The Most Useful Degrees in the UK
When it comes to choosing your area of study in the UK you may understandably get choice paralysis. From courses on Harry Potter and Memes (yes those actually exist!), to the more traditional subjects, like Chemistry and Geography, there’s a whole world of opportunity for you.
But which of these fields of study will lead you to the most success when you come to enter the job market? Rest assured we’ve got you covered with our list of some of the most useful degrees in the UK.
Medecine
Starting off with the obvious, a medical degree is one of the most employable in the UK and for good reason. With an almost guaranteed job and career after the degree, it's clear to see why studying medicine is so popular, after graduation 99.4% of students were employed and working within 6 months.
This employability comes at a price, the selection process is very difficult and is designed to ensure that only the students who are the best suited to the course will get in. So no, it won’t be like Grey’s Anatomy after you graduate, but still, it’s one of the few degrees where you’re almost guaranteed employment after graduation.
Dentistry
Following on from medicine it should be no shock that dentistry is also one of the most useful degrees in the UK. It has similar employability rates as medicine.
Many people chose this degree as the job you will likely get afterwards allows for more flexibility in terms of working hours compared to medicine. While it may be difficult to get in, you’ll be making all sorts of Brits smile with this career!
Veterinary Science
Similar to Medicine, there is a long application process for veterinary science. Although there are only ten universities offering this course in the UK, the application process is well worth it. The course itself is incredibly rewarding as you get to help (and hang out with) animals. While you won’t end up being Dr. Doolittle and get to speak to all the animals, you will end up in a great career.
The course itself will see you specialise from general veterinary to more specific forms such as large or small animal veterinary.
Law
A law degree in the UK is one of the most versatile degrees you can study as it demonstrates multiple skills to employers. It is very interesting to note that a lot of law students don’t actually end up practising law. Whilst a career as a Solicitor or Barrister is probably what you have in mind as career opportunities after law school (thanks, Legally Blonde), you may find yourself still in the legal profession but just not in the courtroom. Other legal career options include Arbitrator, Mediator, Chartered Legal Executive, Company Secretary, Costs Lawyer, Paralegal, Licensed Conveyancer, and even Detective!
Whilst professions in the legal field are varied, perhaps you wanted to attain employment somewhere unrelated. Rest assured because many law students go on to careers in Politics, Finance, Property Development, HR and many more.
Architecture
An architecture degree is a long commitment but well worth it. Notorious for large amounts of coursework and hands-on projects, this degree will test you in large amounts but will also prepare you for an amazing career full of creativity.
Dealing with the designing and construction of buildings and other objects, this degree is truly where creative types flourish. Whilst the course itself may look like it only takes 3 or 4 years, the time taken to become a fully qualified architect is closer to 7 years. This encompasses 5 years of study with 2 years of professional training and practical work, all ending with your final qualification exams. All your hard work will be worth it in the end though as you can walk through the streets and point out all the buildings you’ve designed and worked on!
Engineering
Engineering degrees cover a lot of the work that gets done in the UK. For starters you’ll have to pick your subject area before starting your course, popular choices are; Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and many many more.
The reason engineering is so popular and employable is due to the wide range of subject areas you can study. So whether you’re interested in designing medical implants (Bioengineering), cars (Automotive Engineering), or even oil chemical refinery plants (Chemical Engineering), there’s an engineering discipline to suit everyone.
In terms of the timescale of the courses, it varies depending on what qualification you want to end up with. The standard bachelors (BEng) will take 3 years, whilst the integrated masters (MEng) takes 4. There are benefits to both, but generally speaking, it is good practice to apply for the integrated masters program and then switch to a bachelors if you change your mind whilst studying. This is simply because it is harder to swap the other way around.
So if you’re interested in designing or building things, engineering is a highly employable field that could suit you.
Computer Science
In most institutions, Computer Science is part of the Engineering school. However, we’ve separated them on this list due to the very different employment prospects after graduation.
For a Computer Science graduate, it is not unnatural to be self-employed and freelancing straight after graduation. Compared to the other forms of engineering, it would be very strange to see an Aerospace Engineer designing engines at home on a freelance contract.
Whilst freelancing is an option, a lot of Computer Science graduates seek employment with various different companies with a wide variety of job roles. Examples of such roles are Software Developer, Web Developer, UX Designer, Mobile App Developer, IT Project Manager, Information Security Analyst, Systems Architect, AI Engineer, Computer Hardware Engineer, and Video Game Developer.
Education
Last, but certainly not least, we have Education. This degree is vitally important as without teachers, we wouldn’t understand our world and how to make it a better place! While every day won’t be a reenactment of scenes from Dead Poets Society, you’ll find teaching a very rewarding career at the end of your education degree.
Although the main focus of an Education degree is teaching, more often than not you'll find this degree opens up pathways into other careers such as Training and Development or Human Resources. This is due to the fact that a degree in Education will also help you to understand people very well. So if you want to go into teaching, or even just learn about it, Education could be the degree for you.
Regardless of what you study, you’ll need a cosy place to call home during your time as a student. Be part of our Yugo family when you stay at our Yugo student accommodation.