A serious question

[CuongNhuka]

I realised that I need to ask this question as I was filling out a college application online. Well, if I were to get a Bachelor degree in Philosophy, Theology, or Poli-Sci, what kind of jobs could I get with that? Obviously, a writer, teacher, or politician (I would do so well as a politician with a degree in theology:rofl would be good. The problems are, I don't want to be a teacher or a politician, and I want something a little more secure then a writer (the whole starving artist thing doesn't apeal to me).

Any ideas?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I realised that I need to ask this question as I was filling out a college application online. Well, if I were to get a Bachelor degree in Philosophy, Theology, or Poli-Sci, what kind of jobs could I get with that? Obviously, a writer, teacher, or politician (I would do so well as a politician with a degree in theology:rofl would be good. The problems are, I don't want to be a teacher or a politician, and I want something a little more secure then a writer (the whole starving artist thing doesn't apeal to me).

Any ideas?

If you get a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Theology, or Poli-Sci and you want to do anything much with them you better be considering a master’s degree and likely a PhD.

But with that said I know a couple of people with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy that are computer programmers and I know a few statisticians that have an MS in Political Science and I once knew a guy that has a Bachelor's in Political Science that was a Bank Manager. But then I once knew a PhD in Geology from Harvard that was a Computer Programmer too

 

[CuongNhuka]

If you get a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Theology, or Poli-Sci and you want to do anything much with them you better be considering a master’s degree and likely a PhD.

But with that said I know a couple of people with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy that are computer programmers and I know a few statisticians that have an MS in Political Science and I once knew a guy that has a Bachelor's in Political Science that was a Bank Manager. But then I once knew a PhD in Geology from Harvard that was a Computer Programmer too

So, none of those degree would open anything specific to me? So, lets say I go further, and get masters or a PhD, would that be any better, or would it still be anything that requires any degree?

 

[Xue Sheng]

The problem is that there are so many out there with a BS or BA in political Science and Philosophy that there are jobs that are there for those people with PhDs but there are more PhDs than jobs so a MS, BA, MS, MA have a harder time still. And the jobs that these degrees leave you are Teacher, Politician which you say you do not want to be.

Theology, that one I am not sure of maybe someone else will come along with a better idea there.

But here is the thing, what do you want to be?

If you know then what is it and why not go for a degree that is closer to that and if you don't know that is really not that big an issue right now. So you get a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and then you decide you want to be a lawyer or doctor or programmer or short order cook, whatever, You already have a bachelor's degree and your still young so go for a masters in what you want, yes maybe you might have to take a few additional undergrad courses to get into a program but it is no where near what you would have to do if you did not have the degree at all. Actually a BS/BA in philosophy or political science put you in a good position for law school

You got time, relax it will come.

Just a short kinda sorta related story

One of the Doctors I know (MD) became an Electrical engineer, got married had a family and then all of a sudden wanted to be a Doctor and returned to school and is one of the best MDs I know and has been an MD for over 40 years now and still does Electrical engineering stuff too



One more thing sometimes it is a minor hat gets the career, a friend of mines son graduated with a BS in Biology and a minor in Economic and he is now in a job he got based on his minor not his major.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Let's see, you ruled out writer, teacher and politician. A degree in Theology, how about a priest? Seriously though, there are fields with associated degrees that are very secure as far as obtaining work is concerned. Law, Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science are very solid in this respect, but probably not your thing by the looks of things. I have not found Philosophy or Theology degrees being directly applied to anything (except the clergy). Political Science does not have to lead into politics, it can lead into associated fields without the need to be a politician.

Have you considered a different angle for teaching? Not in school but at a college. It would require post-graduate degrees, but it is a very different teaching environment to a school.

What about History or Anthropology? It would broaden your options quite a lot.

I only know three guys who had absolutely guaranteed careers before thet left university. One has a degree in Statistics and went to work for the government, one a PhD in Geology and went to work for a mining company, and the last a PhD in Mathematics and went to work at the Geophysics Research School at the Uni. Its difficult to say where your choices of study will take you most of the time.

