This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

'SPS is a disgrace to Cambridge and to academia in general'. Discuss.

Self-explanatory.

(edit-I refer to the actual degree course, SPS, not its various sub-disciplines ((politics, anthropology, etc)), which can actually be very reputable at other institutions).

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

FadedJade

What is the point of this thread?

Where's Craghyrax?

I respect it quite a lot from what I know of it.

If I was to nominate subjects for unworthiness it'd be something like ASNaC.

Reply 4

thelostchild

Land Economy anyone :wink:

Reply 5

Greatleysteg

It's no PPE, but surely you're being a bit harsh?

Did you apply and get rejected or something?

Reply 6

jcb914

gooseymcgoose

I respect it quite a lot from what I know of it.

If I was to nominate subjects for unworthiness it'd be something like ASNaC.

I agree. ASNaC or Oriental Studies seem worse than SPS.

Land Economy seems a strong degree - they have excellent career prospects and, from what I have seen, the course is very academic and detailed.

Reply 7

HCD

thelostchild

Land Economy anyone :wink:

Where's epitome when you need her? :wink:

Reply 8

LeeHyori

It all depends on what you are interested in. Oriental Studies sounds interesting - not that I am going to take it - but still :p:

Reply 9

The Sherminator

Come on... SPS sounds like a great course, you can't berate that subject.

Reply 10

MC REN

Yer, it isn't (a disgrace). Discussion over?

Reply 11

immediate_escape

Surely ASNaC is quite a rigorous course, as well. It looks extremely challenging...and surely it's just as useful (or useless, depending on how you see it) as something like Classics.

Reply 12

Jigglypuff

OP, maybe this would be more worthwhile if you actually gave us some reasons for (presumably) thinking SPS is a disgrace?

Reply 13

epitome

Let's not cast aspersions on things we're entirely ignorant of, hmm? :rolleyes:

Few degrees are inherently 'useful' or 'rigorous' unless the person studying them finds a use for them, and applies rigour. The one-upmanship of subjects is pathetic, and betrays utter idiocy. ASNaC is no different, qualitatively, to History; SPS no different, qualitatively, to Classics. What you do with it is what matters.

The only exceptions, I'd say, are things like Medicine, VetMed, Law (etc.), which insist that you cover (and *know*) a very defined, and extremely broad, course. Being vocational, though, they are in a different category anyway.

Reply 14

The Sherminator

Can somone name a not rigourous course at Oxbridge? Come on.... they are academic institutions which are formed on the back of excellence and rigour. I highly doubt any course is a "disgrace".

Reply 15

Shrayans

Can somone name a not rigourous course at Oxbridge? Come on.... they are academic institutions which are formed on the back of excellence and rigour. I highly doubt any course is a "disgrace".

Sounds like 'Mandy-con-on-me'.

Reply 16

Catsmeat

Albiceleste

Self-explanatory.

(edit-I refer to the actual degree course, SPS, not its various sub-disciplines ((politics, anthropology, etc)), which can actually be very reputable at other institutions).

Is this quotation your own, or lifted from an outside source? If this is your own position I suggest you seriously reflect before posting an expression that is derived from snobbery and misunderstanding.

There is not a single course, as another poster has expressed, at Cambridge that is not rigorous, challenging and academic.

Another poster, above, mentioned Oriental Studies; just as a point of information, the Tripos is currently undergoing a serious internal reshuffle, with certain courses being placed within other Faculties (Assyriology and Ancient Near East Studies under Archaeology & Anthropology), whilst others are, possibly, splitting off entirely. This may be a lagged reaction to the self-reflexive criticisms of Orientalism as a discipline in the 1970s and 1980s, though it could also be purely financial.

Reply 17

The Sherminator

CamRob

Sounds like 'Mandy-con-on-me'.

Explain please?

Lol?

Explain please?

He's referring to Land Economy, which is the degree that everyone jokes about here. It's actually a really cool degree, but most people don't have a clue about it so they think they're "witty" in putting it down. (This is not helped by the fact the workload is spread in a very strange way for this course, which means that many Land Economists can get away with doing not much for a while...)

It is, though, a difficult degree, comprising many different elements. (Geography, Economics and Law).

Take any joking about subjects, or putting them down, with a pinch of salt. They are most often said with a knowing roll of the eye (which is fine -- cf: HCD :wink:

), or with ignorance (which is not fine).