so, what IS a 'Mickey Mouse' degree?

[lemonysweet]

inspired by the thread about whether youd like your child to go to uni.

go on then, what degrees do you consider 'Mickey Mouse'

[personally i would never be so throwaway about something someone had invested so much time, effort and money into, but im interested in others opinions]

Really, Prolesworth? Because you do get an impression that it's a second rate institution.

Don't think I could do it through open uni - and when I started I was doing my degree in psychology then was struggling as being dyslexic too many very long words (that I couldn't even spell!) and its hard to do teaching with psychology. Also I want to teach SN and I can do modules related to this with a freer choice IYSWIM.
I actually want to teach EYFS/KS1 but thats too small a age range to garuntee jobs!!

I guess so, Le Q. Mind you, I knew two people who were in the top 20 people across the country in their English A levels; both struggled with the degree. It's still the case with students I know, who are not only the top of their classes, but the top of the country, that some will struggle with degrees. It is a different kind of study, not just a higher level.

Hi

I don't often post on MN as hope it's ok to join thread at this stage.

I am also studying Psychology at the OU and plan to become a primary teacher.

I am considering changing to an open degree with L3 modules in Children's Literature and teaching maths at KS2-4 ( and can always do L3 psychology modules later for the psychology degree)

I called Cambridge to enquire about their PGCE and was told that both the OU Psychology and Open Degree are acceptable for Primary (A levels should include curriculum subject)

It is also possible to do graduate medical training with an OU degree at st georges (friend inquired although I don't about a-level requirements)

I have great respect for people with OU degrees because they have so often obtained those degrees while working (sometimes full time) and raising families. Generally dealing with a lot of other issues that many (though not all) full time undergraduates do not yet have to deal with.

Just to clarify I know many other students work and have families.

LeQ - sorry, I cross-posted with your earlier post.

Don't be surprised - there's a very good, and increasingly popular set of second-degree medical courses, many of which take on arts students. They cram the normal 5-year course into four years, and of course you must satisfy the requirements in scientific subjects, but A-Levels aren't requisite. My friend doesn't even have three sciences at GCSE, but he passed the exams they set and is doing well. He finds it suits him so much better. We are all very proud of him.

No idea about the particular case mentioned (English degree followed by a medical one), but I'm pretty sure you can do postgraduate-entry medicine with a foundation year which acts as a 'conversion' year for people with non-science backgrounds. Back when I was doing A-levels I considered applying for medicine (did biochemistry instead in the end as would make a terrible doctor, no people skills and bad in stressful situations ), and you certainly needed an A in chemistry and to be doing another science subject (usually biology), but the third subject could be anything you wanted, and it wasn't unheard of for someone to choose an arts/humanities one.

Of course now people do a whole lot of A/AS levels instead of the traditional 3, don't they, so more room to choose a broader range of subjects? Which is probably a good thing and keeps more options open for longer, though I suppose you could argue it detracts from the depth of knowledge achieved in each subject.

Ephiny - to do degree-entry medicine (the four-year course), you do not need any science A-levels. They give you an equivalent exam to sit.

Yes, I was thinking about undergraduate entry with the A-levels. I think it's a good system (the graduate entry), not closing off the profession to good people just because of a choice of subjects they made at only 16!

thanks x stitch - actually your not far wrong as I'm a single parent and work full time and tbh I do stuggle to get motivated at times with study but it's a case of if I don't do it when planned I'll fall behind.

Guesss it does help though not having the temptation of a student bar!!

Molly 1978 I don't have a levels in a subjest have a BTEC ND Childhood studies (0-7) and AS level pyschology but I guess for early years /ks1 teaching that would class as subject knowledge?

Which is exactly why I wonder why the employers ask for A levels- exams you took YEARS before getting your degree.

LeQ - yes, I'm sure they could. But my friend isn't, imo. He's just better with the practical, hands-on nature of medicine (so he says). He found that, although he loves books and reading, he struggled with the abstractness and philosophy you encounter for English Lit - he just couldn't keep the different views straight in his mind. Whereas with medicine, he seems to learn easily, because it all relates to something practical and physical.

(That is his account, not mine, btw!)

I recruit for the media industry, at various levels, very few of my clients stipulate a degree from a RB university when they're looking for someone who has work experience. Obviously when recruiting graduates then they do ask for good degrees but as soon as someone has a couple of years work experience, that tends to be what counts.

Particularly on the sales and marketing side of things, you're only as good as your last billings/campaign. Some of the brightest and best candidates I have worked with don't have a degree. Again, with the editorial/technical side of things, the proof is in the pudding in terms of portfolio, a degree is usually a nice to have but not essential if you meet all of the other requirements of the role.

Obviously there are jobs where a degree is an absolute essential, I am very happy that all doctors need a medical degree for example . However, outside of those fields I think most people are a lot more flexible and driven by personality, skills and experience, not just academics.

Absolutely Ewe, it's experience that counts most - but only once you've got the experience.

When you're just starting out, you've got to get recruited in the first place in order to get the experience.

And as you say - at that stage, your clients ask for good degrees.

So really, you need to get the good degree in order to get the experience... ?

They all ask for a good degree but they don't all get, not all employers are in a position to be that fussy due to salary, sector etc.

Obviously they can be a little more so at the moment but on the whole we can match grads with not so great degrees to companies who aren't paying the best salary, have slightly crappier offices, aren't quite as central etc.

People who have a good degree, a good attitude, relevant work experience and are really motivated can still afford to be picky in this market, there are never enough of them to go around!

Someone was asking about working in forensics. I did my BSc in Molecular Biology in a Russell Group uni. A friend on the course now works in forensics.

Yes - that's exactly it!

But I think the great thing we've all realized is, there really are opportunities for people to change their minds about degrees, and also that you can change a lot after A-Levels without it spoiling your chances.

I always thought a Mickey Mouse degree was one from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)? DH does talk about 'Mickey Mouse Universities' sometimes... ie. the crap ones.

I'd term a Mickey Mouse degree any degree or diploma scheme that had been cobbled together by a substandard department purely in order to generate income for said department, and with no regard to the academic or vocational content of the degree. Sadly, this sort of degree isn't always restricted to newer universities and cheaper outfits. Students get fleeced.

And we now live in a culture where it appears you have to have a degree in something, anything, in order to apply for pretty basic jobs. I don't think it helps anyone, and it debases the good degrees held by graduates from decent institutions. I don't understand what was wrong with the polytechnic system where good, solid vocational teaching led to good jobs and apprenticeships.

OOH I got an A in English Lit A-level Old money (1991), I must be a fricking genius!

Our top 'Mickey Mouse' degree when I was at Uni (many, many moons ago) was

Peace Studies at Bradford Uni.

I mean? What does that even mean? (This was in 1988).

That is fairly amusing, Easy!

Mind you - I think the real problem isn't with lazy, bright-ish students who pay for three years of slightly out-there or minority interest degrees.

What really gets my goat is when people take up funding when there's no way they're going to get through the course, and it's useless. It makes me furious that someone I know got four years of funding (before tuition fees) to retake her first year endlessly in Management and German at a university college that routinely comes in the bottom 10 of the league table. Now, surely, someone like that who is a drain on the rest of the HE system, who is consistently failing, should be encouraged towards some kind of non-academic training instead?