Most Rewarding Majors - Page 7

Coolbrezze · 06-28-2009, 08:58 PM

^
Speaking of different undergraduate majors, I notice majoring in international relations or political science ( and preferred emphasis) and possibly a minor... one can attend a graduate school international relations program or even law school. So the field is still vastly open after undergraduate.

pandem · 06-28-2009, 09:03 PM

Contrary to popular belief, it IS infact possible to make a lot of money and enjoy your work.

For you guys interested in IR, look into the Foreign Service program.

U.S. Department of State Careers - Foreign Service Officer

Gordon_Gekko · 06-28-2009, 09:13 PM

Sorry guys, INR and Poli Sci are both pretty useless. I guess you could claim these degrees are useful because there are certain jobs out there where you just need any Bachelors degree, but I'd aspire for better than that. Both are cool subjects to study but the degrees have little function.

International relations = international relations
Poli Sci = studying politics

There can be quite a bit of overlap.

pandem · 06-28-2009, 09:17 PM

Heh that's funny coming from Gordon Gekko. True to character I suppose though.

Anyway, like I said before, you're probably going to have to get a master's to really advance in your field. So I wouldn't get too tied down to one major in undergrad, lest you change your mind.

applicannot · 06-28-2009, 09:55 PM

major =/= career

The degrees are not useless. Not even a high school degree is useless. It may not be your idea of "useful" (it seems to you like useful = big bucks), but they are definitely not useless and do have a lot of value.

Gordon_Gekko · 06-28-2009, 10:34 PM

My idea of a useful college degree is one where it helps you get a job (or work for yourself.) Realistically most liberal arts degrees don't help much in that regard. Philosophy for instance is a wonderfully thought provoking major but seriously, there isn't anything specific you can do with it. There are jobs here and there for Poli Sci grads but most of them aren't very desirable and you're just promoting someone else's agenda... I think the liberal arts should be studied recreationally, you should get a degree in something else though. Of course, there are exceptions, but generally I think most lib arts majors would be better off with something else... Maybe my experience has just been particularly bad because I graduated during the recession, but I still think most people that choose lib arts majors do so for the wrong reasons.

Coolbrezze · 06-28-2009, 11:14 PM

^

Well this certainly isn't good to hear. What would one suggest for someone interested in international relations, political science etc... It's almost as saying law is also useless since it is almost the same as international relations, political science. I'm not saying I'm sold on the opinion ( so far from two posters) that these majors are not the best choice and careers can still be accomplished through other majors... but I would like to know the suggestions. I still think there are many jobs for international relations/ political science and one could decided to attend law school or a international relations graduate program. Though in some instances, there may be other majors that offer both as well.

Coolbrezze · 06-28-2009, 11:17 PM

Political science and international relations is also government etc... there are tons of government jobs also, I don't see how people are over looking this as well. I'm not starting to get confused.

Gordon_Gekko · 06-28-2009, 11:29 PM

Most government jobs have little or nothing to do with studying government Coolbreeze. If you want to work for the IRS accounting > poli sci.

A JD is a professional degree and what you learn in law school is directly applicable to what you'll be doing as an attorney. Law actually is still useless to some extent. A lot of people study Poli Sci in undergrad and go to law school afterwards; so many that we've got way too many attorneys. Law is very competitive now, and unless you go to a T1 school there is a good chance you'll be making <$50,000 once you graduate... I know that's okay for some people but nurses make that kind of money after only 2yrs of school whereas attorneys go to school for 7yrs on average.

Take me for example even, I graduated in 2008 with a degree in interdisciplinary social science (poli sci / history) and now I day trade. Is my degree at all useful for day trading? No. Will it be useful if I go for an MBA next year? Definitely, but I still would have been better off with something else.

Coolbrezze · 06-28-2009, 11:35 PM

^
Hmmm... Well I'm part of the graduating class of 2010, and would really like to get all this stuff together. You suggest me to look into accounting? Also you suggest minoring in international relations woudl be better, or you don't really have other suggestions base off my major?
____________
It is helpful since you mention your a graduate from political science yourself, but you also majored in history... something I would have never decided to mix between the two, since they are nearly the same. I do know politicans also have majored in poli sci or ir.

