Top 10 Useless College Degrees & Classes
Some may argue that there’s no such thing as a useless degree – any education is good education. However, these seemingly pointless studies may be an exception to that rule. Pay attention as we list the top 10 most useless college degrees.
10. David Beckham studies – Staffordshire University, UK
It might sound like a joke, but the squeaky-voiced soccer star actually has a degree course dedicated to him. The course, which is technically classed as “Football Culture”, has been defended by its founder, who argues that degree courses must keep with the times. Celeb-style degrees can also be found in the US, with Madonna studies injected into the Gender course at Harvard (no less) and Oprah Winfrey studies at Illinois.
9. Parapsychology – various colleges
This degree is perfect for starting a career with Ghostbusters. Oh wait, Ghostbusters are fictional – that’s four years wasted. Nevertheless, this course dedicated to the study of the paranormal (Slimer and haunted houses included) is popping up in universities and colleges worldwide. Coventry, Edinburgh, Northampton and Liverpool in the UK, plus Belford and Flamel in the US all offer the course, which makes you wonder if people are watching too many Most Haunted episodes.
8. Doctorate of Philosophy in Ufology – Melbourne University
In August this year, Aussie Martin Plowman became the first student to become a real Dr Who after passing his studies of unidentified flying objects. After his major in culture and communications, he decided he wanted to do something a bit different, so he chose little green men. However, despite his new status, he remains open-minded about things: “When I meet someone who says they’ve seen something strange, that’s fair enough, because maybe they have. I don’t know what it is, though,”
7. The Phallus – Occidental College
It’s difficult to get to grips with the exact nature of this course – if you’ll pardon the pun. It’s cited as studies “between the phallus and the penis, the meaning of the phallus, phallologocentrism, the lesbian phallus, the Jewish phallus, the Latino phallus, and the relation of the phallus and fetishism” but is actually a survey offered by this distinguished college’s department of critical theory and social justice.
6. Surfing Studies – Plymouth / Melbourne
Gone are the days of dumb surfer dudes riding the waves without a care. Now, surfing means business. With Plymouth Uni in the UK offering a BSc (Hons) in Surf Science and Technology and Southern Cross University in Australia offering Surf and Sport Management, is seems the seaside slackers want to be taken seriously. What next? Wrestling degrees?
5. Philosophy – various colleges
Philosophy, like sociology and psychology, is one of those degrees that people do when they’re not quite sure what vocation they want to follow . It’s a fun-time four years, open to stoners, egocentrics and those that love the sound of their own voice, who will finish the course even more confused at what they want to do in life and probably end up working at a convenience store.
4. Queer Musicology – UCLA
Due to seemingly popular demand, the UCLA have actually combined queer theory – the study of gender, feminism and gayness – with the science of music, to produce a very open-minded course within their Herb Alpert School of Music. The LA Times reported that the course will introduce debates like: “the idea that if you’re gay, then music by gay composers such as Benjamin Britten will sound different to you than it would if you were straight.”
3. Star Trek – Georgetown University in Washington
It’s a degree, Jim, but not as we know it. The Georgetown faculty of Philosophy argues that “Star Trek is very philosophical. What better way, then, to learn philosophy, than to watch Star Trek, read philosophy, and hash it all out in class?” The Trekkies have also landed at Indiana University, who curiously combine their Star Trek Studies with religion. If only there were more vacancies for professional dorks…
2. Golf Management – University of Birmingham / Florida Gulf Coast University
Here’s another useless sport degree spreading through Universities across the world, but this one lands the number two position because it’s not even fun. There’s nothing much duller than playing golf apart from studying golf, so why these two Universities have offered courses covering the psychology of golf; equipment technology; financial performance and coach education, is a mystery.
1. Art History – various colleges
What career would you ever get with a degree in art history? Maybe an art gallery curator, but how many of those does the world actually need? Most art history courses consist of a selection of well-to-do teenagers and arty-hippy types deliberating over the same Dali and Magritte paintings for four, even five years straight. It’s time to move on!
Honorable Mentions:
The Science of Harry Potter – Frostburg University
Maryland’s Frostburg University provides this honors seminar, which is really a physics class that investigates the supposed magic of Harry Potter. Seems like an excuse to watch the Harry Potter movies.
Learning from YouTube – Pitzer College
California’s Pitzer College has added a class named, Learning from YouTube. TechCrunch reports that “the class consists of students watching YouTube videos and then discussing them. They also leave comments on the videos themselves.”
by Katherine Watt
Related Top 10 Lists
Where were these college courses when my GPA needed help?
Philosophy is a well respected study, and has been for centuries. More than teaching you the history of philosophers, it is about learning how to think critically. Knowing HOW to learn is more important than learning itself.
