What are the most and least useful majors?

[63dot]

probably being a medical doctor with a bachelor's of medicine, bachelor's of surgery (MBBS, MBChB) or a barrister/solicitor with a bachelor's of laws (LL.B) are majors/fields that would pay the most worldwide

close by would be chemical engineering and electronic engineering as in high pay starting out of university
....

but for society, we need all disciplines to make our lives work

once a professor made the remark, "what would you do if there were no garbagemen" (let's say in a small villa like london)

 

[Tilpots]

Oh yes:

Starbucks
McDonalds
Sales Representative


Seriously thought - at the three starbucks and 7 other coffee shops in my neighbourhood, about 70% of the staff are either art, art history or multi media students/graduates. with a couple of wannabe actresses/models...

Did your degree get you a date with any of them?

 

[furcalchick]

i say biology, because i feel there are alot of skills you can pick up in that major that could be used as a general qualifier for alot of jobs. i'm not saying it in the job=major relationship, because science isn't a good field right now for young people to get into in terms of $$$ and career prospects. but biology is a (relatively) rigorous major and people are more or less impressed by it for jobs in general. plus, you have a greater understanding of the natural world and such (your miles may vary).

i think the usefulness of a degree isn't about getting a job in the field of your major, but more about if you learned something about yourself and your skills in the process of getting that degree. getting a job isn't about what you major in (there are exceptions), but more about what you put into getting that job.

 

[NSNick]

probably being a medical doctor with a bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) or a barrister/solicitor with a bachelor of laws (LL.B) are majors/fields that would pay the most worldwide

close by would be chemical engineering and electronic engineering as in high pay starting out of university
....

but for society, we need all disciplines to make our lives work

once a professor made the remark, "what would you do if there were no garbagemen" (let's say in a small villa like london)

Medicine and Law are not majors in the U.S. They are graduate degrees.

 

[63dot]

Medicine and Law are not majors in the U.S. They are graduate degrees.

I attended university in the United States and in England. Believe it or not, there are other places outside of the United States and ignorant comments like what you just made is why many outside of the USA hate Americans.

For a second, consider the many international students who are members here on Macrumors and add medicine and law to your poll.

Law is overwhelmingly an undergraduate degree for the rest of the 5.7 billion people in the world, but maybe they just don't count in your book.

BTW, I am an American law student and I know my J.D. will not be considered a "doctorate" by my international peers. The American law degree as a graduate degree was legislated and fully confirmed by the ABA in 1976 throughout all the member schools.

 

[4JNA]

didn't see ITT on the list...

Did your degree get you a date with any of them?

oh, snap! yeah, you want to add a shot?!

i just pity the fool who thinks degree(1, 2 or 3) = job. i'm home, where's my dinner? if you want a job waiting at graduation, go to trade school! (credit unlikely to transfer, call a counselor for details...)

 

[JNB]

I have a friend who is an art major. She doesn't have to work at a traditional job at all because her art brings in enough money every month to cover all expenses (rent, electricity, tuition).

I hate this attitude (usually one held by people who studied technical subjects at university) that all art/humanities/social science degrees are useless. I don't know where it comes from and why you people think you are somehow better than everyone else for studying a completely uncreative, unfulfilling subject at university. Have fun with your technical degree (if such a thing is possible), but quit it with the superiority complex.

Agreed. This is exactly what I was trying to say. But I'd add in "usefulness is defined as the likelihood of getting a traditional job." With the exception of the example above I already used, I know plenty of people in design, film, multimedia programs that already have jobs within their field before graduation or have jobs lined up.

Well, somebody has to engineer the building that houses all of that art, not to mention your friend.

Usefulness is such a relative term, anyway. Useful to whom? Me? "Society?"

I think the current edu system has grown too full of itself, anyway. If someone wants to be an engineer, doctor, artist, dancer, electrician, whatever, let the schools provide the knowledge necessary and just certificate them. The grander "college experience" is such BS any longer. If you're talking about any course of study the purpose of which is to lead to a saleable skill, it's a trade school, period, and should be managed as such.

The number of grads & post-grads I encounter on a daily basis that are barely functional, and functionally illiterate (and I deal mostly with folks possessing advanced degrees), makes me truly question the point and value of universities--in the US, anyway. As far as I can tell, it's nothing but a racket perpetuated by the NEA for job protection.

So I say study what makes you happy, and if you can make a buck doing it as well, you're ahead of the game.

 

[NSNick]

I attended university in the United States and in England. Believe it or not, there are other places outside of the United States and ignorant comments like what you just made is why many outside of the USA hate Americans.

For a second, consider the many international students who are members here on Macrumors and add medicine and law to your poll.

