Why aren't arts degrees "real degrees"?

Tefal said:
i'm not searching though all your posts, it's just if you've had people emailing you it's gotta be relatively interesting so was curious.
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Mainly Engineers asking questions but this thread was from a while ago, but covers one of my career jumps to a company called GL-Noble Denton and since then moved back to Saipem as a Structural Lead.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17897423

Sorry don't know how to take your posts most of the time :)

KaHn
 
If BA's are wishy Washy and BSc's are excellent, where does that put us BEng students?

Also, any student going to university who doesn't aim to get a first shouldn't have bothered in the first place.
 
I am studying for a degree in Television Production (third year) whether you would class that as Art is a different story. One of my housemates (same year, same degree) has a job lined up at a post production audio facitility, one is currently employed as a researcher by Endemol and I do freelance work for a well-known chefs company. This is because of the university that we attend; having links within the industry and known for teaching their students how to Produce and Direct well through plently of practical work aswell as developing the other skills required.

The industry requires employees who have these skills so the university is catering for that. Classifying the course under the umbrella of a 'degree' is neither here nor there, it's a place where the skills are taught to those who are interested in the relevant field so that they can be employed in the relevant industry afterwards.
 
Gaygle said:
Pretty much everyone i know that did an "arts" degree did **** all at uni. Pretty much everyone i know that did an BSc worked MUCH harder and had much more to do that BA's.
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This exactly.

I did a degree in Biomedical Science and Pharmacology, I had 20-25 hours worth of lectures per week + 10 to 15 hours lab time. It was the equivalent of doing a full time job.

I had friends doing BA's in social studies they had a whole 8 hours a week contact time i.e lectures. I was like WTF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its crap like this that makes people think BA degrees are Mickey Mouse / waste of time.
 
wildman said:
This exactly.

I did a degree in Biomedical Science and Pharmacology, I had 20-25 hours worth of lectures per week + 10 to 15 hours lab time. It was the equivalent of doing a full time job.

I had friends doing BA's in social studies they had a whole 8 hours a week contact time i.e lectures. I was like WTF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its crap like this that makes people think BA degrees are Mickey Mouse / waste of time.
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Agreed. I did Mathematics but I worked a similar amount of hours. It seemed on occasion that some other degrees were rather extracting the michael.
 
Kahn, not at college, just going through final year of degree at Surrey. Had placement last year at Cummins doing mech dev work.

Apologies if I came across a bit pig headed. I was looking at it from the point of view that what real jobs can you get from an art degree?

I do however fully appreciate that if you don't enjoy the subject then there is no point in doing it at all!

Cheers

Alex
 
Alex*TLR said:
Kahn, not at college, just going through final year of degree at Surrey. Had placement last year at Cummins doing mech dev work.
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Hey check my edit, it was James07 who was claiming he was a mechanical engineer for insurance purposes while still at college.

KaHn
 
Arguably, those with artistic talent shouldn't need to do an art degree anyway? Considering the type of jobs people with artistic talent tend to go for and get, work on portfolios over paper qualifications.
 
I have a first class BA (Hons) in History from Warwick. I know it was never the most useful degree in the world for earning power, but I still consider it a real degree.
 
A degree shows you are capable of competently completing work set for you within given time frames/deadlines e.t.c. Working in a studio or post-prod house for example, is about being a tool to complete other people's artistic vision rather than getting the chance to realise your own, so having the paper shows you've had at least some experience adhering to that. If you're self-taught and your portfolio/reel is great, employers will be wary if you haven't shown how quickly the work was done, whether you've had practice working stupid hours to get things done on time, team-player and so on.
 
There's some serious confusion in this thread between an art degree and an arts degree.

Both can be worthwhile academic disciplines, but it obviously depends on the course whether it's viewed as "worthwhile" or not. The world would be a pretty rubbish place if people couldn't study history, law, geography etc.
 
Parsifal said:
For those that have this belief, please explain it. :)
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Never really thought about it.

I don't have a degree.

Could never understand art though

Teacher "draw your impression of [something]"

After I was finished my drawing would be "critiqued" by the teacher and given a score?

Hmm let's all go round TATE and start grading the art. hehe

Ok ok I was **** at art. :p
 
BA in most subjects = Toilet paper.

Those who disagree fail into one of three categories:

1. Lucky enough to get a job related to their degree.
2. Are currently studying for a BA (and haven't yet experienced how little their degree counts in the real world).
3. Did one of the few worthwhile BAs (economics, law, accounting, graphic design).

I'm glad I went to uni, even just to do a BA in History... but there's no doubting that it hasn't once helped me since getting it ten years ago.
 
Hellsmk2 said:
BA in most subjects = Toilet paper.

Those who disagree fail into one of three categories:

1. Lucky enough to get a job related to their degree.
2. Are currently studying for a BA (and haven't yet experienced how little their degree counts in the real world).
3. Did one of the few worthwhile BAs (economics, law, accounting, graphic design).
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I'm not sure how Oxbridge will feel with your wonderful assessment :rolleyes:.
 
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