# Is your undergraduate degree relevant to current profession? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471 "2011-11-19T18:22:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/21 "2011-11-20T03:28:55Z")
I voted yes, and that the skills I learnt are still helpful, but that’s only mostly true. I think it’s more accurate to say that the skills I learnt in university were necessary for me to gain the skills I have since learnt for my work - so the learning of work skills happened on the job, but without my degree that wouldn’t have happened at all. I studied computer science; I am now an independent game developer. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/22 "2011-11-20T04:15:10Z")
Undergrad degree was history with a poli-sci minor; currently working as a lawyer doing aspects of public law; undergrad degree continues to be highly relevant. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/23 "2011-11-20T07:16:25Z")
“No, but the skills I learned in school are still helpful” I have a BS in journalism and went in to Web design/programming. Any job can benefit from the writing skills you learn in journalism school. Also at my school the catalog required that journalism majors take a wide variety of classes so I learned a lot of peripheral stuff, which is always handy. At least on trivia night. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/24 "2011-11-20T08:15:18Z")
I voted yes the skills are still helpful. but my AAS is in nursing, so there is pretty much nothing else you can do with it. If you can’t pass the NCLEX (national licensing board) you’re screwed. I’m fairly certain I couldn’t even qualify for a nursing assistant without specific training if I had failed my boards. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/25 "2011-11-20T11:21:41Z")
I majored in Spanish and minored in Russian in undergrad, and I have a master’s degree in Russian & East European Studies (politics/economics focus). I work in an immigration law practice - my title is paralegal, but I am called upon to do all kinds of kooky things (“see if you can get this woman to fess up that she wasn’t married to the father of her children!” “research this obscure dialect of Albanian and its socioeconomic ramifications!” “What do you know about nanotechnology?” “See if you can find any info on the religious breakdown of Romania.”). I speak Spanish at work on a near-daily basis, and Russian less frequently. Just about any language would come in handy now and again. So yeah, I use all my specializations constantly. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/26 "2011-11-20T12:02:01Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Me too. Me three. ---
**Author:** ![raskolnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@raskolnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raskolnik)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/27 "2011-11-20T13:45:17Z")
My degree is in Russian. I live with 3 Russians in my building. My boss speaks Russian. I speak Russian. I teach English. Related enough? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/28 "2011-11-20T13:47:21Z")
Degree in Geology and I work as a Geologist. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/29 "2011-11-20T15:32:51Z")
My first undergrad degree is in Physiology, and then I got a second in Clinical Laboratory Science. They’re both related, and while I could definitely **do** the job with just the second degree, I think the first degree gives me a much deeper understanding and makes me better at my job. I’m a clinical laboratory scientist (or medical technologist - the powers that be keep changing their minds on what we’re supposed to call ourselves). ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/30 "2011-11-20T16:08:34Z")
Yes, because I went for an AAS in Veterinary Technology, required to become a Registered Veterinary Technician in the state of Indiana. My husband, OTOH, has a BA in history with a minor in archaeology and works in IT support. He has never “used” his degree. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/31 "2011-11-20T16:36:44Z")
I’m a zoo educator and teach biology in informal lessons to all ages. My science degree was very broad, and I had a lot of freedom in what I studied; I chose unique subjects taught by passionate instructors. The valuable part wasn’t necessarily skills, or even knowledge, but a wild curiosity and excitement about the natural world. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/32 "2011-11-20T16:39:54Z")
BFA, not relevant at all to my current profession, except insofar as it is a Bachelor’s. I wouldn’t have gotten in the door without **some** degree and mine was as useful for that as any other, except perhaps something in Lit or Religion (very specific bias in my particular workplace). As far as I know there really aren’t many legit undergrad programs that directly feed into the kind of work I do – nonprofit fundraising/admin – though there are many grad programs. I do use the supplementary skills I gained all the time, specifically persuasive writing and critical analysis of highly emotional topics/objects/issues. After having my own art work picked apart so thoroughly and learning to use the criticism constructively even when it wasn’t offered kindly, I find myself a lot less likely to get entrenched in processes or approaches and more able to take a step back and do what’s best for the org overall rather than what my gut tells me or what we’ve “always done”. This isn’t the work I was hoping for when I got my degree, but it’s not unpleasant and my schooling was “worth it” for many reasons beyond my career. ---
