Trade Degrees Should Receive Respect | Student Loans for College ...

We are all aware of the prejudice that seems to persist that assumes a degree from a traditional university is more valuable than a degree from an online, vocational, or trade school. But is that prejudice really justified? Is a student who goes to college and gets a degree in Brazilian studies, for example, any better off than a student who gets an online travel and tourism degree?

The style of education provided at traditional universities derives from a philosophy of education that states that it is the job of the institution to ensure that its students emerge with an education that is both diverse and well-rounded. There is merit to this: the more diverse our base of knowledge the more aware we are of the world we live in, and the more able we are to be happy and successful in that world.

The problem is that in recent years the momentum of thinking in higher education has pulled away from pragmatic training and toward intellectual curiosity. There?s nothing wrong with stretching the mind, of course. That is part of a well-rounded education, and colleges should expose their students to a variety of viewpoints and ideas. But the pragmatic side is part of a good education as well, and that seems to be getting left out.

It isn?t hard to find mental stimulation outside of the university environment if you just look for it. Our world is full of books, and an intellectual adventure is no further away than the local library or bookstore. In fact, because publishing is a prerequisite for tenure at most good universities it?s usually possible to find books authored by the very professors who would teach the classes we?d take at an elite institution.

Practical, formulaic knowledge is harder to come by. Sure, there are books that teach dummies and idiots about all sorts of different topics, but they only provide an introduction. They don?t provide the kind of in-depth understanding of a job that students receive at vocational and technical schools, and although a do-it-yourselfer can get the basics of a project from a book, a professional needs far greater understanding.

The student who attends a top-tier university and majors in Brazilian studies will graduate from college with a deep understanding of the politics, culture, economy, and history of Brazil, but there aren?t very many applications for that knowledge. She could go into marketing, using that knowledge to make her employable by companies who sell to Brazil. But odds are the only job she?ll find in her discipline will be teaching Brazilian studies.

The graduate of a travel and tourism school, on the other hand, will have in-depth knowledge and preparation for a career in one of the most stable industries in the world. Tourism is always popular, and working in the tourism industry also provides opportunities to live in some of the most exciting places in the world. Not to mention the fact that it probably pays better than teaching.

And while the knowledge contained in the Brazilian studies degree is readily available to anyone with a library card and a frequent flyer account, the knowledge contained in a travel and tourism degree is not. So while the prejudice against trade and vocational degrees can?t be denied, it also isn?t justified by anything but baseless intellectual snobbery.

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