Is History and Politics a "mickey mouse" degree?

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I've applied for History and Politics, and I'm not going to change my mind about it, but I was just wondering what you lot think.
There are a lot of people who talk about "mickey mouse" degrees, and I've heard Politics said to be one by a couple of people on these forums. People are often quick to mention Medicine, other sciences, Maths and Nursing as "good degrees" to do, but few people talk about English, History etc. as much.
Your thoughts?

I think it's an excellent degree.

Reply 41

lastplace

Well, I don't think so (though I may be biased). Mickey Mouse degree to me conjures up ideas of randomly specific degrees :P. The study of history has been taught for a looong time, obviously, and it's always going to be an impressive degree to have :P You'll be fine with a good History/Politics joint degree, no worries.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 42

Captain92

Original post by Beneb

I think this thread has established that basically nobody thinks History or Politics are 'mickey mouse' degrees, and that the OP probably has been fooled by a troll who was having someone on.

No, I know that in my own personal opinion it isn't "Mickey Mouse" but I was just wondering what sort of response I would get on the forum.
Members of TSR aren't exactly likely to be a reliable cross-section of society as a whole, and I wasn't going to change my own opinion on it, was just curious :smile:

Reply 43

im so academic

Original post by Captain92

Personally - definitely not.

Reply 44

nulli tertius

No, it isn't.

BUT

Expect to see it come under a lot of pressure in the next few years. The government is very keen on accurate information on graduate prospects. Hitherto statistics have failed because they have either been given for a whole discipline or faculty rather than an individual course or they have failed to distinguish between burger flipping and merchant banking.

When reliable statistics start being published for history and politics, it won't be pretty reading.

Reply 45

NyLonEd

When I think of 'Mickey Mouse' degrees I think of Fashion, Performing Arts, Journalism, Media .etc.

Definitely not Politics or History.

Reply 46

Liquidus Zeromus

Original post by Captain92

No. Definitely not.

Philistines like that don't know what they're talking about, and need a good clobbering over the head with the history of stupidity. (note: I don't know if such a book exists, but it should be heavy)

Reply 47

suzy_hc

Original post by Genocidal

Our last Prime minister had a history degree so I think this is an example which shows it can't be a bad degree to have. :smile:

Doesn't that mean it'll lead you to be second best in your career and eventually only get the top spot when your predecessor has ruined any chance of your success? Just a thought ...

Reply 48

Genocidal

Original post by suzy_hc

Doesn't that mean it'll lead you to be second best in your career and eventually only get the top spot when your predecessor has ruined any chance of your success? Just a thought ...

Great pay though. :tongue:

Reply 49

username418231

No PPE, Politcs, History, Law, Economics, etc are not mickey mouse degrees. I am applying to study Politics and whenever I tell people this they always joke and say "do you wanna be a politician or the next prime minister?" lol. They never say "Oh that's a mickey mouse degree" and these people are people who are applying to study Science subjects (but other traditional and professional ones like Geography, English Literature, Social Work, etc).

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 50

fordfiesta

What do people think about Geography and Politics?

Reply 51

M1F2R3

Both subjects are well respected, I wouldn't say it was a mickey mouse degree/course.

Reply 52

The_Internet

Neither are mickey mouse,but the employability rate seems low however.

Reply 53

Teveth

Lol.

Of course not. There seems to be a trend of increasing delusion among science-based subject students regarding their job prospects compared to those of arts/humanities students. Many, if not most, science/maths grads will end up working in generic grad careers; accountancy, management, public sector civil servant etc etc, just like everyone else. As far as these careers go, it's all about a good solid degree. It doesn't matter if it has little relevance to the position.

In fact, I'm going to stick my neck out and say history or politics graduates are better equipped for the graduate jobs market than science (minus medicine/health) grads. Upper-management in business and the public sector is brimming with graduates of subjects like history and politics.

This is not a knock of science/maths students, merely a defence of the arts and humanities.

Reply 54

username196545

How could a politics degree ever be seen as Mickey Mouse?! :lolwut:

Reply 55

ByronicHero

No, and such arguments are rather puerile really. Even if people did view it as such, why do you care? By having such an opinion they simultaneously make that opinion invalid tbh.

Learn what you want to learn and do so because you want to and not because X or Y person will respect your degree choice. I understand there are various motivations for degree choice but one of them should not be how idiots on a student forum describe your course in all their fatuity and pointlessness.

Reply 56

jumpingjesusholycow

Why does everyone seemingly need validation about whether their course is or isn't a 'mickey mouse degree'? Just do the course if you want to, don't do it if you don't want to.

Reply 57

The_Male_Melons

Original post by Teveth

Honestly, Teveth?

Personally, I don't see history as mickey mouse. It is an important degree to study.

However Politics, I am sliding toward mickey mouse - relevance?

Reply 58

Teveth

Original post by The_Male_Melons

Honestly, Teveth?

Personally, I don't see history as mickey mouse. It is an important degree to study.

However Politics, I am sliding toward mickey mouse - relevance?

What does relevance have to do with anything? And how do you conclude that history is relevant, whereas politics is not?

On the matter of relevance; 90% of physics graduates do not go on to work in a job related to the science of physics. Some will go on to work in areas where their mathematical skills are particularly useful, but many will not. The same applies to the arts, social sciences and humanities degrees; most graduates will not go on to become historians, political analysts etc. but the general skills they learned will be useful when it comes to the jobs they will go on to do.