Law is overwhelmingly an undergraduate degree for the rest of the 5.7 billion people in the world, but maybe they just don't count in your book.

BTW, I am an American law student and I know my J.D. will not be considered a "doctorate" by my international peers. The American law degree as a graduate degree was legislated and fully confirmed by the ABA in 1976 throughout all the member schools.

I was simply pointing out that you are off topic. I too have lived in the UK. If I had wanted to include those, I would have asked, "What are the best and worst subjects to read at university?"

 

[0098386]

I'd have voted Medicine.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

I attended university in the United States and in England. Believe it or not, there are other places outside of the United States and ignorant comments like what you just made is why many outside of the USA hate Americans.

For a second, consider the many international students who are members here on Macrumors and add medicine and law to your poll.

Law is overwhelmingly an undergraduate degree for the rest of the 5.7 billion people in the world, but maybe they just don't count in your book.

BTW, I am an American law student and I know my J.D. will not be considered a "doctorate" by my international peers. The American law degree as a graduate degree was legislated and fully confirmed by the ABA in 1976 throughout all the member schools.

Whoa, 63, calm down man, he was pointing out a fact. You really can't major in "law" or "medicine" in college, it takes a graduate degree to practice both. Law is a 6-7 year school commitment in the US, while its a 3-4 year school commitment in the UK, plus to my knowledge their is a mandatory "internship/apprenticeship" period of a few years after your LLB (in the UK at least).

I understand that most other countries us the LLB, but seeing as how law and medicine majors aren't offered in all countries, and the majority of the others are, it doesn't make much sense to add it. If he really wanted to the best way to add it would be pre-law, since a graduate degree is required in the US and internships are required in many other areas.

While your law degree might not be considered a "doctorate" by international solicitors and barristers, most American attorneys (I work with over 50 of them) that I know would not consider an LLB equivalent to their JD, and neither do almost all of the state bar associations.

As for the most useful major, that really depends on what you want to do. For me I would probably go with econ or business (since Accounting isn't up there), but again, if you want to be an artist, art is probably the most useful major (even if its not the most practical when it comes to finding a job).

 

[themadchemist]

Most Useful (but not on the list):

Communication Studies.

If you need a degree to figure this out, you're already too far behind.

 

[Leareth]

Did your degree get you a date with any of them?

Actually yes.

 

[RacerX]

I am really just curious as to how Apple fans will answer this question. There is an arguement to be had that Apple fans are art majors because they like photoshop and pretty colors. There is also an arguement that they are Comp Sci majors because they like to program, or Engineering majors because they like technology. I want to know which.

You know, maybe you should start a new thread/poll then... this one totally misses the mark if that was the type of information you wanted.

My suggestion for a new question...

What did you or would you major in?​

See, I majored in mathematics with a minor in physics, which is the best major for those interested in doing math or physics... but is most likely not the best major for the general public, and as such wouldn't be what I would vote for in your poll.

 

[rajalot]

most useless:
theology and any humanistic subject, literacy science comes to mind as a forerunner

definately most useful:
medicine (which wasn't on the list)

I picked bio-engineering from the list. you get to develop medicine with that licence.

 

[cleanup]

Could someone explain to me how computer science is more useful than math?

Mathematicians can write algorithms for computer programmers to use. Computer programmers just make software. Mathematicians can do consulting work for numerous industries. Construction, retail, medical research, etc. Granted, you can work in most of these fields as a programmer, but I think being a mathematics genius broadens your scope to pretty much everything?

 

[egor]

I have a friend who is an art major. She doesn't have to work at a traditional job at all because her art brings in enough money every month to cover all expenses (rent, electricity, tuition).

I hate this attitude (usually one held by people who studied technical subjects at university) that all art/humanities/social science degrees are useless. I don't know where it comes from and why you people think you are somehow better than everyone else for studying a completely uncreative, unfulfilling subject at university. Have fun with your technical degree (if such a thing is possible), but quit it with the superiority complex.

Technical subjects can be very creative, I find your attitude just as bad as those being criticised. In fact, the fun of computer programming for me is largely down to the creativity (and the logic too). Some of the greatest scientific solutions to exhisting problems have involved thinking outside of the box, etc.

What is the most useful degree? There is no meaning in life so you have to make one up for yourself. For me it's doing what you enjoy and expanding your mind - developing as a human. So I'm of the opinion it is the field you are most interested in that should be your "Major".

 

[egor]

Could someone explain to me how computer science is more useful than math?

Mathematicians can write algorithms for computer programmers to use. Computer programmers just make software. Mathematicians can do consulting work for numerous industries. Construction, retail, medical research, etc. Granted, you can work in most of these fields as a programmer, but I think being a mathematics genius broadens your scope to pretty much everything?

