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Original poster

Help me to help DD choose a degree. Most likely Philosophy!

105 replies

flopi77 · 24/09/2021 14:51

DD is looking at Philosophy as a degree, which is great, but DH and I are feeling a bit out of our depth. DD knows about rankings, tables etc, but all the specs for Philosophy degrees seem so similar. I thought I'd post here hoping someone might have more knowledge - where's the best teaching? I don't necessarily mean the most prestigious, more dynamic and global, rather than just Western philosophy.

Then might there be degrees which DD just hasn't thought of? She's chosen Philosophy because it's her favourite A-level, but could there be other degrees which she'd fit and just hasn't thought of. Maybe Anthropology? Trouble is DH and I know nothing about that either! Confused Her A-levels are Philosophy, History and Sociology (AAA predictions).

Any thoughts would be great. Neither DH or I went to University, so we're feeling a bit on the back foot and sadly her school seem as clueless as us!

OP posts:
a8mint · 25/09/2021 23:45

Least employable degrees in the uk

Help me to help DD choose a degree. Most likely Philosophy!
spotcheck · 26/09/2021 11:35

@a8mint

Least employable degrees in the uk
What site is that?
spotcheck · 26/09/2021 11:36

Op
There are no guarantees.

She can help herself by getting good grades, taking a degree with an industry year, doing internships over the summer.

MarchingFrogs · 26/09/2021 15:02

@spotcheck, looks like it's from here?
www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17833854.best-worst-uk-degree-courses-getting-job/

TizerorFizz · 27/09/2021 09:22

Those stats are not accurate. Art degrees are way lower! Those stats are still pretty good and absolutely decent when compared to drama. They will also refer to grad entry jobs. Not any job. The Institute for Fiscal Studies doesn’t put these degrees at the bottom. Their research is very robust.

TizerorFizz · 27/09/2021 09:32

This is the list from the IFS from 2018. It looked at earnings at age 29. University and course do matter. But the list of who can earn the most is interesting. The subjects mentioned above are NOT the worst! By a long shot!

Help me to help DD choose a degree. Most likely Philosophy!
CastAColdEye · 27/09/2021 09:33

My son did a joint honours degree ( philosophy being one of the subjects) at Trinity College Dublin. He then did an MA in journalism. Critical thinking is very much required in his chosen career ( journalist on The Times) and philosophy is a great gateway subject for many careers such as law.

The poster who quipped about wanting fries with that really has shown a level of ignorance that I thought had gone out wih the ark.

RobinPenguins · 27/09/2021 09:33

There’s a Philosophy graduate on my trainee programme (Accountancy). She is streets ahead of some of the others in terms of initiative and critical thinking.

Pippapet · 27/09/2021 09:38

I don't know about Philosophy specifically myself but I do know two people who did it. One went on to get a high paid job in a different career field, the other did admin type jobs.

Of the one who went on to a different career field, although she did well she had to do a degree in her chosen career. I think the experience of doing Philosophy wasn't wasted, but it wasn't related at all and she had to start over in terms of degrees. Luckily her parents could afford to fund her to do two degrees almost back to back.

TizerorFizz · 27/09/2021 12:17

I don’t really see philosophy as a career. It’s a gateway that you pass through that opens up possibilities. That someone wants to be an accountant after philosophy and is good at critical thinking doesn’t mean that much if you don’t want to be an accountant.

I would expect the same ability of top MFL, History and Law grads etc. It’s what very bright people can often do. They pass such tests well which is why they get to the best universities in the first place! What really matters is doing a course you enjoy at the best university you can get to.

We can all find grads who haven’t achieved much and those who have achieved highly with the same degree from the same university. Personality, work ethic, willingness and ability to train further, work experience, ambition, self worth and family life/background all come into play as well as ability to pass tests and target the right job in the first place!

EdmontinaDonsAutumnalHues · 27/09/2021 12:26

I don’t really see philosophy as a career.

Are you planning to tell all the practising philosophers currently employed in thinking and writing and teaching that they don’t exist? Grin

StrongArm · 27/09/2021 12:59

@TizerorFizz I couldn't agree with your statement more!

fwiw, I didn't go to university in the UK so this is all new to me. My other child is studying Maths which has a much clearer path to careers but in reality it probably shouldn't be that way.

