb 11, 2009
- 28,079
- 35,083
- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- #rompingwins
Yeah, it's great IMO. Lots of focus on normative positions and teaching you to use the data as a starting point - rather than just speaking to the data or even worse just jamming the data in where it fits, like a political "scientist".
As for law - I hold a few views. Yes, it is a lot of rote learning and undergrad law students aren't nearly as smart as they like to think they are. But the content is still pretty challenging in parts so it produces some smart cookies who are across contracts and things that employers like to have confidence in their staff not to **** up.
Again the arts degree comes down to two things - where you did it and what you did. If you do a double major in gender studies and art history you're gonna have a much harder time than the person who did Politics/Econ/Geography etc.
Nothing really enlightening in my post... but eh.... i just woke up.
I currently have two double degrees (both science based) and yet the two most important factors for getting me jobs (all 100k+) were:
1) Knowing the right people.
2) Having a truck licence.
Forklift optional.
University is overrated.
1) Knowing the right people.
2) Having a truck licence.
Forklift optional.
University is overrated.
Hollow Knight
Imperfect vessel
- May 3, 2005
- 96,998
- 108,274
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
- Other Teams
- Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
Completely miss the point much? I was saying that a whole bunch of other factors about the candidate are just as crucial, if not moreso than the piece of paper. Was simply saying that in a contest between an exceptionally capable candidate with a suitable Arts degree and a merel average candidate with a Law degree, I don't think the academic credentials are going to be the decisive factor for me. (Unless I am hiring a lawyer).
Indeed, a valid counterpoint if that was indeed the context. Shame that it wasn't. I was merely countering the perspective expressed by some posters here that "Arts degree = complete waste of time".
You appear to have erroneously seen my post as some pissing contest between Arts and Law degrees (and responded accordingly) when it wasn't anything of the sort. Not even close.
Last edited:
NTRabbit
Brownlow Medallist
Never let facts get in the way of a good Law student rant against Arts degrees
Hollow Knight
Imperfect vessel
- May 3, 2005
- 96,998
- 108,274
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
- Other Teams
- Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
Indeed. A strange amount of chest-thumping in this thread. Hope it doesn't come at the expense of people getting good career advice.
- Banned
- #398
When you write "just another Law grad with little else to offer professionally than the fact they were able to jump through the appropriate hoops at University" you are inferring that these students are the norm, rather than the exception. The skills you described are inherantly taught, to a higher degree, in law than in Arts. I have degrees in both humanities and in law, so at least I am speaking from personal experience. You do not appear (as far as I can tell from your post) to have studied law, so I'm not sure how you can arrive at such a conclusion.
The basis for getting any degree is to enhance one's employment prospects. Simple as that. And getting an Arts degree is a waste of time when there are other specific degrees which teach both the skills you describe as well as providing technical knowledge or a grounding in the profession.
Very well, I will adjust my initial statement and say that most Arts are a waste of time, given that you appear to have made decent use of yours.
I'm also afraid you appear to have missed my point, not the other way around. And the point of the thread is comparing the utility of different degrees, forgive me all to hell for staying on topic.
Hollow Knight
Imperfect vessel
- May 3, 2005
- 96,998
- 108,274
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
- Other Teams
- Scuderia Ferrari, Dallas Cowboys
Yeahhhhh... You've gone and missed the point again.
Seems others got what I was saying.
Seems others got what I was saying.
- Banned
- #400
Is that all you've got in response? Come on man, you can do better than just give up.
Is that what they teach in Arts degrees?
You aren't making any point relevant to the topic of the thread.