 

[CoryKS]

You have to decide whether you're going to college for vocational training or self-development. If your primary goal is to get a job, you should first decide what kind of work you want to do for the next forty years without wanting to kill yourself and plan accordingly. Then, if you so desire, you can use your ridiculously well-paying job to fund your further education in the interesting but non-marketable fields.

 

[CuongNhuka]

If you know then what is it and why not go for a degree that is closer to that and if you don't know that is really not that big an issue right now. So you get a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and then you decide you want to be a lawyer or doctor or programmer or short order cook, whatever, You already have a bachelor's degree and your still young so go for a masters in what you want, yes maybe you might have to take a few additional undergrad courses to get into a program but it is no where near what you would have to do if you did not have the degree at all. Actually a BS/BA in philosophy or political science put you in a good position for law school

And see, there is where we have a problem, I don't know what I want to be. I have been thinking about majoring in Crimminal Justice, you know be a cop. All things considered, that would be a really good job for me, and UNO (the college I'm almost deffenitaly going to) has a nationally aclaimed Crimminal Justice program.
But, I have more of an interest in Philosophy, and so on. So, I kinda thought that maybe I should study what interests me. I just don't know what I could do with a degree in Philosophy! I mentioned this to mom, and she said I could be a teacher, she cann't imagine me as a teacher of a bunch of high schoolers, or little kids. I don't find the pay apealing either! Politicians tend to tick me off, and I already said I don't want to be a starving artist, so now I'm screwed!

 

[CuongNhuka]

What about History or Anthropology? It would broaden your options quite a lot.

OK, what kind of job could I get as a History major?

 

[CuongNhuka]

You have to decide whether you're going to college for vocational training or self-development. If your primary goal is to get a job, you should first decide what kind of work you want to do for the next forty years without wanting to kill yourself and plan accordingly. Then, if you so desire, you can use your ridiculously well-paying job to fund your further education in the interesting but non-marketable fields.

You're hilarious Cory, but sadly correct.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I realised that I need to ask this question as I was filling out a college application online. Well, if I were to get a Bachelor degree in Philosophy, Theology, or Poli-Sci, what kind of jobs could I get with that? Obviously, a writer, teacher, or politician (I would do so well as a politician with a degree in theology:rofl would be good. The problems are, I don't want to be a teacher or a politician, and I want something a little more secure then a writer (the whole starving artist thing doesn't apeal to me).

Any ideas?

Many jobs require a degree but don't specify which. At least minor in technical writing for marketability, but a degree in Philosophy is better than no degree at all.
sean

 

[Flying Crane]

And see, there is where we have a problem, I don't know what I want to be.

Most people don't know, when they are getting into an undergrad program. It doesn't matter. take your general education courses first, often they will trigger an interest and you can then decide on your major from that point. And don't worry too much about what job you will end up in. Unless you know you want to do something specific, then you should get the appropriate education. But otherwise, just get a good degree. Most employers, for people just out of college, they just want to know that you made it thru college and you are educated and you can learn. The specific topic is less important, outside of some specific areas. Example: my BA is in Social Sciences. It's a mix of Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, stuff like that. I've been working in the legal field, doing paralegal type stuff, for about 13 years now.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I realised that I need to ask this question as I was filling out a college application online. Well, if I were to get a Bachelor degree in Philosophy, Theology, or Poli-Sci, what kind of jobs could I get with that? Obviously, a writer, teacher, or politician (I would do so well as a politician with a degree in theology:rofl would be good. The problems are, I don't want to be a teacher or a politician, and I want something a little more secure then a writer (the whole starving artist thing doesn't apeal to me).

Any ideas?

If you work at a local fast food restaurant you would most likely be one of the fore runner for manager in a couple of years.

I say this, as there are jobs out there that just call for a degree. Sometimes it is police work, as in the guy riding around in the car giving out tickets. Some places require a degree of some kind.

There are other jobs I am sure, but usually it is based around you having a skill that they want and you also happen to have a degree.

As mentioned go for the PhD and even then teaching would be the best.

