AI fails

[briantrumpet]

Again, I disagree, more specialised degrees tend to focus too much on solving particular problems rather than on teaching problem solving as a skill. That's why people with "foundation degrees" such as classics, physics or mathematics tend to be more intellectually flexible (maybe physicists not so much)

IIRC, graduates in English from Exeter have a high employability rating, which is one reason students are prepared (though probably not happy) to come out of university with debts of £50k+. It's an extremely popular course.

 

[PurplePenguin]

Perhaps you could narrow down a "subject that might be of use" by telling us what undergraduate degrees taken by people who don't go on to a further degree aren't of use in themselves. You seem to be saying that pursuing understanding in a subject that isn't directly work-related isn't really of any use. But maybe I'm misunderstanding.

Given the thread title, I thought this question was better answered by AI.

🎓 Degrees Most Commonly Applied in Careers​

• Medicine: Graduates almost always enter healthcare roles (doctors, surgeons, specialists). High demand and clear career path.
• Engineering: Mechanical, civil, electrical, and chemical engineers typically work in industries directly tied to their studies.
• Law: Law graduates often become solicitors, barristers, or legal advisors. The subject is tightly linked to the profession.
• Computer Science: Leads to careers in software development, AI, cybersecurity, and IT systems — all directly tied to the degree.
• Business & Management: Graduates often move into finance, consulting, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
• Education: Teaching degrees and education studies are directly applied in schools and training institutions.
• Dentistry: Like medicine, this degree almost guarantees entry into a specialized healthcare profession.
• Nursing: Nursing graduates directly enter hospitals and clinics, with strong demand worldwide.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacists require accredited degrees, making this subject essential for the profession.
• Architecture: Graduates typically work in design, construction, and urban planning, applying their studies daily.

 

[PurplePenguin]

Again, I disagree, more specialised degrees tend to focus too much on solving particular problems rather than on teaching problem solving as a skill. That's why people with "foundation degrees" such as classics, physics or mathematics tend to be more intellectually flexible (maybe physicists not so much)

I disagree. Maths is a great foundation subject for academia because of the tools learnt. For example, a maths graduate could do a phd in plate tectonics, because the ability to understand differential equations is far harder to teach to a geology student than it is to teach the geological part to a maths graduate.

However, in most jobs, there is a very limited need for differential equations. The very best will find employment in hedge funds, but that is only a handful.

I've heard a lot of people bang on about how they learnt how to study doing their undergraduate degree, but I think they mostly just grew up.

 

[Pross]

Given the thread title, I thought this question was better answered by AI.

🎓 Degrees Most Commonly Applied in Careers​

• Medicine: Graduates almost always enter healthcare roles (doctors, surgeons, specialists). High demand and clear career path.
• Engineering: Mechanical, civil, electrical, and chemical engineers typically work in industries directly tied to their studies.
• Law: Law graduates often become solicitors, barristers, or legal advisors. The subject is tightly linked to the profession.
• Computer Science: Leads to careers in software development, AI, cybersecurity, and IT systems — all directly tied to the degree.
• Business & Management: Graduates often move into finance, consulting, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
• Education: Teaching degrees and education studies are directly applied in schools and training institutions.
• Dentistry: Like medicine, this degree almost guarantees entry into a specialized healthcare profession.
• Nursing: Nursing graduates directly enter hospitals and clinics, with strong demand worldwide.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacists require accredited degrees, making this subject essential for the profession.
• Architecture: Graduates typically work in design, construction, and urban planning, applying their studies daily.

Virtually all the people in the other part of the business (transport planning / traffic engineering) in companies I've work in for the last 25 years or more are geography graduates. Providing the relevant modules are taken in a degree it is very relevant.

 

[PurplePenguin]

Virtually all the people in the other part of the business (transport planning / traffic engineering) in companies I've work in for the last 25 years or more are geography graduates. Providing the relevant modules are taken in a degree it is very relevant.

I'm not knocking any degree just in case it needs to be said.

 

[Pblakeney]

🥱 Getting back to AI. Done for laughs but some things to think about.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcPthlvzMY8

 

[briantrumpet]

Given the thread title, I thought this question was better answered by AI.

🎓 Degrees Most Commonly Applied in Careers​

• Medicine: Graduates almost always enter healthcare roles (doctors, surgeons, specialists). High demand and clear career path.
• Engineering: Mechanical, civil, electrical, and chemical engineers typically work in industries directly tied to their studies.
• Law: Law graduates often become solicitors, barristers, or legal advisors. The subject is tightly linked to the profession.
• Computer Science: Leads to careers in software development, AI, cybersecurity, and IT systems — all directly tied to the degree.
• Business & Management: Graduates often move into finance, consulting, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
• Education: Teaching degrees and education studies are directly applied in schools and training institutions.
• Dentistry: Like medicine, this degree almost guarantees entry into a specialized healthcare profession.
• Nursing: Nursing graduates directly enter hospitals and clinics, with strong demand worldwide.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacists require accredited degrees, making this subject essential for the profession.
• Architecture: Graduates typically work in design, construction, and urban planning, applying their studies daily.

Well, given you've asked the question in that format, the answer isn't surprising. No-one's arguing that industry-specific degrees aren't of value.

I asked a different question.

 

[Psamathe]

Computer Science: Leads to careers in software development, AI, cybersecurity, and IT systems — all directly tied to the degree.

I've been responsible for a fair amount of recruiting in Software Development and I've found that Computer Science graduates rather poor. Those with degrees in eg physics, maths, etc. (other science/technical) turn out much better.

 

[PurplePenguin]

Well, given you've asked the question in that format, the answer isn't surprising. No-one's arguing that industry-specific degrees aren't of value.

I asked a different question.

View attachment 11436

That wasn't the question you asked me, but in any case, it's great that English graduates are valued. On the assumption they continue to read and write stuff in their chosen careers, I think they do carry on using what they studied.

 

[briantrumpet]

I've been responsible for a fair amount of recruiting in Software Development and I've found that Computer Science graduates rather poor. Those with degrees in eg physics, maths, etc. (other science/technical) turn out much better.

At the risk of sounding like Musk... interesting.

 

[Pross]

I guess it all comes down to whether you consider a degree to be education or training. You could make the same argument as to why schools teach things like history, English lit, RE rather than more practical leaning subjects. We're always hearing some pressure group or other saying how 'x' should be added to the curriculum such as nutrition or financial management skills, would they be more useful than learning about crime and punishment through the ages, the rise of Communist China or pulling apart the meaning of a book written 500 years ago in language barely recogniseable as English? There are lots of companies with graduate schemes that just want a degree at 2:1 or higher and don't care what the subject is, all they want is someone who has shown they can apply themselves and have an aptitude to learn so that they can take onboard the training that will be given. Many of these are in big, blue-chip companies and can lead to very highly paid jobs. Often those jobs will be something a kid of 16 or 17 having to choose the path that will define the rest of their life has never even heard of let alone have considered for a career.

On the flip side 'vocational' type degrees aren't always great for the future careers. I've work with graduates in my line of work that have all the theoretical knowledge but if a solution requires something that isn't by the book they just can't get their heads around it. This is probably not helped by having been taught by people with no real world work experience and using software packages etc. that are years out of date.

 

[Bazzer]

My former employer used to recruit some with less mainstream higher qualifications not on the basis that degree was relevant to the job, but that the research techniques and thinking applied in securing the qualification, could be useful in due course, particularly in some specialist roles. The chap with a degree in archaeology, the one with a PhD in English and the one with a PhD in music were all memorable for the way they could deal with sometimes very complex issues.

 

[briantrumpet]

On the flip side 'vocational' type degrees aren't always great for the future careers. I've work with graduates in my line of work that have all the theoretical knowledge but if a solution requires something that isn't by the book they just can't get their heads around it. This is probably not helped by having been taught by people with no real world work experience and using software packages etc. that are years out of date.

I guess that's because industry-specific stuff can get outdated really quickly, whereas broader understanding of a field and intellectual flexibility will always be relevant and useful.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I do think it is verging on snobbery to suggest that those without degrees do not have "intellectual flexibility".

 

[briantrumpet]

I do think it is verging on snobbery to suggest that those without degrees do not have "intellectual flexibility".

Of course they can (I didn't say they don't), but if university degrees aren't improving skills in that area, then they are a waste of time.