View Full Version : Majors
ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88
12-21-2010, 19:21
I like to ask my fellow .Orgah members what are they majoring in or have they majored in university for?
Computer programming I'm working on at the moment, may switch to Business or Criminal Justice though.
Hooahguy
12-21-2010, 20:18
Will be double majoring in Criminal Justice and Judaic Studies, and minoring in Terrorism studies.
The Stranger
12-21-2010, 21:35
philosophy
History and Social History.
Tellos Athenaios
12-21-2010, 21:59
Computer programming? :inquisitive:
I don't know about this whole majoring and minoring thing, but the closest translation(IMO) for what I study is computer and business science.
Rhyfelwyr
12-21-2010, 23:21
If majoring is the same idea as a Uni degree over him, I'm doing History/Politics.
Only 6 months left. Phew!
The Stranger
12-21-2010, 23:50
Will be double majoring in Criminal Justice and Judaic Studies, and minoring in Terrorism studies.
criminal justice is linked to judaic studies?
Hooahguy
12-22-2010, 00:11
criminal justice is linked to judaic studies?
No, but at University of Maryland, if you do a major in Judaic Studies, then you get to go there for in-state tuition even if you live in another state, all thanks to the Academic Common Market.
Marketing (BBus). Business Information Systems Management (BScIT).
No, but at University of Maryland, if you do a major in Judaic Studies, then you get to go there for in-state tuition even if you live in another state, all thanks to the Academic Common Market.
How does that work? :inquisitive:
Have you enjoyed your first riot yet at UofM?
Megas Methuselah
12-22-2010, 06:02
I'm doing History/Politics.
Likewise.
Rhyfelwyr, we are better than everyone else.
Hooahguy
12-22-2010, 06:32
How does that work? :inquisitive:
Have you enjoyed your first riot yet at UofM?
Im taking a gap year before I start UMD, but I do plan on joining the Student Police Auxiliary, so this might turn out interesting.
Anyhow, heres how the Academic Common Market thing works:
So, if a state college which is part of the ACM doesnt have a major you want, you can attend another state college that is part of the ACM that does have the major. In this case, no state college in Georgia has Judaics as a major, and UMD does, so I get to go to UMD for the in state tuition.
GeneralHankerchief
12-22-2010, 06:59
Another History/Poli Sci double major over here. Currently in Year 3, and I haven't cracked yet.
Centurion1
12-22-2010, 10:03
i almost played football at college park. crap hole that place is....
im majoring in a dual program for economics/mathematics
Reenk Roink
12-22-2010, 10:27
Physics, minor Biology
philosophy
What the **** man!? You're way too smart to waste your talents like this. :book:
The Stranger
12-22-2010, 13:50
Physics, minor Biology
What the **** man!? You're way too smart to waste your talents like this. :book:
ill take that as a compliment:beatnik::creep:
al Roumi
12-22-2010, 15:02
criminal justice is linked to judaic studies?
...and terrorism?
History, chosen specialization (and thesis focus) was Modern European
Law. Additional degrees in tax law and notary law (assuming "major" is = master degree (university degree?)?)
Hooahguy
12-22-2010, 16:06
...and terrorism?
Wow, seriously? After I just explained all that?
Ugh. As a career path I want to work in counter-terrorism, hence my major in CJ and minor in terrorism studies.
*smacks forehead*
The Stranger
12-22-2010, 16:08
major is same as bachelor i think. and minor is just some additional stuff u can do but dont have to. atleast thats how it is in holland.
Law. Additional degrees in tax law and notary law (assuming "major" is = master degree (university degree?)?)
No, major refers to a specialization that US undergraduate schools require for obtaining a BA/BS degree. For instance, my undergraduate degree is a BA in History. To obtain the major, a person has to take more numerous, and more advanced, classes in that particular focus than is otherwise required for the Bachelor's degree. Particular requirements for the majors vary depending on the major and the school at which it is obtained.
A minor is a lesser specialization in a different subject than the major. Many schools do not require minors and they're not generally very useful for anything beyond personal knowledge.
No, major refers to a specialization that US undergraduate schools require for obtaining a BA/BS degree. For instance, my undergraduate degree is a BA in History. To obtain the major, a person has to take more numerous, and more advanced, classes in that particular focus than is otherwise required for the Bachelor's degree. Particular requirements for the majors vary depending on the major and the school at which it is obtained.
A minor is a lesser specialization in a different subject than the major. Many schools do not require minors and they're not generally very useful for anything beyond personal knowledge.
I'm confused :dizzy2:
So majors and minors have nothing to do with university?
Why do you have such a weird educational system?
