The university degrees that may add nothing to lifetime’s salary

[El Pinko]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article2403006.ece


The university degrees that may add nothing to lifetime’s salary
Alexandra Frean, Education Editor
The expansion of university education has reduced the value of some degrees to zero, as more young people join the workforce as graduates, research suggests. Recent male graduates in arts and humanities are earning no more than those who left education after A levels, a study from the Institute of Education has found.

....

Anna Vignoles, Reader in Economics of Education in the department of economic, social and human development at the Institute of Education, who led the study, said that a university degree still had a high value in the labour market. However, a surplus of graduates in some nonscientific subjects could mean that those with degrees in the arts or humanities may soon find that they are not able to earn enough to compensate for the amount that they paid for their university education.

“New graduates in these subject areas are earning similar amounts to those with just A levels,” she said. “Some graduates in highly valued subjects, such as accountancy, will continue to profit from the amount they spent on their degrees. But others may gain only a small, or even a nil, return to their investment in higher education.” She added that graduates in arts and humanities subjects, such as history, art, French or English literature, had among the lowest earnings.

[ursi]

1. Edwards talked about how degrees were great but meant nothing if we kept losing jobs

that required them to overseas ...

[villager]

2. well, but will accountants be best equipped to steer society through the coming changes?

i.e., the collapse and its aftermath?

[El Pinko]

3. We'll they'll certainly be busy tallying up the red ink and cleaning up the bankruptcies.

NT

[villager]

17. for now. I guess some existential choices are involved - i.e., do corporations dictate your studies?

etc.

[allalone]

4. it isn't all about grabbing up all the riches you can

if you are working in a career you love, in a field you love, you don't have to be like mr. burns.

[El Pinko]

7. Problem is that even a low-wage job in a "career you love" may not be possible.

I know so many people with arts degrees that ended up working in Kinko's and other shit jobs and never put their degree to any use.

[bigbrother05]

5. Quite interesting, but this is a UK study

Probably applies on our side of the pond too, but the UK job market is significantly different than ours.

[fujiyama]

36. My guess it's even more applicable here

as standards to graduate are so low at many US universities, many of which are merely diploma mills at this point.

[Rex]

6. Yup, history degree here. This country has little use

for history, English, art and the humanities. Just football and pussy.

[MADem]

9. Become a history teacher. Go get your teaching certificate. nt

[Rex]

12. Did that, lasted 2 years.

The district was so corrupt that I decided to find another job. I might try again one day.

[MADem]

13. Find another district, or, if you don't mind less pay for more control, go

teach in a private school.

[Rex]

14. Actually, I work at a bird of prey rehabilitation center now and have

never been happier or poorer (well okay, I've been poorer).

[El Pinko]

15. Before I had kids, I never cared about money.

In a way, I still don't. I'm happy to drive a used car and live in a small house without a lot of fancy gadgets. But there are a lot of times when I can't buy my kid some shoes or pay for a school trip or whatever - there are so many expenses with kids, and as they get older they keep increasing, and I'd like to be able to afford higher education for them so they don't get saddled with student loans like I am. So even if you're not really money-motivated, kids really change your outlook on things.

[Rex]

21. I'm single and will never have kids or get married.

I just don't think I will ever meet 'the one'. :( So, be thankful you had kids to pass on your genetic code. My families line will end with me. So be it.

[MADem]

16. Cool job!!!! Do you work regular hours or shifts?

You could do a little teaching/subbing to plus up the old account if you could get the odd day free...

[Rex]

19. I'm on salary but work about 60 hours a week, sometimes more.

Thanks, it really is the coolest job I've ever had. Hands down. I'm not going to peddle the sanctuary, but if you want to see what we do check this out - www.lastchanceforever.org

It is funny, I am poor but feel wealthy, spiritually, since I've worked there. And that is, to me far more important than material wealth.

Gotta hit the sack, I work tues-sat and love waking up everyday so I can get to work and help save the wildlife that comes into the center.