Philosophy is not a useless subject! I work so hard for it and hate it when people call it a doss subject. I’d like to see them try and read (or even understand) some Bertrand Russell, Wittgenstein and so on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/nov/20/choosingadegree.highereducation
Also I know someone at Plymouth doing surf studies! It sounds funny but he has to do a fair bit of science as well… degrees aren’t all about getting a job at the end it should be primarily about pursuing an interest.
What about puppeteering? Although a mildly useful skill, no employer (except a creepy puppet master) will take you seriously if that’s the degree you’ve got.
It is embarrassing that philosophy majors believe they will be able to get a job in that field. It’s fine if they want to study it simply because they enjoy it, but to defend it as a carreer choice is foolish. It is also embarrassing to pretend that reading Russell and Wittgenstein is some esoteric thing that only those foolish enough to be philosophy majors could understand. I would say that you should show some intelligence, but if you had it you would have chosen a more respectable major.
OKAY .. FIRST OFF .. i was a criminal justice major and switched to philosophy to become a COLLEGE PROFESSOR IN THE ART .. more then you can ever say you will do with your life .. and the whole intelligence thing .. DO YOU even begin to COMPREHEND a word that Leonardo, Russell .. or for matters sake Nostradamus had to say?! wait dont answer that .. i will for you .. NO because obviously you are too little minded to think out side the box of a lousy business degree .. so what? you can be bored for the rest of your life? hate your job? umm .. no thank you .. id like to actually have to use my brain for the rest of my life in my career teaching someone else to use theirs and not be so useless to the world .. we need more thinking in the world .. maybe we wouldnt be in the war predicament that we are now if there were .. and dont even think about sayin anything to me about that either .. because i was in the Marine Corps .. and my husband still is !! we did our time .. so you want to insult my intelligence some more while we are savin your butt?!?!?!
With all due respect, you did a poor job of defending your intelligence. Perhaps your education would be better spent on learning to spell?
Just because someone is a Business major doesn’t mean they will be “bored the rest of their life”, nor “hate their job.” I am hyper creative (meaning I am extremely right-brained), however, I am majoring in Business Marketing/minoring in Advertising and plan to eventually work in an Advertising firm, whilst starting my own company. I would not call this boring, but rather an easier route to success.
With that said, anyone with enough drive, luck, and basic knowledge of business can make it. You don’t have to be a business, science, or engineering major to do well — it just makes it easier to obtain a well-paying job.
As a Philosophy major, you should know that whether these degrees are useless or not is dependent on the number of good, well-paying jobs offered in contrast to the number of people seeking that job, as well as human nature. It is easier to land a high-paying job with certain jobs, but if you major in the arts and put your all in, you can also become successful — the only issue with this matter is that you will most likely have to pursue starting your own business. With this, it will be more difficult to round-up money/get funding, with a more-or-less laughable degree. It is, however, possible.
Knowledge of philosophers, artists, writers, and their works will hardly take you anywhere in real life unless you rightfully apply it.
If you want to do better than most people, but also want to obtain a degree in the arts, you WILL have to deal with the business world. Make sure you do internships, and work yourself up outside of school, as well as in the classroom.
I might be a Business major, but I was trained in Classical and Jazz guitar, am highly-skilled in art/cooking, and am on my way to becoming a polyglot.
I think with any major, it is important to maintain yourself as a well-rounded individual and be open-minded to all aspects of life — whether it be arts or statistics that is your main passion, knowledge of both will always carry you further in life than simply ignoring one side. Just like a two-sided story, you can’t just ignore one side.
I hope that everyone concerned with being happy and successful in whichever field they choose keep in mind that a degree is merely a stepping stone to something greater, and the sky can be as high as you set it. The higher you set your goals, the less you will eventually stumble.
Although I am still completing my general education, I learned a term through one of my Business-oriented societies that I think anyone with drive should keep in mind: Falling Forward. Set a goal, and even if you flub up and fall down, you are still moving forward. With each failure, you bring yourself closer to success.
And, of course, everyone should know this one: If people give you lemons, turn them into lemonade. Don’t let people get to you, and thank you to you and your husband for serving our country!
I noticed you said you changed to philosophy so you coulde become a professor.. So basically you studied a useless subject with no future so that you could teach other people about that useless subject?.. Does that sound right.. Surely there are already enough philosophy teaches and as i can;t see any other jobs available the competition for philosophy professors must be tough.. All in all it’s a major that wastes peoples time and money(as most lazy students do it so they can bludge of youth allowance and smoke weed) i.e scum of society, along with Bachelor of arts.. How many people making crappy things they call art do we need..
anyone who can read can understand and appreciate the quirks and theories of philosophers. sorry to burst your pseudo-intelligence bubble!
It’s embarrassing that people like you think they want to be professional philosophers…….
They offer a course on The Simpsons and American Culture at FDU. Watching cartoons and getting credit for it? Sounds good to me.
My Art History degree and I are deeply offended. Oh, what the hell. I work at Home Depot. You guys are right.