Well your opinions are very helpful, since I do want to know what I would be getting myself into with these majors.

Gordon_Gekko · 06-28-2009, 11:40 PM

You're graduating from high school next year I assume?

Major in whatever you want, I'm just warning you all that there may not be a lot of value in a liberal arts degree. I subscribe to the idea that you should major in something related to what you want to do professionally, although not everyone would agree with me on that one. What is it that you want to do for a career?

Coolbrezze · 06-28-2009, 11:52 PM

Well I like a lot of jobs like
public affair officer/ specialist
foreign affair officer
diplomat
legislator affair speciaalist
working with buisness/ politicans international
there are others but I cant think of the name... I assumed international relations/ political science or something in that area was the right track

bdl108 · 06-28-2009, 11:55 PM

^Yeah it sounds like you're on the right track. However, try not to stress too much about what you major in. Most employers don't care anyways. Just choose something you're passionate about and do well in it. College isn't simply a means to an end. It's four years of your life. Enjoy every minute of it. Worry about a career when you get there.

applicannot · 06-28-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

My idea of a useful college degree is one where it helps you get a job (or work for yourself.) Realistically most liberal arts degrees don't help much in that regard. Philosophy for instance is a wonderfully thought provoking major but seriously, there isn't anything specific you can do with it. There are jobs here and there for Poli Sci grads but most of them aren't very desirable and you're just promoting someone else's agenda... I think the liberal arts should be studied recreationally, you should get a degree in something else though. Of course, there are exceptions, but generally I think most lib arts majors would be better off with something else... Maybe my experience has just been particularly bad because I graduated during the recession, but I still think most people that choose lib arts majors do so for the wrong reasons.

I have to say that I completely, completely disagree. A liberal arts degree does not directly translate into a job opportunity like an engineering degree or a professional degree, but that certainly doesn't mean a liberal arts degree does not open the door for careers. A college degree is going to help you get a job, period. A college degree is a good thing to have. A vocational certification is also going to help to get you a job, as will a high school diploma. When a lot of people think careers, their scope is very narrow. You also don't need to major in something to have a career in it. Marketing is a great example, since you can have a degree for just about anything (most popular seem to be advertising, marketing, English, and psychology). It's true there's nothing SPECIFIC you can do with a degree in philosophy. But there are also NON-SPECIFIC jobs out there. Do you really think the liberal arts should only be studied recreationally? A lack of jobs for liberal arts majors would cut millions of jobs, meaning that everyone (according to you) would be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, teacher, or business person. There aren't that many "professional" positions necessary. Just because you didn't find a job that pertains to your field doesn't mean others can't, nor does majoring in a certain field mean you can only work in a certain field (as you're currently proving).

Nurses may very well make that kind of money after two years, but not everyone is out to make money. Some people want to enjoy what they do. I certainly wouldn't enjoy being a nurse, but if I wanted to make $50,000 per year I could get my CNA in high school and have my RN by the time I turn 20. I could also go to vocational school and become an electrician and make a lot of money. I could take my grocery store's apprenticeship in the meat department and be making $40,000 in four years. Not every person goes to college to make money and get a job. Some people go to college to have a career they enjoy. Like I said, if you want to make money, major in something you deem "useful". Heck, don't even bother going to college - after fifteen years in a grocery store you'll be making $40,000 per year.

Liberal arts majors have to work harder to find a job because the path isn't laid out for them. But their major benefits are that they are able to do something they like and they have much more flexibility.

These are some good resources:
http://cspd.rice.edu/emplibrary/Libe...ch%20Guide.pdf
Liberal Arts Major | What Can You Do With a College Major in Liberal Arts? (the last section)
http://www.pacificu.edu/career/docum...easlibarts.pdf
Career Development - Career Decision Making

Especially:
http://www3.ashland.edu/services/car...tudies_000.pdf
http://www3.ashland.edu/services/car...cience_000.pdf

applicannot · 06-28-2009, 11:57 PM

Quote:

^Yeah it sounds like you're on the right track. However, try not to stress too much about what you major in. Most employers don't care anyways. Just choose something you're passionate about and do well in it. College isn't simply a means to an end. It's four years of your life. Enjoy every minute of it. Worry about a career when you get there.

I completely agree.