What’s The Value of an Arts Degree?

Over the past few years, the jobs market has become smaller and more contested.  Students most likely to get jobs at the end of uni tend to be scientists. So the question from those not doing the subjects is: what’s the value of an arts degree anyway?

After talking to a group of science students, ranging from those doing veterinary studies to psychology students, The Tab heard of three problems for arts students:

•Arts degrees are indulgent and therefore unhelpful.
•Arts students don’t work as hard.
•As a result, they won’t get as good a job at the end of their course, if any job at all.

Firstly, let’s look at the idea of indulgence. Some say it’s pointless to learn things that don’t fit with a particular career path. But with the tuition fee-hike (don’t worry, we’re not going into that maelstrom here) it’s sensible to study something that both offers job potential and enjoyment. What’s the point of spending £9,000 a year if you’re not going to enjoy the course?

Then there’s the idea arts students don’t work hard. Science degrees are more structured and based on a nine-to-five lecture and labs system. Arts subjects focus on more independent learning geared towards a handful of lectures and seminars.

However, you have to remember that everyone at uni is doing a degree! It’s going to be hard work regardless of whether you class hard work as spending hours in labs or hours reading. There’s no debate as to whether science students work harder than arts students. It’s about the difference in learning styles.

For the scientists The Tab spoke to, these are the arguments that mean arts students are less likely to get jobs. The thing about an arts degree is that it isn’t specific. An arts student learns skills applicable to a number of jobs. Degrees such as veterinary science lead you to a specific end. The fact an arts course isn’t as structured opens opportunities for a student and doesn’t confine them to one life choice.

Finally, those who do Science degrees smell funny and implode in social situations (and that’s a scientific fact, ask a scientist, he’ll tell you).

So is there still value in an arts degree? Let us know in the comments below!

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