“Philosophy is a well respected study, and has been for centuries. More than teaching you the history of philosophers, it is about learning how to think critically. Knowing HOW to learn is more important than learning itself.”
How do you learn how to learn? It’s like reading how to read. If you didn’t know how to learn, how did you learn to learn that your learning needs improvement and you need to learn how to learn?
I’m going to go read a book on how to read, and then watch a video that tells you how to see.
(Yes, I know, you mean how to learn better, I just had to make that joke, no offense intended)
Do you think those philosopher could maybe learn how to learn that philosophy is useless, that is after that learn how to learn
but how do they learn how to learn in first place.. im confused
wish i was an philosopher then i would have no problems
Here are some real jobs you can get with these degrees:
10. David Beckham’s personal butler.
9. Start a business called GhostKickers, there are a lot of people out there who think the squirrel in their attic is a blood crazed death demon from hell who is trying to get into their room to torture them to death, or that when a cereal box they left barely balancing on the cabinet falls, it’s definitely the evil spirit of a demented little girl who was slaughtered to death and is trying to make them go insane and get the inhabitants to murder each other.
Someone’s gotta tell them “You’re just stupid, ghosts are a hella lot stronger then that.”
8. Perhaps useless until a strange blue police box actually flies in front of your telescope before the world is briefly attacked by aliens.
Plus, with this degree you may be unwillingly thrown into a job with the government *Cough* Nasa *Cough* Dreamland *Cough*.
If it weren’t for paranoid conspiracy theorists, George W. Bush wouldn’t have gotten arrested for crimes against humanity a year from now, people would actually trust the government, and we’d all be wind-up soldier reproducers. *Cough* 50% of the world *Cough.
7. Comon, some douchebag is going to own Microsoft (again) some day, and will think it’s absolutely hilarious to have a guy with a PH.D in the Phallus standing buy his side, as he looks for sleeping workers and slaps paper penises on their backs.
6. If you’re really, really into surfing, you can become world-class with your “Surfing” degree.
5. I think we can all agree people with philosophy degrees only are never going to get jobs.
Who wants to employ a guy who is going to correct everything the employer says and make them look stupid?
4. ………………….I cannot think of any possible use for this degree.
3. Start your own Church of Picard, and ask for donations. Trust me, it works.
2. Ok what the hell…If there is anything possibly more useless then this degree I will shove a fork in my knee.
1. OWW MY KNEE!
I completely disagree with the fact that philosophy or art degrees are useless.
Without them, we probably would still be living in some sort of middle age society… internet and technologies arent all (and im a software/web developer…), wake up and go to read a bit of philosophy or to see some art exhibitions once in a while, it will open your mind and feed your senses.
Although I agree with the beckham course. pure joke! :p
I hope it was sarcasm, because if you actually believe Art History is a useless degree, I’m embarrassed for you. Enjoy working a cubicle for the rest of your life.
Just an FYI, Arizona State University has a Golf management degree program as well on the east campus. We had a good lol on that a few years ago when my friends and I found out. I actually met a frat guy in the program.
Golf puts me to sleep too, but really folks — it’s a big business. There are over 100 golf courses in the Phoenix area, where I live, and every one of them requires some knowledge of the business, from marketing (why pay $250 to golf *here* rather than *there*?) to maintenance (how’d you like to mow THAT lawn?). I’ve known a few people in that business, and — even if doesn’t turn me on — having a degree in it is far from useless.
I am not that involved in the art business, but history of art, includes architecture, a knowledge of how art is created, who did it. There are so many jobs related to this. Valuers, art gallery owners, museum workers, artists. I cannot believe it has no value.
As for sports management, these degrees are very important, golf and surfing involve big money. I don’t laugh at people earning the income they do for working in these areas.
Perhaps these were entered tongue in cheek. I do see the humour.
hm… I think those are wildly out of order.
Where’s the Women’s Studies inanity?
Having Women’s Studies is no different than offering a “Play the Race Card” degree for whatever minority is in vogue at the time.
Philosophy is a useless degree? How philosophical of you…
CSUMB has or had a class dedicated to The Simpsons. I believe it was there HCOM 212.
Of course this list was written with tongue in cheek. A degree is only useless if you don’t use the knowledge. I was a graphic design major and took many art history classes and enjoyed them and they helped me in my early design career and fostered an appreciation of art.
But as the owner of Toptenz.net I can also appreciate the humor in this list.
To all of those defending the Philosophy major I would love a top ten list focusing on something philosophical, so use that degree and send me a top ten list based in philosophy. If it is good, I’ll publish it and you can be a shining beacon for other philosophy majors.
Hooray! More useless lists!
Philosophy and Art History are not useless studies. True, they may not directly translate into a related job like, say, a business major translates into “Hey, you, work harder. Time is money. Chop chop!”, but then again, this probably has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the lapsing education standards in this country.
