College Choice/Brian Mooney: Arts degrees are hugely popular - a quarter of all applicants for honours degrees lists them as their first preference. Some 14 per cent of ordinary degree/cert and diploma applicants also give them priority.
This might be because a large number of students have still to work out their career goal or maybe they want to understand the processes of social and cultural change.
Given the shortage of places in other faculties, more than 30 per cent of applicants eventually accept a place in an arts or social science degree course.
How popular are arts degrees?
Arts degree programmes form the bedrock of most of our universities and, to a lesser extent, institutes of technology.
In UCD last year, 1,303 places were given on its standard arts degree. Six per cent of all first- year degree students in the Republic are in first arts in UCD.
With similar numbers of students in Trinity College, as well as those taking an arts degree at NUI Cork and Galway, UL and other colleges, one can see the boom in this area.
Arts degree programmes vary considerably in terms of numbers of subjects taken in each year. UCC, UL and UCG require four subjects in first year followed by two in the following years, other colleges require three subjects followed by two.
UCD this year introduced a new modular approach which allowed students to choose from a huge variety of options. There are new degrees in the arts area, including history, politics and international relations (DN061), economics and politics (DN062).
There is also a topical degree in geography, planning and environmental policy (DN063) which can be used as a pathway to a qualification in regional and urban planning. Another innovation is an integrated BA/MA masters degree in liberal arts (DN056).
UCC is no longer offering direct entry into European studies (CK105) or language and cultural studies (CK113). Students who complete year one of their arts degree (CK101) with the required subject will have the option of transferring to these streams in year two.
Two-subject degrees
The best-known is TCD's (TR001), where the two subjects selected are studied for the full four years or for the first three years with one subject being studied in the final year.
Many colleges are now offering such options.
UL offers English and history (LM035); English and new media (LM033); Irish and new media (LM048); law and accounting (LM020) and economics and sociology (LM03). It also offers a wide range of other arts degrees such as European studies (LM040); public administration (LM041); language and cultural studies (LM 045) and history, politics, sociology and social studies (LM046).
There is also a range of single- subject arts degrees which allow students to nominate their specialisation before entry. An example is psychology in UCD, where only students who enter through the denominated code (DN054) can take pure psychology as a degree.
Arts students (DN012) can take psychology as a first-year subject only or as a minor in second year. Students from other faculties may be able to take modules in psychology.
Job prospects
It may come as a shock to find that employers are often not much interested in the specific subjects that graduates study in their degree. For many who consider an arts graduate as a potential employee, it is not that they have an in-depth knowledge of their subjects, but that they have independently made their way through three or four years at university, have learnt self- motivation and have negotiated a whole series of project deadlines, formal examinations etc.
They have acquired transferable skills (ie writing, presentation, research, evaluation of evidence, critical thinking as well as the development of independence, motivation, time management etc. These skills will equip them for the workplace and will help them adapt and change in line with employers' demands.
They would also have been involved in numerous college societies and in the sporting life of the college. Thus they have proved through achieving their degree and participating actively in college life that they have a wide range of skills. There is no clearer rationalisation of the benefits of taking a liberal arts/social science option.
What do arts graduates do?
Recent UCD statistics show that within 12 months of graduation, 52 per cent were in postgraduate study and 39 per cent were employed. Just over 2 per cent were seeking employment.
The range of careers open to such liberal arts graduates is enormous: teaching; the Civil Service; local authorities; journalism; public relations; advertising; recruitment; management consultancy; customer service; entertainment; insurance; sales; marketing; social work; politics; telesales; e-commerce; tourism - the list is endless.
Many arts and social science graduates take post-graduate masters in specific career areas, such as journalism or business administration. The key strength of the qualification is its flexibility.
What are the points requirements likely to be for arts degree programmes in 2006?
Last year the minimum entry points dropped across the board, to 360 in UCD and UCC with other colleges being somewhat higher. There is no guarantee that this trend will not be reversed this year. For those prepared to pay fees, entry to an arts degree can be obtained through the Dublin Business School, at about 250 points.
Tomorrow: Nursing
Brian Mooney's column on CAO options will appear each weekday in the run-up to the deadline at the end of this month.
You can e-mail Brian Mooney on bmooney@irish-times.ie
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