Hooahguy
12-22-2010, 16:39
No, majors and minors do play a major part of the system. You attend Uni to pursue a major/minor.
al Roumi
12-22-2010, 16:39
I'm confused :dizzy2:
So majors and minors have nothing to do with university?
Why do you have such a weird educational system?
It's a long story. We had differences, they wanted to feel special and valued -we just wanted their lunch money.
I'm confused :dizzy2:
So majors and minors have nothing to do with university?
Why do you have such a weird educational system?
I think the confusion is that the US has a two-tier university system, which is not present in many other countries.
The first tier is generally referred to as undergraduate school. The undergraduate level takes an average of four years to complete, though it can be done in less (or more) time. Graduation from undergraduate schooling results in a Bachelor's degree (BA for arts and humanities, BS for sciences). The Bachelor's degree is a degree that certifies that a person has received a general education with classes in all areas of study. However, all Bachelor's degrees also require that the student specialize in at least one area. That specialization is referred to as a 'major' and the student takes more classes (and gains more knowledge) in that specific area of study than they do in the other general courses. So, while the Bachelor's degree is still for general education, the major is an acknowledgment that the student is more focused in a specific area.
The second tier is generally referred to as graduate school. The graduate tier has no general education at all and is entirely focused on the study of the specific area that the person enrolls in. Medical school focuses exclusively on medicine, law school focuses exclusively on law, etc. Graduate degrees are considered to include all Masters and Doctorate degrees, including MA, MS, MD, JD, MBA, PhD, LLM, etc. The length of graduate schooling depends on the degree the person is attempting to get. Some degrees (like a Masters) can be completed in a single year. Some, like PhDs, can take five years or longer.
As a general rule, a "college" is a school that offers only undergraduate degrees, and a "university" is a school that offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, there are many schools that violate this terminology for reasons I cannot understand, so there are exceptions.
al Roumi
12-22-2010, 16:44
Wow, seriously? After I just explained all that?
Ugh. As a career path I want to work in counter-terrorism, hence my major in CJ and minor in terrorism studies.
*smacks forehead*
Sorry, I was being facetious. And I am trying to stear clear of the Backroom line... My knowledge of the UK and other govts' counter terrorism strategies is that they are broadly based on 4 pillars, Prepare, Protect, Prevent and Pursue. My guess is Israel focuses on an extra "P", Provoke?
I'm intrigued though, what is it that makes you want to work in Counter Terorrism? Maybe that has a lot to do with what one considers to be counter terrorism work.
As a follow-up to my previous post, here's a basic diagram of the US education system:
Elementary School (in Europe, Primary School)
Ages: ~3 to 9
Degree: NONE
Goes Next to: Middle School
Middle School (in Europe, part of Primary School)
Ages: ~9 to 13
Degree: NONE
Goes Next to: High School
High School (in Europe, Secondary School)
Ages: ~14 to 18
Degree: High School Diploma
Goes Next to: JOB or Associate's Degree or Technical Degree or Undergraduate Degree
Associate College
Ages: ~18 to 20
Degree: Associate's Degree
Goes Next to: JOB or Undergraduate Degree
Technical College
Ages: ~18 to 20
Degree: Technical/Professional Degree
Goes Next to: JOB
Undergraduate College/University
Ages: ~18 to 21
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Goes Next to: JOB or Graduate
Graduate College/University
Ages: ~21 to ???
Degree: Masters, Doctorate, etc.
Goes Next to: JOB or more Graduate
It is worth noting that 'Elementary School' and 'Middle School' are not really separate systems of any kind. They are simply a system used to differentiate between the age of the student. Some schools use 'Elementary School' for every student up to 12 or 13 years (without any 'Middle School'). Some only use it up to about age 6 or so. Some schools also have 'Junior High' which is about 12 to 14 years. However, it is all semantics. In every case, without exception, the entire Primary and Secondary School system in the US takes 13 years, from 'Kindergarden' to 12th grade. Elementary, Middle, Junior High, and High are all just case-specific names given to different years within the Primary/Secondary system.
The first degree that a person obtains is the High School degree, after completion of all of Primary and Secondary school. This is a very low-level general education degree and generally does not qualify a person for much more than the service industry or manual labor. After Secondary school, the undergraduate degree is still general education, but at a higher level and with the ability to focus on a particular area. An undergraduate degree can qualify a person for a basic job in a specialized field or a more advanced job in a basic field, but it depends greatly on the job, the person, and the quality of the degree itself (i.e. Harvard vs. Middle of Nowhere University). A graduate degree is generally required for all many high-level professions.