There was a time when college was a place for a person to get an education. Now it has become this symbiotic institution of payments for the chance of getting more money back in the long run. Or because it’s expected. I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of a good education, and with the price of one consistently going up, I think a lot more will. The cynicism is understandable, and a lot of “Sports studies” really are fodder classes meant to attract money, not increase overall intelligence.
Besides, having a degree, any degree, is still a world apart from not having one. You can have a doctorate in Dog Shit Studies, but as long as you can put that doctorate on a resume, you’re much more free to pursue different roles than, say, your average GED student.
As somebody who’s taken UCLA’s Queer Musicology seminar, I can set the record straight on a few things:
1. Queer musicology isn’t something UCLA invented. It’s a growing sub-field with its own conferences, books, etc. It’s not even a particularly new sub-field; it’s been around for two decades.
2. That class was a graduate seminar for people working on PhDs in musicology. Since queer musicology is an increasingly important sector of our field, it makes sense for graduate students to be familiar with it, no?
3. The LA Times piece you mention was an op-ed written by a conservative columnist in order to rail against the scourge of tolerance in modern academia. It really ought to be taken with a grain of salt, since the author’s agenda is pretty clear (and pretty extreme).
4. The quoted idea isn’t actually all that crazy, if you think about it for a second. People hear music differently. This is because they have different backgrounds, which causes them to notice certain things in music and ignore others. The music a composer writes will be influenced by the composer’s background. So is it so hard to believe that a queer composer’s music will contain queer elements? And is it crazy to think that people with a similar background to the composer (queer people) will pick up on these elements, and straight people (who don’t have that shared experience) might not?
The fundamental problem is that there’s more to being queer than sex. Queer musicology isn’t so much concerned with finding evidence of Teh Buttsex in music; it’s more about acknowledging things like secret shame, or the closet, or the awareness that you’re hated by your neighbors, or lots of other things that are common experiences for LGBTQ people.
In the end, queer musicology is about understanding music better. I don’t think that’s ever useless.
I teach in a Department of Psychology. Occasionally someone comes along and asks us, “Why don’t you teach parapsychology?” I realize that it’s an uphill task to explain that parapsychology is not valid.
We’re not in the porcine laundry business, and we’re not in the habit of providing hogwash!
If there was no philosophy, there’d be no lawyers. You be the judge.
Ignorance is bliss, obviously. For instance: You would not have computers, if it were not for philosophy. It is based on logic (all the calculations), and the development of logic begins with Aristotle.
And the fact that every major scientific discovery has it`s root in philosophical questions and considerations.
Every field of study stems from philosophical considerations. Everytime you try to do analyze something in a systematic way, you are in one way or another doing philosophy.
Philosophy is all about asking the right questions, not to belive a claim unless it is supported by arguments and be critical of dogmas and aware of fallacies. Bush could not have happend in a philosophical society.
And for the practical part: I have a p.hd in philosophy and work as a consultant – even for some Fortune 500 company.
And even as a fan of Becks, I realise that the Beckham studies might be a bit too much
I think that as far as philosophy being a worthless degree, you all have pretty much proved the authsr’s point! Well done, you over-educated dumbells.
What about underwater basketweaving? That was all the rage as far as useless degrees go when I went to college in the 80’s. Is that no longer considered cool?
Having an arts degree I can sympathize with Art History being on that list (having studied it for two years)- however why not then make all history useless? Art, design, fashion, architecture, even mathematical principles derived from such, all hold a governing place over culture, current events and our very landscape/cityscape. If we do not study historical artistic endeavors/artists we are sentenced to repeat the mistakes of the past. And nobody wants plaid bellbottoms back.
Secondly, mine and my friends’ colleges had courses in quilting, basketweaving, beers of the world, foods of the world, wines of the world, the simpsons, and numerous other “useless” classes/degrees. Fun, interesting, even drunk and delicious, but not much use to contributing to the financial market.
Fredrik reckons that computers could not have been invented without Philosophy degrees. So how many IT developers have them? Just because all doctorates are called PhD does not mean philosophy is studied in many of them.
Can we include Brabidge in the list of all-time great philosophers? And how about Gates?
Over 60% of my class is Law school had Philosophy degrees. A lot of them were drama students also.
Lunkhead: It`s the logic that drives the operating systems. You don`t have to have philosophy to be an IT-developer, but no matter how you see it; the logic is one of the fundamental philosophical diciplines. I just wanted to point out something useful that philosophy has contributed to.
Eoj Trahnier: Since you did not get the irony of TopTenz Master, it`s to much to expect that you would understand philosophy And thansk for making my point about lack of argumentation obvious. Creep back in your mental cave
If you`re still not convinced of the relevance of philosophy, check out what George Soros reads.
It’s right except for the Golf degree.
There is lots of money in Golf.
