By Daire Lydon
In a world full of finance bros and budding engineers, the humble Arts degree tends to be seen as the “fallback” choice in Ireland — the degree you do when you don’t know what else to do. It’s low on the CAO, low on prestige, and apparently (according to everyone you meet), low on job prospects.
I’m not going to pretend that an Arts degree is some golden ticket to guaranteed employment. There are no graduate schemes queuing up to reward your essay on Irish neutrality. You’re unlikely to be offered a company car for your take on Yeats or De Valera. And for all the incredible people it has produced, the Newman Building in UCD isn’t quite as glamorous as the shiny Quinn or Sutherland buildings.
But here’s the thing: most people who choose an Arts degree actually want to be there. You’re not cramming accounting ratios because your cousin told you it’s a “safe bet.” You’re reading books, writing essays, diving into politics, debating your mates, figuring out the world — because you like it. And when you like something, you usually do better at it.
That passion translates into real opportunities. Erasmus, internships, summer schools, exchanges — all far more accessible when you’re thriving in what you study. And to be clear: this isn’t an anti-business or anti-STEM rant. Loads of people genuinely love engineering, economics, or computer science — and they should go for it. But this is for the people who loved English or history in school but backed out at the last minute because “there’s no jobs in that.”
It honestly breaks my heart when I hear someone say, “I loved history in school, but I didn’t study it in college because there are no job prospects.” That’s exactly why the government increasing university fees this year feels like such a travesty. Further education — especially in the arts and humanities — is about more than just employment. It’s about curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. It’s about building a more informed electorate. That should be encouraged, not priced out.
And those “useless” degrees? They’ve produced a few decent people over the years:
- Barack Obama – Political Science
- Joe Biden – History and Political Science
- Mary McAleese – Law and Arts
- Michael D. Higgins – Sociology and Political Science
- Susan Wojcicki (former YouTube CEO) – History and Literature
- Paul Mescal – Drama
- Howard Schultz (former Starbucks CEO) – Communications
- Conan O’Brien – History
- Larry David – History
- Steve Carell – History
The world doesn’t run solely on finance and code. It runs on stories, speechwriters, public servants, creatives, communicators, thinkers, and storytellers.
What it’s Done for Me
I wasn’t a straight-A student in school by a long shot. I was fine — solidly in the middle. But I knew I was interested in people, politics, and history. So I chose Arts. It wasn’t some plan B. It was what I actually cared about.
Since then, it’s opened doors I’d never imagined. I’ve never dreaded a lecture or skipped a tutorial — I genuinely love what I study. I haven’t missed a single day of college since starting.
That passion has come with opportunities. This summer I completed the CNN Academy in Dublin. I interned in Leinster House, working alongside people shaping national policy. I even met Donie O’Sullivan — a former UCD Arts student who’s now a senior correspondent with CNN, travelling around the country interviewing conspiracy theorists (what a job). He credits many of the skills he uses today to his time in the Newman building and writing for The College Tribune (one of UCD’s two student newspapers).
And in January, I’ll be heading to Washington, D.C. for a semester-long exchange — something I’ve always wanted to do, but something that would’ve sounded like science fiction to me a few years ago.
It’s not exactly the Big Four. It’s not a grad scheme with a guaranteed pension and branded fleeces. But it’s mine — and I love it.
And One Last Thing…
If you’re an Arts student and you’ve ever opened TikTok, you’ve probably seen the Pedro Pascal “Make Your Own Kind of Music” trend — where he stares blankly into the distance after someone asks, “So… what are you going to do with that?”
We’ve all been there. But here’s the thing: in an era of AI, automation, and corporate consolidation, the people who can write, think, argue, analyse, and communicate with actual humans? We’ll be just fine.
So no, an Arts degree isn’t a shortcut. But it is a launchpad — and if you back yourself, it can take you further than you think.