Or you might look at what you could change your degree too or get a second major in that has a more application to making the money or life style you are interested in.

PS: Good job in realizing this now and not much later.

 

[Blindside]

Most people don't know, when they are getting into an undergrad program. It doesn't matter. take your general education courses first, often they will trigger an interest and you can then decide on your major from that point.

Yup, I did exactly that, of course when I declared only about 10 credits of 45 credits taken my freshman year counted toward my wildlife biology degree, not all degree's general requirements are the same. That pretty much wiped out my first year of school, glad I didn't wait until the end of my sophmore year.

 

[Blindside]

OK, what kind of job could I get as a History major?

Two of my friends have been very successful after getting their BAs in History, one is a property rights lawyer the other is a very good computer programmer.

Of course I have another friend who did his time in law school, passed the bar, and then became a cop.

 

[CoryKS]

You're hilarious Cory, but sadly correct.

Wasn't trying to be funny, really. It's just that if being a starving artist is out, then the best choice is to pursue a career in something that will give you the wherewithal to explore your interests while maintaining a degree of economic stability. Get the financial stuff out of the way and that leaves you the rest of your life to devote to intellectual and spiritual growth. Have your cake and eat it too.

 

[jks9199]

And see, there is where we have a problem, I don't know what I want to be. I have been thinking about majoring in Crimminal Justice, you know be a cop. All things considered, that would be a really good job for me, and UNO (the college I'm almost deffenitaly going to) has a nationally aclaimed Crimminal Justice program.
But, I have more of an interest in Philosophy, and so on. So, I kinda thought that maybe I should study what interests me. I just don't know what I could do with a degree in Philosophy! I mentioned this to mom, and she said I could be a teacher, she cann't imagine me as a teacher of a bunch of high schoolers, or little kids. I don't find the pay apealing either! Politicians tend to tick me off, and I already said I don't want to be a starving artist, so now I'm screwed!

A degree in Philosophy, Political Science, or Theology will get your foot in the door if the job requirements read "a bachelor's degree." They won't mean anything if the requirements are "a bachelor's degree in..."

Lots of people end up in fields with no relation to their major, especially their undergrad majors. A large part of the function of the undergrad degree is simply to teach you how to learn; any degree shows (in theory) that you've done learned this. A few, typically technical, fields prepare you for entry level work in the field at the undergraduate level.

Now... you said you thought you might want to be a cop. First and foremost... look into programs like Police Cadets or Law Enforcement Explorers. Don't spend 4 years getting a fairly specialized undergrad degree that you, #1, don't need, and #2, often has little application outside a narrow field, unless you've spent some time finding out what cops really do, and whether it's something you want to do. (I know someone who didn't discover until he did a ride-along or internship in the spring of his senior year of college that he didn't really want to be a cop!)

The advice I typically give is two-fold; first, major in something that interests you. You'll get better grades, and be happier in general in college. And, as I've said, often an undergrad degree has little relation to a person's career field. Second, if you want to be any sort of law enforcement officer, major in something else -- or at least get a solid minor in something else. The current model across the US, from the smallest local agency up to and through the FBI, is that you get the cop stuff you need in an academy setting, dedicated to transforming you from a civilian to a LEO. But... a degree in something else may set you up for specialties or set you apart from the flock of people applying that have criminal justice degrees. For example, many agencies today are begging for officers with really solid computer science education, to be able to understand and conduct investigations involving the use of computers (from child porn through hacking to conspiracies). A good business background may enable you to work white-collar crimes cases more effectively; a hard science degree may set you up for criminalistics/forensic sciences.

And... I'd suggest visiting several forums about law enforcement; one that can be abrasive, but is honest and direct is www.lawenforcementforums.com. If someone there has a tag on their screenname that reads "verified LEO", you can rely that they're a real LEO. Other sites include www.Officer.com, www.policeone.com, and more. Each has it's own atmosphere, but none is (to my knowledge) as thorough or reliable about their verification process. Check out several though, because just like martial arts forums, different people are attracted to different forums, and you'll get different views.

