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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Finance Degree v Business Studies v Sport Science

29 replies

Dancingdreamer · 19/06/2021 20:23

My DC is struggling to decide what he may want to do at uni. He likes the idea of Finance or Business Studies (particularly if he could combine this with a language) but the grades are quite high at the unis he likes. He is targeting unis like Bath and Durham because they have good teams for his sport.

An alternative is sports science where the grades at these unis are lower. This is appealing because of his sport interests and they claim the degrees would support his sport development too. However, it is unlikely that his chosen sport would ever earn him any decent money and I am not sure if sport science would really get him a good job anywhere afterwards. Any advice please?

OP posts:

mor93 · 20/06/2021 10:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cornishmumofone · 20/06/2021 11:00

@Dancingdreamer Have you looked at degree apprenticeships? There are various ones available that might meet your son's needs. He'd be earning money, not racking up debts and would still be able to play sport in the evenings or at weekends.

@mor93 I'd recommend posting your question somewhere separately

Birthdaysybother · 20/06/2021 11:14

I think future career is the key here. I think the next few years are going to be tough for the graduate market. I would choose the best degree for his career. Even if he has to sacrifice the uni choice. If he wants a career in finance do a finance degree ditto the sports degree. Don’t don any old degree just to go to a particular uni.

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 20/06/2021 13:43

[quote Cornishmumofone]@Dancingdreamer Have you looked at degree apprenticeships? There are various ones available that might meet your son's needs. He'd be earning money, not racking up debts and would still be able to play sport in the evenings or at weekends.

@mor93 I'd recommend posting your question somewhere separately [/quote]
Yes we have considered an apprenticeship but he is quite immature and lacks some of the confidence and interpersonal skills (not helped by being locked down to due Covid for nearly 18 moths in his formative teen years) and I’m not sure he would be ready for the workplace at 18. I certainly wouldn’t employ him! I think he needs time at uni to develop. He is also quite keen to take a year abroad and he wouldn’t easily be able to do that once he is settled in a job.

OP posts:

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 20/06/2021 13:48

@Birthdaysybother

That’s part of the problem. He doesn’t know what he wants to do! If he did the choice would be so much easier. Finance would really suit him as a degree course but I worry it will narrow his options and honestly can’t see him as an accountant or investment banker!

OP posts:

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 20/06/2021 13:58

He could apply for Finance and Sports Science to ensure that he's more likely to get an offer, whatever his grades?

Sports Science leads to teaching, training, coaching, working in the sport of his choice, possibly gym management, working for healthcare providers - none of which are 'bad' jobs in the slightest.

Malbecfan · 20/06/2021 15:23

As a 6th form teacher my advice is always: do what you like, do what you're good at. A good degree will open doors.

A couple of years ago I asked 2 lawyers (parents of a kid in my tutor group) who they would rather employ, a law graduate with a 2:1 or a musician with a 1st. They answered together immediately, "the musician". Their reasoning was that first is a first. We will give the legal training as part of their job. A first proves that they can produce work to a high standard.

Rummikub · 20/06/2021 15:29

Finance degree

hapalong · 20/06/2021 15:29

Does he fancy physiotherapy? The entry grades are high at 18. However if he did sports science he could then take the masters route to qualification later on, maybe after doing some coaching or something first.

thesandwich · 20/06/2021 15:32

Can he get some work experience over the summer to help decide? Search virtual work experience.
Some unis offer broad combinations of courses. Look at employability stats post degree too.

jayritchie · 20/06/2021 23:02

When you refer to a finance degree do you mean mathematical finance or accounting and finance?

I think I'd err away from sports studies - business or management degrees are perfectly employable and leave plenty of free time to play sports.

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 21/06/2021 08:03

@jayritchie

When you refer to a finance degree do you mean mathematical finance or accounting and finance?

I think I'd err away from sports studies - business or management degrees are perfectly employable and leave plenty of free time to play sports.

More accounting and finance although he prefers the degrees where he can focus more on finance. He won’t be taking further maths.

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jayritchie · 27/06/2021 19:01

There are some good finance related degrees which don’t require further maths. I dont think they are particularly designed for careers in high finance, but if that’s not an issue loughborough and Lancaster seem well liked by their students.

crazycrofter · 27/06/2021 19:44

I worked for a big 4 accountancy firm for nearly 20 years. He could get a training contract with a good degree in any of those subjects. Actually, the best recruit I ever worked with had a sport science degree!

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 27/06/2021 22:57

@crazycrofter - That’s interesting about the sports science degree and accountancy. He went to a virtual open day at Reading and was also quite taken with their economics degree as they have a sports economics option.

@NeverDropYourMoonCup - I don’t know of any universities which offer a joint finance and sports science degree. Do you know of any?

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Bryonyshcmyony · 27/06/2021 22:59

@hapalong

My dd did this. Very happy working as a physio. Really enjoyed her sports degree.

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 28/06/2021 19:39

Sorry no he doesn’t fancy physiotherapy sadly. I have tried all the options for allied health professionals and optometry but he has no interest in any! This is part of my concern. Ideally sports science as a degree would really suit him but I can’t see him in any of the traditional careers where the degree would lead him. He doesn’t want to teach, or work in sports management or do physiotherapy, so why take this degree? And I am worried that if he wants to do something in business he would be looked at less favourably with a sports science degree.

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Rummikub · 28/06/2021 23:19

What’s the attraction then to sport science? Curious as none of the obvious job suggestions interest him.
What about any of these:
Teacher
Sports rehabilitation
Prosthetics and orthotics

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 28/06/2021 23:58

The attraction to sports science is that he is a very keen high performance sports player (although not in a sport with any prospect of earning any money). He is very interested therefore in sports psychology, nutrition, strategy and how to develop high performance athletes. If he were in a high earning sport then there may be the types of jobs available that he would be interested in but sadly in his current sport he would only ever be able to do this on an unpaid, voluntary basis.

OP posts:

Rummikub · 29/06/2021 16:51

That makes sense.
Hard choice!

Bryonyshcmyony · 29/06/2021 18:29

Swansea is excellent for sports psychology (as part of a sports degree) or Bath of course if he gets those sort of grades

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 30/06/2021 01:32

@Bryonyshcmyony sadly Swansea doesn’t offer his sport! But psychology may be an idea. There may be too much essay writing for him however!

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Bryonyshcmyony · 30/06/2021 07:07

Is his sport financially successful at all in any country? If not he should definitely not base his future career around it. Take a year off and concentrate on it then do a business degree at a local uni and carry on that way.

Original poster

Dancingdreamer · 30/06/2021 10:28

@Bryonyshcmyony Not really. It’s an Olympic sport rather than a big spectator sport and no one knows any of the big names outside of the sport. A year out might be a good suggestion but universities generally offer much better support for performance athletes than he could do on his own with just the backing of his sports association.

OP posts:

Bryonyshcmyony · 30/06/2021 12:54

[quote Dancingdreamer]**@Bryonyshcmyony Not really. It’s an Olympic sport rather than a big spectator sport and no one knows any of the big names outside of the sport. A year out might be a good suggestion but universities generally offer much better support for performance athletes than he could do on his own with just the backing of his sports association.[/quote]
Would he get into Bath or Loughborough? Both excellent for performance sport (as is Swansea but obvs they don't offer it)

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