What are the most popular majors? Not gender or ethnic studies.

[sanantone]

I'm surprised to see the amount that major in Parks and Rec!


I would think most people know gender studies doesn't comprise the majority of degrees.  However, I think the reason degrees like that are the butts of jokes is because the few people that do major in those degrees have very noticeable characteristics.

Folk that poo-poo on philosophy generally have no idea what philosophy entails.

My guess (this is just my guess) is because the major of people think modern day philosophy means anti-religious, moral relativistic, nihilistic views--so they back away from those courses/degrees.    I wish colleges made courses such as how to reason, think critically, etc.. degree requirements.

I think people don't think highly of philosophy because it is one of the least applied degrees in existence. Even women's studies majors can get a job working with women's issues, but philosophy doesn't directly apply to anything other than teaching ethics and philosophy. But, philosophy programs do tend to attract highly intelligent people, and the courses help develop analytical thinking skills.

[DavidHume]

I'm surprised to see the amount that major in Parks and Rec!


I would think most people know gender studies doesn't comprise the majority of degrees. However, I think the reason degrees like that are the butts of jokes is because the few people that do major in those degrees have very noticeable characteristics.

Folk that poo-poo on philosophy generally have no idea what philosophy entails.

My guess (this is just my guess) is because the major of people think modern day philosophy means anti-religious, moral relativistic, nihilistic views--so they back away from those courses/degrees. I wish colleges made courses such as how to reason, think critically, etc.. degree requirements.

I wish more schools required philosophy courses outside of ethics. It may very likely be those required ethics courses that are shading the views of what philosophy is. A philosophy of science and history of science course (which is usually considered a philosophy course) would do a lot of folk some good in understanding how humanity has gotten to where it is. Critical reasoning would be good as well.

I was a philosophy major and would have liked to have completed the philosophy major at TESU but too many of my UL classes came in as PHI299. TESU only offers 1 UL philosophy course that isn't ethics. I'll always consider philosophy as one of my major hobbies, though.

[dfrecore]

I was a philosophy major and would have liked to have completed the philosophy major at TESU but too many of my UL classes came in as PHI299. TESU only offers 1 UL philosophy course that isn't ethics. I'll always consider philosophy as one of my major hobbies, though.

Did you try challenging what TESU awarded the courses as?  Normally, when you take an UL course at a 4-yr school, it comes in as UL at TESU.  There may have been a mistake made.  I would appeal, and send in the syllabi for the courses, to show that the school has them as UL and required for the degree, and see what happens.

[a2jc4life]

I suspect a higher proportion of those with degrees in things like gender studies are talking about them as opposed to just quietly using them. I mean, really, how many careers are there that rely on a gender studies degree that aren't rooted in talking about the subject?

[Joeman200]

Really?  Taco bell employees seem pretty quiet to me.

[sanantone]

I suspect a higher proportion of those with degrees in things like gender studies are talking about them as opposed to just quietly using them. I mean, really, how many careers are there that rely on a gender studies degree that aren't rooted in talking about the subject?

There don't need to be many jobs because hardly anyone has these degrees. A gender studies degree would be applicable to work dealing with human trafficking victims, victims of domestic violence, and other governmental or non-profit work mostly involving women's issues or even transgender issues.

[a2jc4life]

I suspect a higher proportion of those with degrees in things like gender studies are talking about them as opposed to just quietly using them.  I mean, really, how many careers are there that rely on a gender studies degree that aren't rooted in talking about the subject?

There don't need to be many jobs because hardly anyone has these degrees. A gender studies degree would be applicable to work dealing with human trafficking victims, victims of domestic violence, and other governmental or non-profit work mostly involving women's issues or even transgender issues.

Right.  But I think some people think there are more people with these degrees than there are because, relatively speaking, they make a lot of noise (so to speak).  The average Joe probably simply doesn't much notice the business degree that his boss or neighbor has, even though they're more common.  (Perhaps even in part because they're more common?)

[sanantone]

I suspect a higher proportion of those with degrees in things like gender studies are talking about them as opposed to just quietly using them.  I mean, really, how many careers are there that rely on a gender studies degree that aren't rooted in talking about the subject?

There don't need to be many jobs because hardly anyone has these degrees. A gender studies degree would be applicable to work dealing with human trafficking victims, victims of domestic violence, and other governmental or non-profit work mostly involving women's issues or even transgender issues.

Right.  But I think some people think there are more people with these degrees than there are because, relatively speaking, they make a lot of noise (so to speak).  The average Joe probably simply doesn't much notice the business degree that his boss or neighbor has, even though they're more common.  (Perhaps even in part because they're more common?)

I've never met anyone who talked about having an ethnic or gender studies degree. I think I might have seen one in a new employee biography at work, but everyone lists their degrees in their biographies.

[jsd]

work dealing with human trafficking victims, victims of domestic violence, and other governmental or non-profit work

I like that presumably nobody would deny the importance of this type of work you mention, but that people studying for this type of work are seen as some drain on the education system or doomed to taco bell jobs or whatever other judgmental thing people can come up with for the small number for folks who chose a major someone else doesn't like.

It seems like a silly thing to care so much about, what this less than 1% of folks chose to study.

[dfrecore]

I think that what happens is you hear in the news about someone with $123k of student loan debt, and they work part-time at Starbucks, and then complain that they shouldn't have to pay back the loan because...fairness or something.  THEN, they mention that they got their degree in whatever (gender studies, underwater basketweaving, something else that's not very useful), and it all comes together.