 

[TheOriginalName]

There is a saying that poped into my mind with regards to this post:

"Do a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life"

The important thing is that you end up in a job you enjoy. That could be a rocket scientist or a paint salesman - as long as you have a passion for the job.

So perhaps you need to reverse your thinking - where do you want to go in life? And how is it that you are going to get there?

Either way, best of luck.

 

[Xue Sheng]

And see, there is where we have a problem, I don't know what I want to be. I have been thinking about majoring in Crimminal Justice, you know be a cop. All things considered, that would be a really good job for me, and UNO (the college I'm almost deffenitaly going to) has a nationally aclaimed Crimminal Justice program.
But, I have more of an interest in Philosophy, and so on. So, I kinda thought that maybe I should study what interests me. I just don't know what I could do with a degree in Philosophy! I mentioned this to mom, and she said I could be a teacher, she cann't imagine me as a teacher of a bunch of high schoolers, or little kids. I don't find the pay apealing either! Politicians tend to tick me off, and I already said I don't want to be a starving artist, so now I'm screwed!

I am pushing 50 have a degree and just figured out what I want to do when I grow up and it is very likely at this stage of the game I cannot get there to many other responsibilities. But I also have a second path that I wouldn't mind either and I am looking to see if I can get there from here. But the fact I have a degree already is a big plus to either if I want to and was able to pursue them. It is looking good for choice 2 by the way.

Criminal Justice is a good degree but 4 years in CJ open you up for more that Police I have known Criminal Justice researchers that were BS and MS in CJ.

If you want philosophy go for it and I just found this, maybe it can give you some idea

What Can I Do With A Major In Philosophy?
http://www.utexas.edu/student/careercenter/careers/phil.pdf

Something I learned in my late 30s, most people of college age in college have no real clue were they want to go in career, some do and that is great but most don't. And like I said the degree you get may or may not decide where you end up in a career. A PhD in Geology from Harvard working as a computer programmer is a good example of that. I know people with degrees in music that went professional sports and now manage sports facilities and another that is a manager of a store. I recently read about a lawyer that got sick of it and started a Yoga business that is now very successful, which reminds me a friend of mine is a PhD in Computers and after 20 years in the business quit it all to teach Yoga and is incredibly happy.

I guess my point is College is a very good thing but just because you major in computers or art or physics does not mean that is what you will end up doing. Just enjoy the learning process and you will get were you need to be.

 

[CuongNhuka]

The advice I typically give is two-fold; first, major in something that interests you.

And see, thats why I'm thinking about majoring in Philosophy instead. If nothing else, it is something I find interesting.

Orginal - I'm not sure were I want to go, just were I don't want to go... sorta...

Alright, here is what I'm thinking, major in philosophy, minor in journalism (or something similar). And see if I can get a job as an editor or literary critic (I did some research on google that shows that quite a few philosophy majors go into those areas), and see if I could use that to 'get my foot in the door' to possibly become a pro-writer. In the end, I'd be using my degree more directly, and would have (what I'm hoping is) a good job if that doesn't work out. What do you think?

 

[Blindside]

Alright, here is what I'm thinking, major in philosophy, minor in journalism (or something similar). And see if I can get a job as an editor or literary critic (I did some research on google that shows that quite a few philosophy majors go into those areas), and see if I could use that to 'get my foot in the door' to possibly become a pro-writer. In the end, I'd be using my degree more directly, and would have (what I'm hoping is) a good job if that doesn't work out. What do you think?

I'm a wildlife biologist, 12 years after graduation, I think only three people out of my undergraduate class of 25 actually found work in the field. I suspect the percentage of successful folks who set out to become "literary critics" is somewhat lower. Now becoming an editor is very viable, but it seems like you should flip your major to journalism and do a minor in philosophy.

How many times does the average college student change their major? Something like three times or so?

You could also consider working for a couple of years, give you time to decide what you want to do. I've seen to many people being in college just because that was what was expected of them, rather than because they had any sort of focus. Those guys usually didn't do too well.

Lamont