Do average mathematicians get work though? There are plenty of **** programmers who get employment, but to me (and I may be ignorant) you're either exceptionally clever and can solve important mathematical problems - or the best you can do is understand exhisting solutions.

Although I stand by the opinion that if you enjoy pure maths more, then that's the most useful.

 

[dukebound85]

I have a friend who is an art major. She doesn't have to work at a traditional job at all because her art brings in enough money every month to cover all expenses (rent, electricity, tuition).

I hate this attitude (usually one held by people who studied technical subjects at university) that all art/humanities/social science degrees are useless. I don't know where it comes from and why you people think you are somehow better than everyone else for studying a completely uncreative, unfulfilling subject at university. Have fun with your technical degree (if such a thing is possible), but quit it with the superiority complex.

i believe finding solutions to complex problems is hardly uncreative or unfulfilling. better yet, it serves a purpose that other people can reach "tangible" benefits from

as far as superiority complex, i dont think that. i base my opinions on what i observe. for example i have friends who majored in art and yea, when i have homework that occupies every free moment every day of the week and see my art friends playing xbox nonstop or going to concerts due to a MUCH less workload i dont feel sorry for them when they have a hard time getting jobs

i picked my major on two criteria
1) will i enjoy it
2) will this enable me to become attractive to employers after i graduate?

to not think like that is stupid and when you dont have parents or relatives to "fall" on in hard financial times, you have to make the smarter decision in terms of major selected

another example:
one of my best friends graduated with a theatre degree 2 years ago. is she working in theatre?no. what she is doing is working at bestbuy as a customer service rep........something i could have done while in high school

 

[dukebound85]

Yes, all of you people in this thread defining "usefulness" as the ability to get a job, which are usually the same people talking about how any degree that isn't scientific or technical is useless.

when you pay 10's of thousands of dollars to get a degree, i think defining "useful" as the ability to get some return on investment (aka job) is not unreasonable

for the record, i appreciate art, i really do. however i believe it is better as a pastime than as a career. thats my opinion and i realize many people disagree with that but whatever

 

[furcalchick]

i picked my major on two criteria
1) will i enjoy it
2) will this enable me to become attractive to employers after i graduate?

on #2, i will say that it doesn't have to be strictly in your major field, but it helps (for instance, writing sci-fi films with a chemistry degree). don't get locked into certain jobs because they fit finely into your major or disqualify others because you didn't major in the corresponding field.

but i will say majors in the sciences and such will be more attractive overall than an art or communications major because a major in art is more regarded as a fluff major, as on the other hand, biology is considered a tough major, and employers will look at that more.

 

[themadchemist]

but i will say majors in the sciences and such will be more attractive overall than an art or communications major because a major in art is more regarded as a fluff major, as on the other hand, biology is considered a tough major, and employers will look at that more.

But if you actually want to work in something directly science-related, a bachelor's degree will get you nowhere fast. Unless you want to go into the business side of the science world, you really do need to get a PhD to get anywhere (and even on the business side of things, a PhD helps).

 

[furcalchick]

But if you actually want to work in something directly science-related, a bachelor's degree will get you nowhere fast. Unless you want to go into the business side of the science world, you really do need to get a PhD to get anywhere (and even on the business side of things, a PhD helps).

i was referring to two people, one with an art major and the other with a biology major applying for a job unrelated to either major, where the biology person would get the edge because of the perception of a harder work ethic in the major.

but you're right, a bs in biology will get you nearly squat in the sciences unless you want to be a lab techie (something i found out in college that i wouldn't enjoy, this is something i only discovered in college). but the science field in general sucks for those trying to break in now with the endless postdocs and the low pay. this is why so many biology majors end up in way different fields later on and why some just ditch science after college.

 

[Tilpots]

Actually yes.

Pics or I don't believe it!

As many have said, useful is in the eye of the beholder. We're all built differently and everybody contributes something, good or bad.

 

[BigPrince]

Computer Science for the win.

 

[question fear]

I majored in philosophy in college and even though I work in a wildly unrelated field on the surface, I believe my education helps me every day.

What I learned from philosophy:

-How to approach any opinion from all sides.

-How to look for the different ways a statement or idea can be interpreted.

-How to express myself concisely and clearly.

-How to approach the world through more than one view.

These are a few of the "soft" skills I learned from my classes, not to mention all the fun anecdotes that make for good small talk stories...

My only regret is that I did not pair it with business or economics to give it a more analytical grounding at the time. But I wasn't the same person I am now, and I firmly believe majoring in philosophy helped me a great deal long term.

My women's studies minor, on the other hand, was accidental at best, and came from realizing how many women's studies courses were cross listed with the philosophy department.