Mickey Mouse Degrees

Hello! In September, I am going to be studying International Hospitality Management at the University of Surrey. It's one of the main courses at the University (Surrey is ranked 8th in the country) and it is the number one University for the course in the country. I'm really interested in the industry and aspire to be a manager at a Jumeirah hotel which is a Dubai based hotel chain and one of it's hotels is the Burj al Arab, the 7* hotel, in Dubai. To work for Jumeirah as a manager, it requires a Hospitality/Business related degree. I was reading online earlier that people consider business related degrees to be ''Mickey Mouse'' subjects and it's made me worried to tell people what I am studying. Will people judge me and look down on me as they may consider their course to be superior? A lot of reputable people have come out of Surrey doing this degree, such as Robert Earl who was the founder of Planet Hollywood and also George Diakogeorgiou who is the founder of lastminute.com. It may well be a simpler degree to say Law or something, but at the end of the day, there are a lot of jobs in Business/Hospitality so finding a job after the degree won't be AS difficult (Although still difficult in this climate). Whereas there are a lot of degrees where getting a job afterwards can be near impossible, for example my aunty studied History, couldn't get any employment with a very good degree and is now a coach driver..

Reply 1

TheWorldEndsWithMe

If it's something you really want to do then you just need to ignore people who say it's not a 'good' degree, imo.
You have something you're aspiring to and you've looked into it, which is better than just doing it without any real thought behind it.

Reply 2

i-love-coffee

Original post by kyleg22

I think what's important is that if you know that doing this degree will get you where you want to be, then it's worth doing. So many people just study random subjects for the sake of going to university and that is pointless. If your going to be worried about telling people what you study, perhaps switch to a pure business degree as it leaves you with more options and may have more of a "prestige" (using the term lightly) and still get you a job with the hotel brand you mentioned.

Reply 3

TenOfThem

Original post by kyleg22

In the olden days (when I went to university) you could really only study "academic" subjects - only 10% of us went to university and most jobs did not require a degree

Now - many jobs require a degree - almost 50% of people go to university - there is a far wider range of courses available

People who do not understand this change tend to look down on degrees such as yours - that is because they do not understand the changing nature of the world/employment/education

You are going to a great university to do a degree that interests you and will support you in your ambitions

Congratulations - work hard and have a great time

Reply 4

Caits7

I'm sorry to say you're bound to be looked down on by the snobbier people studying core subjects, but if you're aiming for a specific job, why worry about it? It's more likely to get you a position you want, so just ignore it :smile:

Reply 5

Trix465

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing a "not so mainstream" course if it genuinely interests you and is relevant to your career aspirations.

However do be aware that it can limit career prospects should you end up not wanting to work in hotels/something relevant. Lots of careers, especially finance sector, tend to look for either relevant degrees or "mainstream" degrees which unfortunately you would be limiting yourself from.

The good thing is that most universities let you change course after one year with minimal fuss (its a much more common occurrence than you think it would be) so if after a year you realised its not something you're interested in then you could likely change to a different course at Surrey :smile:

Reply 6

monkyvirus

To be honest some people will judge you. However, you are clearly interested in a career in that sector and you have chosen degree will help you achieve that dream. Also you are doing it at a university that is ranked top for your chosen degree. It seems to me you have made good choices and secured a spot on a degree that is right for you. Don't let anyone take that away from you :smile:

To be blunt anyone who judges you isn't very nice and you shouldn't care about their opinion. Maybe spare a few minutes to correct them on their silliness :tongue:

Reply 7

kyleg22

Thanks for all of the replies guys. Appreciate it, some really good answers! Is being judged common at University, ie does everybody do it? Or is it a minority? I've noticed on the Student Room people are always bragging about their course, their grades, their university, their scholarship(s) etc. Is this an accurate reflection of how people act at University, or are people not really bothered about what other people study. Even though Hospitality is my passion, I am still worried about telling people what I study. Will people be like 'ah, cool' or will I have to explain my choice in detail every single time? Thanks!

Reply 8

Arketec

Your degree reflects your career ambitions your going to a great university and doing a top course I'd be proud to be around someone like you.

Reply 9

midnightice

The superiority complex that many people have on this site generally derives from pure naivety and ignorance to the world of work, holding the assumption that because they're studying an 'intellectual' field they're above you..when in reality it makes little difference to your employability. Your personal characteristics and work experience put you above others when applying for jobs.

I also find it strange why these snobs feel the need to 'look down' in the first place. It says more about themselves than the people they falsely victimise. Let people do what they want to do.

Reply 10

Alix-21

You are always going to find people who will look down on you , it's just a fact of life . How you deal with it is up to you, i get it all the time in my job but i just ignore it . Can't stand snobs and get fed up with people slagging of so called mickey mouse degrees and lower ranked unis . Why can't people just be happy for others . You do what you want to do, it seems you have thought it out and know what you want to do .

sod anyone else and have a great time at uni .

Reply 11

TonksLupin

As much as hate to trot out the oft considered to be 'trite' advice it seems rather apt here. Don't care what others think,in this case at least. You have clearly researched this degree and what you want to get out of it(i.e have established a clear goal) which is excellent,furthermore you are at a top ranked university for your degree.It is not a 'traditionally academic degree' however a degree such as those that come under that heading is not I assume,something you are looking to study. Both on here and in real life you may face some people who will display a level of snobbishness towards your degree or look down on you/the course for a myriad of reasons. However it would be utterly futile to pay heed to what they say as what you study is your choice and of relevance and importance to your life not theirs(hence why I find the disparaging reactions some degrees receive from others in a self perceived superior academic positions to be pointless).

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 12

Tyco Lunacy

I've never heard of the course (like most people I assume) but it sounds perfectly respectable to me. The two buzzwords in it seem to be hitting the right notes... International and management.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 13

kyleg22

Original post by Trix465

Thanks for the reply! I'm really happy with Hospitality and doubt I would change courses but you never know. On the surrey page for the course, some of the graduates who studied Hospitality work in finance and for accountancing companies so I guess the course isnt completely limiting?

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Reply 14

Trix465

Original post by kyleg22

Nothing is ever completely limiting - just some things make it easier than others. If your CV/other experience is fantastic then you're degree won't even matter that much so long as you tick the minimum class box :smile:

Reply 15