What is considered a useless degree?
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Original post by Calllu-m
How is History useless? It's so transferable and respected by many employers. I'd check the graduate prospectuses if I were you.
It's just that I don't know where history could get you, besides being a historian or a teacher.
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Original post by Mrkingpenguin
Let's also see which important people have arts degrees...
Barack Obama, david cameron, boris johnson, most MPs....
Barack Obama, david cameron, boris johnson, most MPs....
PPE is a very respected and useful degree, Politics and Economics are social sciences.
Law is Law.
Classics another useless Arts degree, but you don't need a degree to get into politics. I believe John Major didn't have a degree at all.
Original post by azg545
Very close, take out english lit and history. Place them in the bad or moderate.
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DISAGREE!
The most respectable degrees: Medicine, Law, Physics, Chemistry, History, English Literature, Economics, Philosophy, Dentistry etc
Original post by NYU2012
What's so bad about being a historian or lecturer?
Someone with an english degree can go on to do a plethora of things - journalist/writer/editor/publisher/etc.etc.etc.
I have a degree in philosophy; it's highly appreciated by my law lecturers as it greatly helps for philosophy of law, analyzing logical structure, etc.
Many Arts degrees are very useful. There are a number of employers who do not appreciate graduates of maths of sciences because often their communication skills, as well as understanding of subjects outside of maths and sciences, are lacking.
Someone with an english degree can go on to do a plethora of things - journalist/writer/editor/publisher/etc.etc.etc.
I have a degree in philosophy; it's highly appreciated by my law lecturers as it greatly helps for philosophy of law, analyzing logical structure, etc.
Many Arts degrees are very useful. There are a number of employers who do not appreciate graduates of maths of sciences because often their communication skills, as well as understanding of subjects outside of maths and sciences, are lacking.
Nothing wrong with being a Historian or lecturer, its just the obvious job associated with a History degree.
You don't need an English degree to be a writer or journalist which I'm sure you know.
Original post by Basiji
PPE is a very respected and useful degree, Politics and Economics are social sciences.
Law is Law.
Classics another useless Arts degree, but you don't need a degree to get into politics. I believe John Major didn't have a degree at all.
Law is Law.
Classics another useless Arts degree, but you don't need a degree to get into politics. I believe John Major didn't have a degree at all.
And your point is? Oh and i think your'll find major is the exception not the rule...
Original post by Mrkingpenguin
And your point is? Oh and i think your'll find major is the exception not the rule...
Eh, kier hardie?
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Original post by NYU2012
These seem quite questionable. But I think the Durham course isn't as silly as it seems; I think it looks at the sociological influences of works like Harry Potter.
These definitely aren't as silly as you're making them out to be, although at face value they probably seem that way.
The course at USC will analyze the sociology of fame, how GaGa attained fame so quickly, etc.
The name of the university in NJ is "Rutgers", no apostrophes. It will likely examine the influence Beyoncé has, what is it to have a political identity, what it is to have political power, how it is that non-political individuals come to have quasi-political power/influence.
These definitely aren't as silly as you're making them out to be, although at face value they probably seem that way.
The course at USC will analyze the sociology of fame, how GaGa attained fame so quickly, etc.
The name of the university in NJ is "Rutgers", no apostrophes. It will likely examine the influence Beyoncé has, what is it to have a political identity, what it is to have political power, how it is that non-political individuals come to have quasi-political power/influence.
This is what I wanted to say, but didn't quite have the eloquence to.
I think there are very few useless degrees. They all serve their use. Sure, some I think are more or less useful than others. But there are very few who are fully and genuinely useless.
Original post by Mrkingpenguin
And your point is? Oh and i think your'll find major is the exception not the rule...
Sigh.... PPE (Cameron) is not an Arts degree neither is Law (Obama).
So what if Boris Johnson done Classics? You don't need a degree to get into politics.
So Cameron and Obama didn't do an Arts degree, Boris Johnson did an Arts degree but you don't even need a degree to get into politics.
I can give you a long list of people who done a Science/Maths degree and contributed more to society than these hypocritical politicians.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Mrkingpenguin
I really hope you know what 'arts' means as opposed to art...
