university course advice (1 Viewer)

[bananapoggers]

hello all! i'm not certain that this is the right place to ask these questions, so apologies but here goes...

right now i'm wrestling through the debate as to which uni degree to pursue (as we all naturally are). my current stance is to pursue a Bachelor of Advanced Mathematics / Bach. Arts (Major in Philosophy) at *UNSW, but am confronted with the perpetual question of what the employability of such would be.
from my research, it seems like the natural progression would be into the Computer Science field which i would be more than happy to go into, but then it raises the question as to why I wouldn't study that in university. at this point, the first stated degree would be of greatest interest, but in weighing up all the pros and cons I'm at a bit of a loss.

please enlighten me with all of your sage wisdom.
thank you

edit: for context, i'm doing 4u math, physics, 4u English, music 2 – hence not really wanting to narrow in my scope too soon

 

[jimmysmith560]

Is the Bachelor of Advanced Mathematics/Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) a double degree, or are you referring to each degree separately? I cannot seem to find a degree called "Bachelor of Advanced Mathematics", although USyd does offer maths-related majors as part of the Bachelor of Science. Perhaps you could provide further information about the Bachelor of Advanced Mathematics. Regardless, I would be inclined to believe that a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) would be useful if you are interested in pursuing a career in research. In such a case, you can subsequently complete an Honours component (or equivalent), followed by a PhD.

However, if you wish to start a career in IT/computer science, you should probably consider a degree that is more directly related to this field (an example of which may be USyd’s Bachelor of Advanced Computing, or other similar/equivalent degrees at other universities). While I cannot directly comment on the relevance of the Bachelor of Advanced Mathematics to this field (perhaps someone else could), the relevance of a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) is unclear. Of course, it remains an enriching degree, although it seems difficult to justify studying it if it will not help you start a career in your chosen field.

I hope this helps!

 

[bananapoggers]

it absolutely has, thank you! yes – apologies, i had meant UNSW [https ://www.unsw.edu.au/study/undergraduate/bachelor-of-advanced-science-honours-arts].
i completely second your rationale about the potential irrelevance of the arts if i were to go down the comp sci route, however, to me, that field isn't something i'm outrightly seeking a future in, moreso just acknowledging the potential inevitability of ending up there if i were to follow the initial plan, if that makes any sense.
is the consensus that vocational degrees are a better investment? or can i afford to follow interests (with the positive caveat of them still being relatively attractive to employers) and be sorted? sorry to be overloading you with queries, it's quite the dilemma haha...

 

[jimmysmith560]

it absolutely has, thank you! yes – apologies, i had meant UNSW [https://www.unsw.edu.au/study/undergraduate/bachelor-of-advanced-science-honours-arts].
i completely second your rationale about the potential irrelevance of the arts if i were to go down the comp sci route, however, to me, that field isn't something i'm outrightly seeking a future in, moreso just acknowledging the potential inevitability of ending up there if i were to follow the initial plan, if that makes any sense.
is the consensus that vocational degrees are a better investment? or can i afford to follow interests (with the positive caveat of them still being relatively attractive to employers) and be sorted? sorry to be overloading you with queries, it's quite the dilemma haha...

No worries! The specific degree itself is usually not a primary consideration for employers. Employers are generally more interested in the practical work experience that you may be able to gain during your time at university (for example, through internships), which complements the theoretical knowledge that you gain from your studies. Academic performance may also be considered, although the extent to which it is depends on the field. For instance, you may find that in a field like law, there is an emphasis on a graduate's academic performance. The more favourable it is, the more competitive they may be for a particular position.

Feel free to ask more questions if needed