I majored in Art History in 1973 – the Chairman of the Department escaped from a Nazi POW camp in WW II, made his way to the Vatican and studied and restored art for the duration – a brilliant guy! Now I’m a lawyer, make a lot of money, travel the world and still enjoy art. Life could be worse.
I coordinate the Sport Management (Surfing Studies) course at Southern Cross University. This course is business and management based and graduates typically work in the multi-billion dollar surfing industry.
Apart from writing essays and reports, the students also get to surf occasionally.
As a footnote, this course was rated the sexiest university course in the world!!
“Philosophy, like sociology and psychology, is one of those degrees that people do when they’re not quite sure what vocation they want to follow.”
A graduate degree in psychology can lead to licensure in mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy and psychology ( course requirements meet educational requirements among other requirements ). Psychology degrees are useful in the field of criminal justice, human resources, forensics, gerontology…ect. A person with a graduate degree in psychology can teach psychology online and on-campus. It is a versatile degree.
Nice post, keep up the good work!
You have some serious issues ms. Katherine Watt, and first of all, golf management happens to be a big deal, especially in southwest florida. There are over 170 courses in 3 counties alone down here. So, to say it is useless just because YOU think it is boring doesn’t mean it is useless. So, you are telling me that a head pro at an exclusive country club making six figures a year doesn’t need a degree in Professional Golf Management? Good, point, very useful (NOT).
Also, philosophy? Are you kidding me, look at all of the philosophers around the world there are. Alot of famous authors had philosophy as a major.
And Art History is another one that caught my eye. Uh, an artist maybe useful for that.
I agree with Art History being pointless. Don’t really see many jobs that are looking for art history majors. I would also include musical therapy and dance to that list.
Looks like all the Philosophy majors are coming out of the woodwork! You guys seem to have a lot of time on your hands…
Jobs are not the only reason to study knowledge. Knowledge should be valued as an end in itself, not just something for getting a job.
As I’m sure many of you who agree are probably business and science majors, (or more likely, didn’t graduate high school at all), I’ll offer my rebuttal. Despite what people are telling you – as I’m sure you are all unable to think for yourselves – philosophy students do fine after graduation. Good university programs don’t directly correlate to specific jobs. Many of the world’s brightest minds studied the so-called “impractical” subjects like philosophy and are doing better than your 9-5 cubicle job (or pouring cement).
Drones study business and accounting.. and conformists who want to memorize and recite facts study the sciences. Those who follow the status quo and study the sciences and business justify their commitment to mediocrity by criticizing those who study what they want.
Sciences are much more limiting in what you can eventually do with your degree. Students of these programs are fairly well rounded and can apply the knowledge they learned at school on the job. Technology and the nature of business are changing all the time. Learning business skills now that will be obsolete in 5 years seems like a waste of time to me.
Seriously? There are such courses like these? I don’t think Philosophy is a useless college degree but then again, we have our own different opinions
Learning is essential for every person. every bit of information could be of great use. none of these degrees are worthless as they provide an opportunity to learn about something. i think a person should appreciate every thing that is part of his life and these courses would provide an opportunity to students learn the things that they desire.
live life like there is no tommorow……..
and learn what you like the most
there is no shame in this
I think culture is pretty much useless.
Philosophy would be better if it was focused on its application instead of being a course in of itself.
Uh, what do you think the branch of philosophy called “applied ethics” deals with? Seriously, I sort of understand the “tongue and cheek” nature of this list, but its amazing to me how many want to offer their expert opinions on what the subject of philosophy addresses without any exposure to the field. Thats like me claiming that Architectural Engineers have it easy because they get to punch a calculator all day. You’re oversimplifying something you know nothing about. Its is amazing how quickly people’s feathers get ruffled when the importance of the subject of philosophy comes is mentioned (including my own). People who’s knowledge of philosophy obviously amounts to no more than a vulgar understanding bash it with no abandon, while others (again myself included) jump in to try to address these people’s claims. One thing philosophy DID teach me (in Law School now, by the way- not exactly a dead end job at a Blockbuster): don’t make overarching claims about something you know nothing about!
HA! Brilliant post, if not for the absolute comic value then for the brilliance in attracting dozens of people including some (self described) professionals to defend their courses.
I personally don’t think any of the subjects mentioned are useless, because there are billions of people in the world that are probably interested and at least one who is driven enough to create the course.
A lot of these seem to be selective subjects within a course so aren’t a big deal. I think the larger picture is – should universities be associated with these subjects.
Traditional university studies remain:
Engineering, maths, science,
Modern additions are:
Philosophy, social science, business, arts,
Arguing that philosophy isn’t useless because it gave us the computer etc etc seems a bit like searching desperately and defensively for credibility. Philosophy sparked science which then (post religious persecution) invented the computer:
2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10 are all niche business/social areas. They have credible markets and in the sport cases (golf, surfing, football) likeliness of a job. Surf schools rake it in during the tourist seasons. lol @ sexiest course -that works in their favour too.
