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Ending Poverty in America


Cerina
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Guest El Chalupacabra

 

YES. The for-profit universities are just some of the most obvious ones, and they're getting in a lot of trouble for preying on lower-income students who are really trying to do the right thing and educate themselves so that they have a better standard of living. Even my own alma mater, however, offers a few total crap degrees that mean nothing. Like my friend who spent 6 years unable to hack a Space Sciences BS who finally just took a BS in "Interdisciplinary Science". He's obviously not working in a science field.

I agree, for-profit are some of the worst violators of that, and I don't know that anyone will get a decent job with a degree from University of Phoenix, Kaplan, or USNH, or even the worst ones like ICDC College, Brown Mackie college, or any other lame ass college that airs commercials during the Jerry Springer show.

 

I can list a whole litany of degrees that use buzzwords like "Health Innovation" or "Sustainability" (one I have seen is "Sports Law and Business"). These degrees are just really narrow in focus, and I don't know that there is any market for degrees like them. I'm sure if I am wrong here CM will chime in, but in my way if thinking, if you want a law degree for example, get a REAL JD. Don't bother with these silly, half ass degrees.

 

Probably the only type of degree I might defend is an interdisciplinary degree, IF it has an actual partnership with another college (within the same university, or another one) and a structured curriculum. Some smaller universities offer those, along with internships where students can get real world experience, but mileage out of such a degree really depends on what you are going for. For example, IF its a social work grad degree, and that is the field you want, but your university doesn't offer that type of of grad degree, but does offer an interdisciplinary degree partnering with other colleges (for purposes of saving money on tuition...not everyone wants or can afford a $100k college bill!), then it might be a viable alternative. However, the interdisciplinary studies degree in gender/cultural/ethnic/American studies aren't worth the money if you are expecting a job from it. They aren't bad if that is what you want to study for the sake of studying it and you going into it knowing it is mostly just a degree in mental masturbation, not something that will make you money with.

 

 

I agree with you, but them I'm reminded about how many of these people I actually work with. You'd be amazed at how long some of these people survive in engineering.

Well I believe it. Academia is no different, especially when you are talking tenured faculty who have no incentive to do anything, and it takes an act of congress to fire them or six sigma black belt (and know nothing) administrators.

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Guest El Chalupacabra

Don't feel bad, Spam. So do I, which is why I double-majored. Wikipedia rendered my BA in history obsolete, but it was still interesting to me to study, anyway.

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I have a liberal arts degree. Har har.

Something I meant to ask you. As a teacher, do you feel it's more worthwhile to have a degree in say, English education vs English literature? Or Math education vs math? If you know you want to teach, is it helpful to have the education coursework or is that best picked up later with your teaching certificate? I've always wondered about that.
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It is kind of weird. I started out studying history because I wanted to go pre-law. But life changes goals. So I changed my major to history with a focus on education. So you take history classes and education classes that involve early childhood development, some classes that are shadowing teachers really as you observe and write reports on what you saw and then you do a practical application where the college arranges for you to teach some semesters with the supervision of another teacher who's supposed to mentor you and then you take a few certification tests. I realized after interviewing for a few jobs I wasn't going to get a history teaching position as the market was kind of flooded with history majors (especially ones focusing on Civil War as I went to UG). So back I went and took some classes involving very upper level maths - topography and some engineering because I thought it would be a good focus. So I did take high level degree courses that would have earned me a BS but because of the teaching thing I end up with a BA. I'm a dual major. I have technically a degree in History and Math Ed and a minor in Art. I graduated with over 300 credit hours. Sigh.

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Amen Cerina! When we are devoting 80 out 180 school days to various bechmark tests, standard writing prompt tests, end of course exams and other standardized testing something is horribly wrong.

 

Why am I a test proctor rather than a teacher?

 

We have wasted far too long trying to funnel young people into college and for what? Go 50,000 dollars in debt? Meanwhile manufacturing sector has been declining since the early 80s. There is a lack of academies that specialize in creating job skills or trade.

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