There are also two other degrees that I listed above but didn't discuss before. First, there is the Associate's Degree. This is usually an alternative to undergraduate. Like a Bachelor's degree, it is a degree in general education, but it takes only two years instead of four. On the job level, it provides a big boost over a High School degree, but not as big a boost as a Bachelor's Degree. Second, there is the Technical Degree. This is a specific degree in a professional field that requires specific knowledge, but not necessarily a large amount of schooling. This is for things like medical testing, repair/maintenance of industrial equipment, etc. Technical degrees can be obtained in one to two years (sometimes even six months), and are often mandatory for employment in those areas.
pevergreen
12-22-2010, 17:32
Ah, so to compare it to the Australian system.
Same until graduation of high school.
Undergrad college/degree (uni)= Bachelor of x (your minor/major stuff is just required and elective courses. So my brother has a Bachelor of Engineering, majoring in Mechatronics and minoring in software)
Most people stop there, but others go back to uni to get Master/Doctorate.
Otherwise you attend TAFE and get a diploma (technical college)
So a community college is just an undergraduate college with lower entry requirements?
Hooahguy
12-22-2010, 18:41
Sorry, I was being facetious. And I am trying to stear clear of the Backroom line... My knowledge of the UK and other govts' counter terrorism strategies is that they are broadly based on 4 pillars, Prepare, Protect, Prevent and Pursue. My guess is Israel focuses on an extra "P", Provoke?
I'm intrigued though, what is it that makes you want to work in Counter Terorrism? Maybe that has a lot to do with what one considers to be counter terrorism work.
I just PM'ed you with my answer.
So a community college is just an undergraduate college with lower entry requirements?
A community college is a local public school, funded by county/municipality (not state) taxation. They tend to be two-year schools offering Associate's and Technical degrees, though some of them may provide Bachelor's degrees as well (I'm not sure about that). They are generally for local area residents who will commute to the classes instead of living on-campus. Their biggest advantage is that they are much cheaper than other forms of school. Since they are funded by local taxation, the quality of the school can vary depending on the prosperity of the region they are in. AFAIK, they do not have any academic entry requirements. If you can pay, you can attend, though there may be some local residency requirements as well.
Community colleges, and associate's degrees in general, are also frequently used as a stepping stone to a bachelor's degree. Many people either do not have the money or grades to go to a four-year school immediately out of high school. So, getting an associate's degree can be a way to save money or to improve your grades to allow for later admission to a four-year school.
ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88
12-22-2010, 21:30
philosophy
What you going to do with a degree in that? :juggle2:
Computer programming? :inquisitive:
I like to go into Game Design of sorts. :balloon2:
gaelic cowboy
12-22-2010, 22:02
I don't understand this majoring lark??
I just applied for and got to study Mechanical Engineering after I left school.
The Stranger
12-23-2010, 00:03
What you going to do with a degree in that? :juggle2:
im going to learn how to tell you why your life is worth it XD without going into your psyche but into the very structures of life itself and i will confuse you so much that you dont know what to do but listen and do what i tell you to do
Tellos Athenaios
12-23-2010, 00:54
@Andres: your confusion may be due to your more advanced age, the BS/BA/MS/MA degrees are a relatively recent introduction (EU thingy, IIRC) here
to make qualifications easier to translate across the Atlantic.
Tellos Athenaios
12-23-2010, 01:15
What you going to do with a degree in that? :juggle2: Develop a capacity for independent thought, reasoning, debate, and reflection? In addition he should probably be learning about formal proofs and various types of logic systems which are decidedly though subjects.
I like to go into Game Design of sorts. :balloon2:
Computer programming is... well, let's put it this way: in history courses you are expected to read up on your own, and in science courses you are expected to pick up on the programming on your own. To stay positive: game design is probably not what you think it is. It can be about the art, the human-computer-interaction, psychology and the like -- in which case no or hardly any programming for you; or it can be about the computer graphics, AI, and efficient algorithms in which case the computer programming itself really is the least of your worries. The two are essentially minors in various completely different fields.
Perhaps you meant CS, in which case computer programming is really the thing you don't have time for doing to satisfaction (there's always the bug/glitch/crash/oops/missing feature) or if it isn't you have to consider it might actually be not so great a CS course. Computer programming is something you pick up on your own in your spare time using the volumes of free reading material which is out there.
PanzerJaeger
12-23-2010, 01:36
I'm almost done with my MBA.
Looking back, I would have been happier following TinCow's path, but my parents convinced me otherwise. Business bores me and I just don't think I have a passion for it, especially compared to history.
It is too late now though... Choose your majors wisely children. It is not all about earning potential.
Accounting for undergrad and masters. I'm planning on adding law a few years from now.
ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88
12-23-2010, 01:51
But there is more of a need for people to go into the Computer science field then in the Philosophy field., though I would like someone to tell me why is my life worth it.:laugh4:
B
Develop a capacity for independent thought, reasoning, debate, and reflection? In addition he should probably be learning about formal proofs and various types of logic systems which are decidedly though subjects.
Computer programming is... well, let's put it this way: in history courses you are expected to read up on your own, and in science courses you are expected to pick up on the programming on your own. To stay positive: game design is probably not what you think it is. It can be about the art, the human-computer-interaction, psychology and the like -- in which case no or hardly any programming for you; or it can be about the computer graphics, AI, and efficient algorithms in which case the computer programming itself really is the least of your worries. The two are essentially minors in various completely different fields.
Perhaps you meant CS, in which case computer programming is really the thing you don't have time for doing to satisfaction (there's always the bug/glitch/crash/oops/missing feature) or if it isn't you have to consider it might actually be not so great a CS course. Computer programming is something you pick up on your own in your spare time using the volumes of free reading material which is out there.
Looking back, I would have been happier following TinCow's path, but my parents convinced me otherwise. Business bores me and I just don't think I have a passion for it, especially compared to history.
It is too late now though... Choose your majors wisely children. It is not all about earning potential.
Heh, I love history, but it doesn't pay the bills. That's what the JD is for.
Right now I'm doing Integrated Studies, which is a major where the student picks two emphasis areas instead of having one major. My emphasis areas are art and music, but I think I'm going to change it to something else. I'm leaning towards Biology because I want to go into ecology or bio-technology, but I'm also interested in archaeology or anthropology.
@Andres: your confusion may be due to your more advanced age,
:mean:
Rhyfelwyr
12-23-2010, 12:21
Is history really that bad for earning potential? Isn't it more important just to have a degree of some sort (so long as it is something respected eg not media studies), just to get you into white-collar work?
I think history is still seen as a respectable degree, it is just not specialised.
The Stranger
12-23-2010, 12:35
:mean:
he is looking for war andres!!! give it to him. clyde's mom said you were a weakling! will you fight him after school???
Is history really that bad for earning potential? Isn't it more important just to have a degree of some sort (so long as it is something respected eg not media studies), just to get you into white-collar work?
I think history is still seen as a respectable degree, it is just not specialised.
Sure it's respectable, but it doesn't really 'qualify' you for anything or give you skills which are useful in most jobs. There isn't a 'history' industry outside of academia, so the history aspect of the degree is pretty much irrelevant to the job application. Compare that with a degree in math or economics for a business-related job, a degree in biology for a job in the health care industry, etc. If you're applying for one of those kinds of jobs with a History degree, you'll be at a disadvantage to someone with a field-related degree as that person will be able to claim they have some pre-existing knowledge of that field, while the History major will not. That's why it's important to decide what you want to do in life before you pick your major. It's always possible to change your field later in life, but it gets more difficult as time goes on, so if you can get it right from the start you'll be better off.
Starting next year, Chinese language and culture (Sinology).
here's a basic diagram of the US education system...
Here is the basic diagram of the UK education system, please note, this isn't the new reformed School system coming in place, with the diploma's, etc.
Play School/Pre-School
Ages: 2 to ~4
Primary School [Compulsory]
Ages: ~4 to ~7
Goes Next to: Junior School
Junior School [Compulsory]
Ages: ~7 to ~11
Goes Next to: High School
High School [Compulsory]
Ages: ~11 to ~16
Award: GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Goes Next to: JOB or College
College - '6th Form'
Ages: ~16 to ~18
Award: ACSE (Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education)
Goes Next to: JOB or Undergraduate Degree
College - General
Ages: ~16+
Award: ACSE, NVQ, Diploma, GCSE, anything below Bachelor's level.
Goes Next to: JOB or University degree
Undergraduate College/University
Ages: ~18 to ~21
Award: Bachelor's Degree
Goes Next to: JOB or Post-Graduate
Post-Graduate College/University
Ages: ~21 to ???
Award: Masters, Doctorate, etc
Goes Next to: JOB or more Post-Graduate
It is worth noting that 'Primary School' and 'Junior School' are not really separate systems of any kind, as most of them share the same building. There are exceptions where they are different.
Strike For The South
12-23-2010, 22:10
Started as Biology, realized I hated biology so switched to History/Poly Sci with a nice little asterik designating me as a prospective law student.
with a minor in binge drinking amirite?
a completely inoffensive name
12-24-2010, 11:11
Chemistry. Haven't decided on a minor yet. Might do something related to Chem, to bolster my knowledge for jobs or I might just do a minor in Pol. Sci. for my own personal satisfaction.
Megas Methuselah
12-24-2010, 20:41
Heh, I love history, but it doesn't pay the bills. That's what the JD is for.
YES.
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