Is media studies degree rubbish?

university is a job training institution

No, it's actually not. That is actually what polys were for. University is actually, and traditionally has always been, to promote independent thought and questioning. University is not "THE NEXT STEP" after college which helps you get a job, that's just what people going into a few, very defined positions (medical, law, teaching) or corporate-drone positions believe.

I've worked professional for 10 years since graduating high school (US) as an IT manager, social media and internet marketing specialist, and as a film producer/various aspects of production. I am now going back to university to study film studies, as it's something I enjoy. After getting my bachelors, I plan to go to Columbia, NYU, or USC to attain a MFA (or MFA/MBA) in Film Producing. Having already worked professionally, I already know a degree does not guarantee a job, nor does it guarantee success, as I have achieved those on my own already (I own a home in the US, have investments that allow me to live comfortably, etc). Now, I have the chance to study something I'm interested in, which will allow me to do well and let me study further at the Masters level. A MFA program at one of hte institutions I listed will take on anywhere from 6-25ish students a year, and at the end of the program, those students are courted for Hollywood studio exec positions, or they go on to produce their own films (many popular films, one of which, off the top of my head, being the Hurt Locker).

A degree is, of course, only what you make of it. The majority of your success lies in you yourself.

edit: I might add that at home in the US, the kind of people that would consider a media studies degree rubbish would also consider English, History, Philosophy, Psychology, etc rubbish subjects. It's all subjective. And plenty of grad jobs just require a 2.1 from a good uni, my husband works at a top consultancy, and he has a "combined social sciences" degree from Durham. Seen as a "soft" degree, he's doing quite well for himself with it.

i don't even know what you are trying to say but for your first degree you care about job prospects but later you can take a degree that you enjoy because you have financial safety.

What I am trying to say is it doesn't matter what degree you get for job prospects because getting a job depends on your abilities, intelligence, and skills. You can get plenty of grad jobs with ANY degree, and alternatively, you can get plenty of great paying jobs with NO degree. It isn't worth it to study a degree you don't enjoy.

edit: and as a 27 year old homeowner, even if it is anecdotal, I'm pretty sure what I'm saying isn't complete BS.

some jobs only interview grads from top unis as well and stats say media studies isn't good for employment.

After seeing my Cousin come out of Uni with a degree in Media studies and walking into a VERY good job, I'd disagree. However, after seeing some of the people at my college, whom are progressing to University to do the subject then I can see why people have this opinion. They're idiots to put it plainly, and this is why it reflects badly on the degree, because its dumbed down by people like this who go and take the course because it is done at relatively poor Universities with low entry requirements.

So unless you have done Science, Maths, Medicine, or Law, your degrees are useless?

With all due respect, you'll find a lot of the people at top 25/30 universities, who think academia is everything, when it really is not. That's why you find degrees like History and English floating all around the high scale employment areas. In fact, History is the most common degree amongst FTSE 100 directors, so it obviously got them on a path to somewhere. Also, History is not simply going to library, finding a book and quoting from it. At degree level, you have to have a solid passion for History to imagine things in the time your studying, analyse different factors etc.

People are suited to all kinds of different subjects. You'll probably also find that Arts and Humanities graduates can do the general number crunching and AS level Maths that are required for most jobs, as well as possessing the communication, writing, social and analytical skills that firms want. I would bet that the most Science and Maths graduates would struggle to write a report, have good presentation skills as well as social skills, because for those subjects your mind literally works like a factory; there's only one answer, which means you don't really create, and you could stick your head in a book and do 1000 questions and you'll eventually get there.

As for Law, well a lot of people do it and don't actually get very far. Doing History or something keeps your options open for a conversion degree, because Law is quite streamlined for, just Law. I've been told employers sometimes question Law graduates who apply for non-law graduate positions because it gives an indication that they're indecisive.

you can't really compare History to Media studies, can you?

OP wasn't asking if History is good or not! So stop defending your subject of History so fervently and making a non-point.