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The degree courses offered at some universities have always sparked a certain degree of controversy. Apparently there are hundreds of “non-courses” that are offered across the UK as degrees but which are so obscure or useless that some say they shouldn’t be offered at all. Often dubbed “Mickey Mouse” subjects, such courses cost around £40m a year to run, and many argue that students could be studying subjects which are more worthwhile.

A report from the Taxpayers’ Alliance has recently produced a list of over four hundred Mickey Mouse courses which should be abolished as they “lend the respectability of scholarly qualifications to non-academic subjects.” Some of the worst (and most amusing) offenders on the list include Equestrian psychology, at the Welsh College of Horticulture in Mold in Flintshire, Science: fiction and culture at the University of Glamorgan, and Outdoor adventure with philosophy, at Marjon, the College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth. The report argues that obtaining degrees in such subjects is not very respectable for any field and students would be better off studying more traditional subjects. As author of the report Peter Cuthbertson explains:

“Political priorities have led to a never-ending drive to increase the number of students in university. As a result, there has been a massive expansion of ‘non-degrees’ of little or no academic merit. The government has failed in its pledge to abolish ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees. If ‘non-courses’ were abolished, all the other students could save over £100 on their tuition fees or buy an extra pint of beer a week.”

However, many believe that the attack is unfair. For example, Universities UK argues that these courses are in fact demanded by employers and there are many opportunities for those who obtain degrees in them. They also say that one of the reasons courses like “golf management” are so popular and oversubscribed is that students know what kinds of skills employers are looking for. To judge these courses as worthless is simply “academic snobbery” at best.

Personally I think it is a very tricky issue about whether such courses should be allowed to remain. On the one hand the odd combinations of subjects seems to be making a poor excuse for a degree, whilst on the other hand maybe there are some specific vocational skills that will allow young people to excel in a particular field which they couldn’t participate in otherwise. Whatever the case, surely there must be something to be said about the slippery slope these subjects have generated. Are we really going to have to allow institutions to offer degrees like Brick studies with fashion next?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 at 5:49 pm and is filed under Current Affairs, Amusement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.