The perfect representation of everything that is wrong with education today...

[triphicus]

http://www.holytaco.com/2008/06/03/the-10-most-worthless-college-majors/When did the noble goal of education, that is, of expanding and enriching one's mind through the study of great works of literature, science, and philosophy, become reduced

Comments

[maeveenroute]

Wow. I'm kind of offended linguistics isn't on there.

[aileen8aalien]

When Universities became big business is when degrees became about practicality. And as tuition soars, outpacing the cost of living, can we really expect people to not think in terms of value at the end of four (or increasingly, five) years? My idealism was chipped away long ago and I've, as a result, changed my pedagogy drastically to make my students see the practicality of the humanities. Telling them it'll expand their world vision or make them better thinkers just doesn't cut it when that student is sinking in debt

[triphicus]

I guess I wasn't clear enough in the OP, but I am by no means arguing that practical matters should not be taken into account at all. Rather, I am disturbed at what seems to be an entire reduction of the goal of education to pragmatics. I don't understand how we have come to a point where practicality is so entirely divorced from overall benefit. As many people have pointed out in this post (and you especially), there is practical value to the humanities disciplines that is in no way less beneficial than that which we would find in the more specialized technical degrees. Perhaps I would be going out on my own limb, though, in arguing that they are even more beneficial in many cases, simply because they aren't so entirely based on pragmatics.

[suitablyemoname]

One of the commenters hit on something I consider very, very true: most undergrad degrees outside the hard sciences are, unto themselves, useless. This is truer of some departments than others, but nobody is graduating and going right into a mid-range position based on their major.

The people who do that either:
a) Had a good internship
b) Know the right people
c) Gathered outside experience (Computer Science majors who contribute to open-source projects, Music majors who work with community choirs, etc.)

Expecting the degree to get you the job was a valid way of thinking about eighty years ago. Because they've become so common, employers want more, and "useless" degrees like Philosophy or Women's Studies or Art History aren't as far apart from degrees in Psychology or Marketing as people assume.

[aileen8aalien]

Good point. It's an indication that the Bachelor's degree is going the way of the high school diploma. More and more employers want specialization and/or experience, which for many students means a Master's degree, multiple certifications, or years of on-the-job training before a promotion.

[suitablyemoname]

But this hasn't been communicated to students. I can't count the number of psychology majors I've met who think they're going to graduate, open a little therapy centre, and be printing money overnight. Unless you're planning on becoming a psychiatrist (which implies an MD) or at least picking up an MSW, you're probably going to hit the wall there--and even if there was a possibility of succeeding, the universtities in and around my city pump out a good 2500 psychology majors per year, many of whom share your master plan, so you'd have to be damned good to keep your head above water.

[aileen8aalien]

I was reprimanded at my previous university to telling students that most would need an advanced degree. Apparently, administrations don't like undergrads to know that since the bread-and-butter of the budget is undergrad tuition.

[manycolored]

The luxury of studying these things is not available to those of us who want to be reasonably sure of being able to earn a living. At least not until after we've started making enough to take classes while working, or retire.

It's kind of classist to tsk tsk at "America" for having food and a roof over its head as top priorities. Only the privileged can afford education for its own sake.

That said, I deplore how such weak reading, writing, speaking, information finding, general science, mathematical, and critical analysis skills as many of our students have, are considered adequate for graduation. But you don't need to major in English or Communications to learn to read, speak, and write well; nor do you need to major in Philosophy to hold your own in logic and critical thinking.

[triphicus]

But, honestly, how many employers even care about what someone majors in? I would think that most hiring committees would be far more impressed with someone who has a far-reaching knowledge level, and is equipped with the ability to read closely and write clearly, than they would someone with an extremely limited knowledge base, and without those other abilities.

[suitablyemoname]

I think you may be giving employers too much credit. When they're looking to fill an entry-level position, they don't run a battery of tests on each applicant, assessing broad knowledge, reading, writing, oral communication and taste in fine wine. They want someone whose resume and cover letter aren't illegible, irrelevant gibberish, and who had relevant experience--itself often more important than education.

[triphicus]

Well, it doesn't make it any less sad that the value of education has come to reflect this deficiency in society.

[witchylatina]

I have an English Literature degree with a minor Medieval History.

Wow. Other than teaching there's really not a lot than I could do.

Except wait for someone to buy me a beer.

[triphicus]

Really? All of the people I know who graduated with English degrees were accepted with open arms by most of the jobs to which they applied. Again, it has always seemed to me that employers can appreciate the close reading and clear writing/thinking skills that the major requires, not to mention the ability to make connections between ideas and concepts.

[witchylatina]

I was somewhat joking with my comment. I'm actually an academic advisor for a state university. I've been asked many times what my major was in college.

I get weird looks from parents when I tell them my major.

[sensaes]

Is the world of publishing full? Again?

Tsk. Rotten old economy...