[Swamp Rat]

20. Nite nite!

:D

[Rex]

22. Hehe thanks Swamp Rat, nite.

Dam you are good with the 'Photoshop'! :hi:

[Swamp Rat]

23. Jus' havin' fun!

:D

[Rex]

24. Stop!

:rofl: I will never be able to go to sleep if you keep making me laugh my ass off! :D

[Swamp Rat]

25. ok, I'll stop

after this one. :evilgrin:

[Rex]

26. Fine!

You sooo bad! :P Is that Count Obama? :rofl: No DON'T tell me! Arghh...must, go, to, bed.

Bad Swamp Rat, bad! :)

[MADem]

28. Thanks for the link--you ARE a lucky duck!

I spent years, nay, decades, in a job that I loved half the time and hated half the time (the bright spot was that I got to move around the world alot)...much better to have a job that isn't 'work' but is a calling--sounds like that's what you've got!

Heh, heh...now, when I see you pop up here on DU, I'll think of that SNL Will Forte sketch where he plays "The FALCONER!!!

[postulater]

11. At least if you had a degree in pussy

you could be a small animal vet.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. Those with engineering and some buisness majors are the most highly paid

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Ditto

history, shmhistory...

[rwenos]

8. Superficial

Many of those liberal arts graduates get further credentials and degrees, which allow them elevated earning power -- and which they MUST have before pursuing those advanced credentials. Examples: k-12 teachers (at least in California) require a year or more of teacher training after the bachelor's degree; community college instructors need Master's degrees; law schools mostly require bachelor's degrees for admission; Ph.D. programs require bachelor's degrees -- and those degrees ALL lead to much higher earnings than the basic English or History B.A.

And, of course, the liberal arts major is well-equipped to move into occupations which require analytical and interpersonal skills, in small business, corporations, government.

And those are only the economic counter-examples. Liberal arts majors learn how to understand the world. Something that seems to have escaped the writer of the Times article.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Masters in history here

and you know what? Breaking through the mafia at the Community College to teach is almost impossible, you know why? PhD now apply for tenure track since there are not enough teaching jobs at four year colleges either.

So no, I'd say he is correct

[kineneb]

31. also my experience

I was going to finish my master's thesis, but gave up when I realized that it would not do me any good. Oh, I suppose I could teach a music appreciation class here or there, but it would not be enough to live on. Cal. community colleges are only hiring part-time, so they don't have to pay benefits.

[Donk Yore]

10. I would have made more

working in the culinary arts than what I chose to devote my life to.

Hey, it's not all about money!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

30. Back during my teaching career, I met a nurse

who had come back to school to get a degree in English. She felt that her college education had been too vocationally oriented, and she felt "trained," not educated.

One college I applied to offered what it called "upside down degrees." It gave B.A.'s to people who already had some sort of vocational training from community colleges and gave them four-year degrees upon completion of a set of liberal arts courses.

Not everyone is going to college to get a job. Back in the 1960s, it was considered normal not to think about job prospects until you were a senior. Of course, in those days, companies were willing to take liberal arts majors and train them instead inspecting them to come straight from college with a complete set of business skills.

The transition occurred gradually throughout the 1970s. According to the program of my B.A. ceremonies, only three students in a class of 250 majored in business. When I came back as a visiting instructor ten years later, 1/2 of all students were majoring in business.

[Hippo_Tron]

32. Poly Sci/Econ double major here

I expect my degrees to be useful but also fully expect to have to go to grad school if I want to advance beyond a certain point.

[Runcible Spoon]

33. I want Anna Vignoles' job at University of No Shit Sherlock

:eyes: Must have a good grant writer on that team.

[Eurobabe]

34. Higher Education is NOT always about money

I did not get a Master's in architectural history, nor a BA in Philosophy so I could MAKE MORE MONEY. Becoming educated and expanding my horizons, being a better human being was my goal.

What a stupid article, this woman needs to get a clue. But, I guess she can't because she's an ECONOMIST. :rofl:

[JosephSchmo]

35. Depends on the degree

If making money is important to you, then do the research and see which degree pays.

A chemical engineering or business degree is gonna pay more than an English degree. If you care about following your passion, then money shouldn't matter.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. She missed several majors.

That are NOT liberal arts or fine arts or social sciences.

Like Biology and Law.

Well, duhhhh........ :wtf: