Going to College
Arts degrees may not always lead directly to a career, but I am a big fan of them
Arts degrees can sometimes get a bad press, but I have to admit, I am a big fan. They allow students to study one or more areas from the fields of arts and humanities.
Young people I work with can be hesitant to choose an Arts degree or any degree that does not immediately answer the question: ‘What will you be?’
Other degrees may be more likely to offer a direct path to the world of work and, yes, those who opt for Arts degrees are more likely to engage in postgraduate study, but this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Arts degrees allow students to keep their options open while they develop critical thinking skills, build creativity and develop strategic thinking.
Yes, these degrees often require students to progress to postgraduate study to specialise in a particular area before entering the world of work, but postgraduate education is far from unusual. Many of these programmes are for a duration of three years rather than four. It is better for students to move forward knowing they will have a wide range of options open to them and time to explore various interests than to commit to a course of study about which they are unsure, and from which they may drop out or that may lead them down the wrong career route.
Over the last number of years, universities have responded to the dropping points requirement for
Arts courses (an indication of a slip in popularity) by shaking up their offerings. They have introduced more opportunities to personalise degree programmes, allowing choices in major and minor subjects, as well as integrating more industry-focused subject areas. And while they attract the highest achieving students, the points cut-offs can be very accessible.
Maynooth University now offers accounting as part of its Arts degree. Other options include computer science and maths, along with the more traditional offerings of languages, psychology, English and sociology.
In another example, UCD offers a big range of different subjects across its three Arts and Humanities programmes.
Its DN520 Joint Honours (336 points in 2019) is a three-year programme allowing students to study different combinations of 25 subjects. Applicants should choose their subject combinations on their CAO form. It contains an optional studyabroad year and it is possible to take an add-on year to receive an MA in a student’s chosen subject area.
DN530 Humanities (348 points in 2019) is a newer offering and is a four-year programme, with 11 defined courses. Students can also choose to do an internship, study abroad or undertake a research project during their third year.
Finally, DN541 Modern Languages (368 points in 2019) is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to study and become competent in two languages.