Land Economy vs. Economics; the battle for the jobs...am I disadvantaged?

As im sure many people know, Land Economy at Cam is seen as somewhat as a soft degree, easy to get into, and ppl say that it has almost half the work load of Econ students....Whether or not its an accurate stereotype that Land Econ's have it easy, do employers prefer Economists over Land Economists, cuz im sure employers like PwC etc who recruit from the top Uni's year in, year out, they must know that Economists work harder than Land Economists, and so do they prefer them over Land Economists?

I mean, the fact that Land Economy is easier to get into than Econ at Cam, does that mean that students are generally not as clever? And even ifs that not true, do employers think so?

Thanks!!

:tsr2:

Reply 1

Admonitor

11

Honestly, there aren't any genuine "soft degrees" at Oxbridge, and they're all still difficult to get into. Land Economy isn't economics, it's like a combination of conservation, law, economics and things like that. For a job relating to economics a degree in said subject would be far more suited, but Land Economy would be more suitable for jobs to do with development etc. I really wouldn't expect a poor standard of student in Land Economy.

Reply 2

thetoothfairy

OP

hmm i see...

But you do agree that Land Economy is easier to get into than Economics?

And i know that they are not the same degree, but they overlap so much so that jobs in banks etc can be secured by both Land Economists and regular Economists.

Im talking about direct competition between the two; will regular economists be chosen over Land Economists?

Reply 3

epitome

11

Land Economy wouldn't be offered by Cambridge if it were a soft course. It brings in elements of Economics, Law and Geography (Environment), and is an extremely employable degree.

From the website (http://www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/landecon/index.html):

The Department has one of the strongest records for graduate employment across the University, undoubtedly a reflection of its strong practical base and emphasis on the development of critical employment skills.

Employers recognise that our course equips graduates with both a deep understanding of highly relevant subjects and the necessary skills to exploit these professionally. We are well aware of the financial demands made of students and regularly review the course options to ensure that our graduates are well prepared for the employment market.

Our graduates go on to be lawyers, economists, civil servants or to work for international or national agencies. Many go into financial, business or management careers, and others enter public service with local or national organisations. The degree course opens many doors because of its content and rigour. [...]

This degree differs from similar courses at other universities because it is not wholly vocational: there is an emphasis on high intellectual and academic content. This appeals greatly to employers.

However, if you pass specific options in the course, you can enjoy exemption from the written examinations of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or partial exemption from the academic requirements of the Bar Council and Law Society.

And, of course, the standard entry requirements are AAA. The department has a research assessment grade of 5, too, which is the highest level. Good stuff!
Essentially, Land Economy is more useful and relevant for some things than straight Economics. :smile:

Reply 4

epitome

11

But you do agree that Land Economy is easier to get into than Economics?

And i know that they are not the same degree, but they overlap so much so that jobs in banks etc can be secured by both Land Economists and regular Economists.

Im talking about direct competition between the two; will regular economists be chosen over Land Economists?

You are asking impossible questions. We are not employers...and at any rate each employer will have different ideas and prejudices. Use common sense a bit, please, before asking impossible-to-answer questions.

The statistics for 2006 entry (last year) were that 14% of applicants got offers for Economics, and 23% for Land Economy. BUT, the university average for admissions across all subjects in that year was 24%. What does this tell you? That BOTH subjects are "more than averagely" competitive. It also doesn't take into account the quality of the applicants for each subject: 24% is obviously statistically better than 14%, but there may have been much higher-quality applicants for LE than for Eco...which leaves you back at square one, not knowing.

They are substantially DIFFERENT subjects, and you would be doing a largely ridiculous thing to try to get into the "easiest". You really do need to look at the courses, and see which you would rather do. Or, if you thinking longer-term (which, frankly, you really needn't in this kind of area), look at what job you want to have, and decide which degree is most appropriate. What's certain is that both will give you an extremely impressive academic grounding...but in quite different things.

Reply 5

Admonitor

11

holla_at_ya

hmm i see...

But you do agree that Land Economy is easier to get into than Economics?

And i know that they are not the same degree, but they overlap so much so that jobs in banks etc can be secured by both Land Economists and regular Economists.

Im talking about direct competition between the two; will regular economists be chosen over Land Economists?

I'm treading on shakey ground here, so no-one hold me to this. Economics has a great deal more applicants than Land Economy, granted, but it does not mean the standard is necessarily lower. To get into Land Economy you will still have to be an exceptional student, but rather one that is suited to Land Economy rather than Economics. They don't overlap so much that they're the same degree in essence - an Economics degree would be more suited for a banker, (because of the specialisation in the economic field as opposed to Land Economy). But as Epitome said, we're not employers, we can't really speculate.

Bearing that in mind, a Land Economy degree would be better suited than an Economics degree in other fields, which could quite easily be guessed, I'd assume.

EDIT: Just to make something clear, they aren't really the same degree and the closest thing they share is that the Econom- prefix is in both titles, little more. If you want an "easy way" into an Economics degree, Cambridge isn't a good choice for ease of entry, especially if you're going to try getting in with a different degree. Go for the degree, not for the uni.