1 – Not a cornerstone subject but an old one all the same. Specialisation is everything. If you can know everything about the most minor subject – people will seek you out for it: Pop culture – Dan Browns Protagonist in Da Vinci code dealt with pictograms etc – there are people that make a good living from it.
5 – More difficult: Personally i think that a philosophy ‘degree’ is pointless. But philosophy is not. Learning to learn refers to developing your own best way of understanding, comprehending and developing thought. Philosophy ‘i thought’ was all about learning.
I don’t think the degree should exist as a straight course as science has replaced the practical purpose for philosophy. Most subjects include vast amounts of practical or not theory. Theory is the result of philosophical development by proffessionals of a particulary field.
I just realised two things: I’ve gone on way too long and the philosophy (as is described in these posts) should be: Philosophic history – more in line with arts history.
A quick alternative to expanding your mind for those who don’t want to rack up a uni bill is marijuana or acid…. it’ll work for a bit….
Thanks everyone for the fun distraction!
Lanolin – Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Of course this list is for fun and every course or degree has some merit to someone. I’m glad you enjoyed it and took it in the spirit it was written.
i enjoyed the list. But i dont think philisophy is useless.
Aya – None of these are useless. There is knowledge to be gained from every course, in some degree (no pun intended). This is a top 10 list not to be taken seriously. It is all done in good fun.
Okay, maybe David Beckham studies is useless.
A degree in philosophy teaches one how to analyze, debate, read critically, write and communicate effectively.
“According to a study reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education, philosophy majors score: 8.7% better on the LSAT, 11% better on the GMAT, 17% better on the verbal section of the GRE, and 4.6% better on the quantitative section of the GRE, than other majors do. (Philosophy, biology, chemistry, and mathematics are the only majors who score above the average on all four tests.) Philosophy majors have among the highest employment rates after graduation: 98.9%”
Like other humanities subjects, philosophy is important not just to memorize and repeat facts, but to teach one how to think. Majors like advertising, business, management, etc. don’t educate and train your mind in the same way studying philosophy does. Getting an education is about far more than memorizing and repeating facts to get that 9-5 cubical job.
Philosophy has been a crucial part of human history. To say it’s pointless is pure ignorance. Medical and Law schools after consider a degree in Philosophy to be a sound basis for continued study in nearly everything. Those silly people who think it’s a waste of time can laugh to themselves and tomorrow morning go work at Burger King.
I know this is supposed to be a humorous article, but there is some truth in it. I have a degree in Art and i must say it’s quite useless. But what people don’t see is the difference between the domain of study and the degree itself. While Art or Philosophy might be important, the degree obtained by studying (a small part of them) in college is absolutely useless. One can read all the books he wishes and he can visit art galleries therefore gaining a deep understanding of culture and human society, but i don’t see the necessity of having a piece of paper to confirm that. It’s just in our modern society when a diploma seems more important than the actual knowledge it’s supposed to represent. School system is only a reference point for the average, and if somebody takes pride in an art or philosophy degree, he missed the point of all things that he learned.
(excuse my English)
Ah, I am still going in circles trying to decide which degree to take. My interests are too varied and I am someone who will just learn what interests me at a particular point. If I want to learn a language, I do it. Nothing should hold you back from educating yourself.
There is so much pressure now to specialize in one field or to tick the “uni” box by getting a degree. If you are relying on your degree to get you your dream job, forget it. Sometimes I think it’s worth spending those three or four years on self study, confidence building, charm, speech and networking. Most things you learn on the job anyway (apart from medicine, law etc).
The only reason Business majors and economics majors say Philosophy degrees are a joke is because they werent smart enough to realize that before they got their utterly useless business degree. Most potential employers prefer a person who thinks outside the box. Philosphy majors are known for this. Picture this: a successful business executive is bored shuffling through the thousands of nameless and surprisingly clone like Business degree resumes and then stumbles upon a person with a beatifully written cover letter and a BA in Philosophy and says, hey at least they know how to communicate. What you learn in ‘business’ school is some of the most useless and ubiquitous stuff that can be taught over a 2 month training working at any run of the mill business. A philosophy degree proves the person has dedicated to themsleves to life-long learning not for mere monetary gain but in attaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
I think that is why a philospohy degree has been coined as being ‘essentially useless’ because in the individualistic money making business world we all reside in, philosophy doesnt fit but fact is studying philosophy is one of the wisest, most calcualted decisions a person can make. It will not only enrich their personal lives but create a more well rounded, multidisciplinary, multi facted individual and employee…
BRILLIANT!!!
I’m just glad that you didn’t bash my major… History. The stuff bashing philosophy was ok, but I think most B.A. degrees are for people who don’t really know what they want to do. It’s just an education. In the end, these degrees just get their holders into an interview or something.
