Which degree is better?

Question

i have a 2 year degree so i can trasnfer as a junior to a liberal arts program. Is it better to go ahead and get the Bachelors degree in liberal arts, or to get a technical degree form some kinda trade school? and im asking for the purpose of getting a decent job.

Answer 1

That depends on a lot of things. If you were to get a technical degree - say, in engineering - from a trade school like Devry, which doesn't have a strong reputation, that won't necessarily help you. But if you were to get it from a strong engineering program, such as at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that's a whole other story. Or, if you decided to become a plumber, which is a lucrative field, then a trade program at your local community college would be a good method of entry.

So don't just think that a technical degree is automatically better than a liberal arts degree - it isn't. It depends on the school, and the major.

It also depends on you, and what you want to do with your life. There are good jobs to be found with liberal arts degrees, and business degrees, if those degrees are of good quality and from a decent school. It also helps if you do internships, co ops, volunteer work, or do other things to gain some work experience in the field you hope to work in, prior to graduation.

But I think, in many cases, bachelor's degree students with a real need to jump into the work world and have a very good shot at getting a job in their field upon graduation would do best majoring in something that's in demand, and that is career focused. The most lucrative and fastest-growing industries for bachelor's degree holders are in business, computers and engineering, education, counseling, and healthcare.

The same applies to trade programs. If you major in something specific, and in demand, and for which the AS or the diploma is the ticket for entry, you can do well. Some examples there include:

(although for many, you'll do an internship/apprenticeship while you get your associates)

-Automotive technology
-Electrician
-Childcare
-Engineering technician
-Funeral director
-Paralegal
-And a lot in the agricultural sciences, such as turf management (graduates of strong turfgrass management associates programs can work on a golfcourse and earn HUGE money), aboriculture, forestry, fruit tree management.
-Drafting
-Law enforcement
-Fire safety
-Nursing

Answer 2

That depends on what you want to do.

Liberal Arts is good as far as being a broad base...but some trades pay better.

What do you like? Talk to an advisor and try to narrow it down.