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is maths and philosophy a good degree

i plan on doing something maths related at uni, and i was looking at PPE but i think id rather do something with more pure maths in it - which maths and philosophy degrees do.

but i’m wondering whether it’s any less of an ‘employable’ degree compared to just maths on its own, or if it’s still a good degree and would leave you with the same job prospects as a maths degree !

i study maths, fm, bio & english lit so clearly im quite spread out across what i’m interested in, which is why i thought a joint degree would be ideal - but if it’s going to possibly limit what i can do post uni, then i’d rather just apply for maths or finance or something like that yk!

Reply 1

McGinger

Maths combined Philosophy is 'useful' - because of the extended thinking across disciplines it involves, and the connections/overlaps that you will have discovered. This 'wider thinking' is what employers really value, and makes you very employable in a vast range of different career areas - analytical logic skills from Maths, text/discussion skills from Philosophy. And if this combination interests you, that in itself is a good reason for doing it - because enjoying what you are studying is half the fun of 'being at Uni', and it means you are far more likely to get a good degree result.

Reply 2

Scienceisgood

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a “useful” degree if it is not relevant to what you want to do.

Look at the jobs you want to do as a career and see if it relevant to the qualifications required. For example a computer science degree is useful but in my area of expertise (Biomedical Science Pathology), completely useless…

Sorry to put it simply but that’s how it is, it’s relevant to you, not an umbrella which encompasses everything. I also have a PGCE but will NEVER use it, so that was effectively a year wasted… but to some people, a PGCE is a golden ticket if you want to go into teaching (you couldn’t get me into a classroom with a six figure salary now…).

Reply 3

McGinger

Original post by Scienceisgood

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a “useful” degree if it is not relevant to what you want to do.
Look at the jobs you want to do as a career and see if it relevant to the qualifications required. For example a computer science degree is useful but in my area of expertise (Biomedical Science Pathology), completely useless…
Sorry to put it simply but that’s how it is, it’s relevant to you, not an umbrella which encompasses everything. I also have a PGCE but will NEVER use it, so that was effectively a year wasted… but to some people, a PGCE is a golden ticket if you want to go into teaching (you couldn’t get me into a classroom with a six figure salary now…).

What a 17 year 'wants to do' usually has nothing to do with what they are doing 20 years later, and the choice of initial degree is not definitive in that journey.

Reply 4

Scienceisgood

Original post by McGinger

What a 17 year 'wants to do' usually has nothing to do with what they are doing 20 years later, and the choice of initial degree is not definitive in that journey.

I think you misunderstood me.

It doesn’t mean they don’t have transferable skills from said degree as, after 2-3 years of employment, experience is more valuable than the degree itself (minus the requirements for said job).

I have a BSc and an MSc in Biomedical Science, but it doesn’t mean I can’t move onto management in a lab and move out of diagnostics if I want to (once I gain enough experience that is). Skills gained through employment I would say are likely more important than the degree itself as it’s in the field you have chosen. One such example being i couldn’t tell you a thing about cytogenetics now because I’ve been out of the field since forever but can tell you how a clinical biochemistry lab works inside and out…

So choosing a degree and using your experiences are very different things.

That’s what I meant.