By the way, going back for my M.A. in history now. Go me.
Philosophy, psychology, and art history are not useless areas of study! You’re measure of a “useful” degree seems to be one that will enable you to get a job so that you can attain material things like money and gadgets etc. However, I believe in a deeper meaning of the word “useful” in this context. By taking these “useless” courses (your words, not mine) you gain insight into life itself and understand human life at a deeper level, and you will feel more fulfilled than if you got a degree in, say, accounting and sat all day in an office living a mundane life full of trivialities and tedious tasks.
Also, psychology, philosophy, and sociology are not degrees that people get just because they don’t know what to do. I’m majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy, and I know precisely what I want to do with my degree, career wise, in my future.
I think you should major in what you’re passionate about. If you make a living by doing what you love, you will be much happier than if you had a career in which you made more money but hated.
I agree that most of the classes and degrees are silly, but so is this article. Philosophy majors tend to do better on the LSAT and in law school than most other majors (even pre-law majors).
a lot of people who study philosophy go on to study law. art history would correspond with working in most museums or galleries and golf course management would be an extremely lucrative career in a lot of locales. um, whose definition of “useless” are we using? i’m assuming the genius who wrote this list was a communications major.
Some of you folks need to calm down. The author wrote that the list was not to be taken seriously! So don’t take it so seriously!
I am one of those conformists(according to a previous poster) as I have degrees in chemistry and math. Anyone that has studied sciences or math to any degree knows they are far more than memorizing facts. Doing scientific research requires thinking “outside the box” and thinking analytically.
The school where I obtained my undergrad degree also required all students to take a course in music appreciation, philosophy, ancient literature and many other diverse subjects. All were interesting to me and useful as they exposed me to things I found I enjoyed.
If someone wants a degree in those things, fine, but get off the high horse and stop pretending that with a degree in philosophy you are thinking on a higher plane than someone with a degree in physics or math. If you pursue a degree simply for the joy of learning the subject, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Here are some totally useless degrees. Women’s studies(Should be called a BS in I hate men)
Ethnic studies(Should be called white people are to blame for everything)
Any degree related to being gay or lesbian(Should be called Agree with me or you’re a bigot).
A university near here(Methodist University) has a degree in golf management. Some of their graduates do quite well if they get hired by one of the country clubs or privately owned courses around here. At the job fairs I have been to, the largest group looking for jobs are business/communications majors.
I remember when Andy Katzenmoyer was at Ohio State and said he wasn’t interested in an education and should be allowed to major in football. There were actually people in powerful positions saying he was right and colleges should have a degree in football for athletes that didn’t want an academic degree.
Liberal Arts degrees are for pompous self-righteous douche-bags who fail at life. Enjoy your $100,000 debt, LOL. Next time take Engineering
My son is majoring in Engineering. If he doesn’t like it I said to get a Liberal Arts degree until he knows what he wants do.
Lol, yeah, because engineering is so easy you self-righteous hypocrite–just kidding. Anyway, funny person–Liberal Arts is good for its core credits which can be transferred to pursure various degrees–good for those who don’t know what their talents are yet and can graduate with a Liberal Arts and may return to continue. The degree advertises, and does not lie about making well-rounded students, although of course…If you want to get a degree such as engineering, than you will have to get smart on the math and tinkering and still add on a load more of classes–unfornately, not all of us have the talents to pursue such a career, that goes without needing to say. I myself, fail at Math and had to forget about my dreams of being an astronaut, scientist, doctor, and, yeah, an engineer. I had Liberal Arts as a major for a while until I finally chose Fine Arts. My dream is to get a job in television—I want to work the cameras, I want to do the costumes, everything…But it kicks my pride to learn that most, including me again, only have the time and money to get educated on one thing at a time, hah. I choose Fine Arts because people in my dream field often have a college background in Arts of some sort, also it’s broad enough for various jobs. But, one thing about artists is that many also got the jobs without an education–and it figures they can– one may only need to go to a store, buy a computer animating program, practice and practice, make a portfolio and start job-hunting. A college education in Art does teach discipline and provides knowledge for people who never had enough personal time to self-teach–but yes, I still do fear wasting my time and money indeed–I fear that I may not be able to apply myself creatively enough for a career, there may be skills that I will learn and may not use or will be outdated, and I might not find a job period! Strangely too, I fantasize often about a job with wildlife, being an animal doctor, designing amusement park rides, and computer animation. Maybe I should be a zoologist, then buy a computer program…Lmao… So basically, I would love to be a caretaker at SeaWorld or Busch Gardens, design the rides there, and document it for the Travel Channel, and design a logo for it. Wtf, I’m lost. If I could, I would have 15 careers. Anyway, where were we? Ah yea, Liberal Arts is okay
Art,art, art. I moved from California (Berkeley) a few yaers ago to New York City. I went to a local college in the Bay Area. I studied photography,ceramic art and painting. I was looking forward to making a career in this field work for me in this city
. Many of my jobs aree through employment agencies, contracted through the city. The compitition here is fierce. The average pay depending on the assignment, is sometimes $8.00-$12.00 per hour. If anyone tells you they are making it big in New York as an aartist they are telling a “BIG LIE.”. I am 36 years old and I am competing with young artists, 25-30 years old with more than 10 or more years with experience. Many of them grew up in New York and have many connections. Another thing,if you’re an artist, getting an apartment on your own is not the norm here. If you want a decent place, you are looking at $2,000.00 for a 1 bedroom, plus,utilities,food,tec… And if you drive, your insurance rates could be 1/3 of your rent.. So, many of us have no other choice but find someone you can share rent.