All of those subjects are of the arts...
All of those subjects are of the arts...
Correction: Law is actually a social science.
Original post by azg545
It's just that I don't know where history could get you, besides being a historian or a teacher.
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Law. There are a fair few barristers and solicitors who did a degree in History.
Original post by Rascacielos
Correction: Law is actually a social science.
Social sciences are normally lumped in with the arts rather than with the natural sciences. That's why universities don't normally give out a Bsc in Sociology, History, Linguistics, Archaeology etc. Law has far more in common with philosophy than with physics.
Original post by jamsie555
it's a 3 year degree too! is there 3 years worth of work in studying vikings?
Given that many academics devote their lives to it, the answer to that question is an emphatic "yes".
Original post by arty
DISAGREE!
The most respectable degrees: Medicine, Law, Physics, Chemistry, History, English Literature, Economics, Philosophy, Dentistry etc
The most respectable degrees: Medicine, Law, Physics, Chemistry, History, English Literature, Economics, Philosophy, Dentistry etc
I'm an open mind type of person, so explain why history and english lit. Then my opinion might change.
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Original post by Great Lord Xenu
Social sciences are normally lumped in with the arts rather than with the natural sciences. That's why universities don't normally give out a Bsc in Sociology, History, Linguistics, Archaeology etc. Law has far more in common with philosophy than with physics.
It's always been my understanding that there's more than just "the arts" and "the sciences." There are plenty of subjects in between. If you must, Law is usually given in the form of an LLB so I guess it could be it's own individual subject (I think someone has suggested this).
Have you ever studied Law? I'd happily argue that law is just as close to the sciences as it is to a subject like history, although I suppose that depends on what approach you take to it.
Original post by azg545
I'm an open mind type of person, so explain why history and english lit. Then my opinion might change.
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History and English lit are about research, analysis and writing skills which are all invaluable skills to many employers. A subject does not have to be taken literally into a career.
Original post by lascelles
History and English lit are about research, analysis and writing skills which are all invaluable skills to many employers. A subject does not have to be taken literally into a career.
I see, basically it could contribute to getting you into a good job. Makes sense then, thx
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Original post by azg545
I'm an open mind type of person, so explain why history and english lit. Then my opinion might change.
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In my opinion English in particular is a VERY USEFUL DEGREE because it has amazing transferable skills. The close analysis of text is combined with the ability to be able to articulate mature ideas both verbally and through writing. The subject also allows for limitless research possibilities. Unlike other subjects where you are just learning information through non-fiction, literature is particularly powerful because the reader can become completely immersed in another time period through an author's work. English is a very broad subject and from my own experience (I'm not an English student
) english students/graduates are usually fairly intelligent and excel at general knowledge. Within English you study history, English language, philosophy, anthropology to some extent, law, politics etc. You have to learn context - therefore many subjects are covered.I think there are so many professions a degree in English would be particularly strong for.
Basically unless you're doing something totally vocational like law, medicine, dentistry, sciences, acting etc, degrees are not usually about a direct career path, but about transferable skills. So your degree will be fine as long as you have good transferable skills which are highly employable. Subjects that you quickly dismissed like English and History are known to have very good transferable skills.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Rascacielos
It's always been my understanding that there's more than just "the arts" and "the sciences." There are plenty of subjects in between. If you must, Law is usually given in the form of an LLB so I guess it could be it's own individual subject (I think someone has suggested this).
Have you ever studied Law? I'd happily argue that law is just as close to the sciences as it is to a subject like history, although I suppose that depends on what approach you take to it.
Have you ever studied Law? I'd happily argue that law is just as close to the sciences as it is to a subject like history, although I suppose that depends on what approach you take to it.
Yes, I agree with you that there is no clear boundary between the arts and the sciences. I study linguistics, which is about as interdisciplinary a subject as you can get; it's influenced by just about everything, from computer science to philosophy.
I'm interested in why you think that law is scientific. The basic definition of "science" is the study of the natural world through observations and repeatable experiments. That doesn't sound much like law to me.
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