**Author:** ![NGC2024](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f475e1/32.png) [@NGC2024](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NGC2024)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/33 "2011-11-20T16:57:41Z")
“No, but the skills I learned in school are still helpful” I have an undergraduate degree in classical archaeology and ancient history. I’m a corporate lawyer. I don’t come across ancient Romans nearly as often as I’d like. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/34 "2011-11-20T17:07:32Z")
I have an English degree. I work in a casino. The only way my degree comes in handy is when I get a migraine from pointing out my Director’s innumerable typos and terrible writing style. And he gets paid so much more than me _sigh_. And he’s one of those guys who tries to “relate” to his employees…you know the type, puts his hand on your shoulder and would probably say “yo” if he thought it would help. Sorry, I started venting there. Writing skills coming through. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/35 "2011-11-20T17:07:39Z")
I got an undergrad degree in English Literature, and have been a professional photographer since (actually before) graduation. I never had any intention of using my undergraduate degree in my career (and I had gone through a couple other majors along the way, including psychology and political science.) My college experience was completely worth it, and I wouldn’t do it any other way even if I could. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/36 "2011-11-20T19:03:25Z")
I wasn’t sure if I should select “no but it was relevant for a previous job” or “no, but the skills I used are still useful”. I went with the former. I work in marketing but I have a BA in economics and a BA in accounting. I also have an MBA. Very little of what I learned is relevant now, but I got the MBA nearly 20 years ago! My education was much more relevant when I started, and I wouldn’t have gotten my first job in the field without it, even though so much of it is dated now. I do still use my statistics and writing skills, but even those have been tuned towards my career over time. I’m no longer sure what I learned in school and what I’ve learned on the job. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/37 "2011-11-20T19:22:19Z")
Yes. Undergrad degree in business (marketing), then a master’s degree in market research. Have worked in market research, in various forms, for my entire career, making my undergrad degree and coursework highly relevant. ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/38 "2011-11-21T06:52:27Z")
I Graduated with a degree in Mandarin Chinese in 1977. At that time I thought I had obtained the most useless University degree to be found but it was what I was good at. From then until I started working at an airport in the Pacific area in 2004, I didn’t use my Chinese at all. I thought I’d forgotten it all. Once I started working at the airport, it slowly came back. Now I use it every day. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/39 "2011-11-21T07:22:59Z")
I could do the job as well without that _specific_ degree (ChemE), but working as a consultant for that big blue ERP which shan’t be named in the specific areas of Quality, Production and Maintenance makes much more sense when you’re an Engineer than for all those Economists I keep running into. They had never encountered such terms as “batch”, “equipment” or “process under control” until their employers signed them up for a course; I got specific training in process analysis and process improvement, they didn’t. They’re surprised when I tell them that the majority of the _peones_ (actual job title) in those three departments of any company do not have college degrees but trade training, FFS! OK, an electrician in a factory has the same training as the one who installed the lamps in your house, how is that surprising? So yeah, I do think that, while my current job isn’t what people think of when they hear “chemical engineer” or even “engineer”, my training is very much relevant to it. Mind you: it wouldn’t be as relevant if I worked in finance… where I keep running into engineers! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471/40 "2011-11-21T07:53:47Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Yes it’s still relevant, but rather boringly I did a vocational degree which directly trained me for my profession (graphic design). I could not have got into my profession in any meaningful way without it - a few do, but the lack of a relevant degree hampers their career opportunities. Same here. AS in Pharmacy Technology. I’m a pharm tech in a local hospital that requires you to be both degreed and certified. That having been said I stumbled around going to several colleges for assorted things and never finished any of them. Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Advertising, Architecture. Then I bumbled around doing anything that presented itself. Retail, Theater management, Hallmark merchandiser, I worked in a freakin’ DOLL STORE for cryin’ out loud. That’s when I knew I needed to DO something completely different. I was sullenly watching a mid-afternoon “Roseanne” rerun in the middle of the afternoon one day when one of those community college commercials came on and I was like: “Oh! I’d never thought of that!” Two years later I’m in a whole new field. Been about 4 years now and I’m glad I made the leap. Have a very satisfying job where I’m doing something important. I have awesome hours, great co-workers (give or take, lol), and the paycheck is 3X any I’d made in the past. Sorry: TL;DR [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-undergraduate-degree-relevant-to-current-profession/603471.md?page=3)