@RobinPenguins i was talking to the HR officer of one of the big 4 and he was saying how they have found employing people who have done more critical thinking degrees (like Philosophy) has been massively beneficial to their staff composition which I found interesting!

Viviennemary · 27/09/2021 13:02

I think she needs to focus on what she wants to do in future. It sounds a bit of an airy fairy degree to me. Further training will probably be needed after the degree.

TizerorFizz · 27/09/2021 13:07

@EdmontinaDonsAutumnalHues

It’s a career for very very few people who hold a degree in it. There are of course people who teach all subjects and write about them but they are a tiny minority. Most find they have to go out into the big wide world and compete against other degree holders. Otherwise it’s a very closed degree with very narrow prospects!

StrongArm · 27/09/2021 13:18

it's actually not an airy fairy degree - I'm not sure what people are thinking about! Would you say that about History/English/French etc.? Don't forget one of the most well known degrees is PPE at Oxford!

if you believe going to university is about getting a career, then you would go and study architecture/law/accountancy

my son doing maths, which is always at the top of the list in terms of employability afterwards, has no idea what he wants to do. I did Maths at university and got a good career afterwards but have applied not one thing of what I learned on that course in my job!

practical courses like plastering or bricklaying are the ones that essentially show you the way to a job at the end of it - and those are hugely undervalued and should be pushed more to students

but philosophy is a lot more than airy fairy - the co founder of Linkedin and the co founder of Paypal both famously did Philosophy majors. And George Soros majored in Philosophy at LSE!!

a8mint · 27/09/2021 13:27

Yeah but that's PPE not just P. I think the politics and economics make a big difference

thatsnotmyzoo · 27/09/2021 13:32

The best graduate I’ve ever worked with had a philosophy degree and she is now out earning me four years later. She was not only incredibly smart but a great critical thinker and had buckets of common sense.

Viviennemary · 27/09/2021 14:32

I agree the other subjects make a difference. And also going to prestigious unis like Oxford or LSE.

TizerorFizz · 27/09/2021 14:45

Oxford doesn’t do Philoso on its own either. It’s always joint!

SkinnyMirror · 27/09/2021 14:57

@a8mint

Least employable degrees in the uk
What site is this from?
CorpusCallosum · 27/09/2021 15:20

I echo others posts about looking at the specs, no harm in contacting unis too to find out what their faculty major on.

I did Philosophy at Leeds in the mid 00s and really enjoyed it, esp the uni life there. It was heavy on metaphysics in 3rd year which I found a bit tedious. That said, when I applied I don't think I knew what metaphysics was so it probably wouldn't have put me off 😂

I went on to do a masters in a science subject some years later. I couldn't believe how much my grounding in philosophy was a help for mastering research methods which are all about how we acquire knowledge.

Leeds was great for allowing you free modules to do other things. I did some creative writing, media and psychology and enjoyed the freedom and diversity. You could end up with joint hons if you signed up to the right modules.

KittyMcKitty · 27/09/2021 15:44

@TizerorFizz

Oxford doesn’t do Philoso on its own either. It’s always joint!
Not sure what your point is? If it’s to do with prestige then Cambridge offer just philosophy.
TizerorFizz · 27/09/2021 16:04

My point was that when looking at employment rates from different universities, you have to be careful that you are looking at single honours Philosophy and not a joint honours.

@SkinnyMirror
The “least employable” stats given by the other poster are definitely incorrect. They ignore performing arts, fine arts and all sorts of other degrees with not great employment stats at not the best universities. The info I gave earlier is a lot more reliable. 80% or above into grad jobs is absolutely not a poor rate of employment. But often employment rates will vary from uni to uni.

SkinnyMirror · 27/09/2021 17:17

@TizerorFizz

My point was that when looking at employment rates from different universities, you have to be careful that you are looking at single honours Philosophy and not a joint honours.

@SkinnyMirror
The “least employable” stats given by the other poster are definitely incorrect. They ignore performing arts, fine arts and all sorts of other degrees with not great employment stats at not the best universities. The info I gave earlier is a lot more reliable. 80% or above into grad jobs is absolutely not a poor rate of employment. But often employment rates will vary from uni to uni.

Absolutely! This is why I questioned the source. They certainly don't match the ones I'm familiar with ...... but that doesn't stop people talking crap about degrees they know nothing about!
lockdownmadnessdotcom · 27/09/2021 17:39

@a8mint

Philosophy? would she like fries with that?
What an ill-informed comment.
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