The Arts, as we know it is changing. Most all the schools have cut out art, music,home-economics,and PE. Why? The computer age and satilite television.if you want to paint, there are hundreds of programs that can teach you.. The same as with music, home economics( Look at the cooking shows on satelite television) PE, hey we have a choice that is endless. Next, Photographers, like tellers that used to fllod the banks. People are their own photographers. The cell phone, downloading phots from the Inter-Ne,(copy,paste,and print). So if there is anyone out there telling folks back home that they are making it big here in New York. The are truly” BIG APPLE LIERS!!!! Oh, by the way. Looks do matter. If your are a small petite white woma or a woman of color,you have a better chance than I do. I an 6′5 at 325 pounds and 36 years old.
Business majors are the ones that give back to society. Sure they can make a lot of money, but they are paid because of the services and goods they provide in order for society to receive a higher standard of living. I would love to see shan work for a company like IBM and try to understand intrinsic value and the time value of money in just 2 months. It takes more than just 2 months to understand economics in practice buddy. Business school has opened up my mind in many different ways. I feel bad for a friend of mine who graduated with a 3.8 from UCLA in Philosophy and works at Pizza Hut. Is that what you mean by thinking outside the box shan?
Shan,
About your example when the potential employer selects the Philosophy major’s resume over other business majors:
This example would be much more convincing if it had any relation to reality. Please name me some of the Fortune 500 exec’s with Philosophy degrees. Hint: this is a very short list.
And for all of the people saying that Philosophy graduates do well in law school, that’s great. Just what we need, more lawyers. Whatever would we do if people stopped suing eachother for slipping on sidewalks? The horror…
FYI: Golf Management is actually an extremely legitimate degree to one who actually intends on using it. There are a surprising number of high-paying, laid-back, country club jobs around this country, and who do you think will get them? Not to mention giving lessons at those country clubs and occasionally even tips.
has it occured to any of the readers that art history and philosophy were placed in this list in order to start an argument about their educational value? i mean, nobody will disagree with any conviction that surfing studies etc. have no value, personal,educational or otherwise, but the debate about the humanities is still alive and well, even if these feilds themselves are ailing.
on a somewhat simpler note, i’m sure that some of you know that “philosophy” is more than a simple four-year introduction. many issues are relevant to political, social and scientific areas in the modern world. there is much more to do with philosophy in almost any given field.
as for art history, many works of art are actually cornerstones of human thought and culture. if critical thinking is the key concept, i see no reason why knowing more of this aspect of human history should damage anybody’s life. on the contrary, they contribute much.
Sports Management is a multi trillion dollar industry. Go figure.
Would’t philosophy be good for someone that was in pursue of a carrier like Keanu Reeves character in Sweet November?
Hes job was to come up with ideas for commercials for the clients of the company he worked.
It would require him to know how people would react by seeing his idea.
I think Philosophy would help.
I would have to disagree with the surfing studies…
Despite stereotypes, some of the surfers I know are interested in environmentalism and pretty good in science, including an old science professor.
Most of them are so laid back and know how to appreciate the simple things in life. Seems like a nice way to view life as opposed to that whole, rush rush rush, money makes the world go round, kind of environment.
I understand the claim of how these majors might not make a person get a good job or might get them a high paying job (golf) or just for self enrichment. But every major has some merit.
Now thinking outside the box (philosphy). Is earning money the bottom line? Take money out of the equation and what would you study?
On the other hand, Studying about Oprah Winfrey. Is the bottom line a famous person?
every person is unique, Because we are ignorant or informed, on whatever subject and experience.
But the bottom line to all of us humans on earth is surviving and the pursuit understanding of everything (sentient). With that I would like you to visit the zeitgeist movement web page.
I have to agree with you there
I want to be an Art and T.V. major–But I understand can be jobless for a long time, I’m not even sure how I am compared to the rest of the competition, and don’t know how creatively I can work under serious pressure. I fear that I will get so stressed, that I will no longer look the job the same way. Naive as it may sound, I mostly want to have fun. Anyone would want to get get a job doing something they love doing, and better yet, for their favorite hobby.