77:, during a discussion on higher education expansion. Hodge defined a Mickey Mouse course as "one where the content is perhaps not as rigorous as one would expect and where the degree itself may not have huge relevance in the labour market"; and that, furthermore, "simply stacking up numbers on Mickey Mouse courses is not acceptable". Hodge herself received a 3rd class degree in Economics. Similarly, many of her colleagues in the House of Commons have studied Politics Philosophy and Economics and in June 2024 Kay Burley asked the Education Minister Damian Hinds if his PPE degree from Oxford was not indeed a Mickey Mouse degree. This opinion is often raised in the summer when exam results are released and new university courses revealed. The phrase took off in the late 1990s, as the
132:
Studies". A professor for the department stressed that the course would not focus on
Beckham, and that the module examines "the rise of football from its folk origins in the 17th century, to the power it's become and the central place it occupies in British culture, and indeed world culture, today".
165:
of new subjects and rarely discuss course contents beyond the titles. Another factor is the perception that the take up of these subjects, and the decline of more traditional academic subjects like science, engineering, or mathematics, is causing
182:
The A-level in
General Studies is seen as a Mickey Mouse subject, as well as A-level Critical Thinking, with many universities not accepting it as part of the requirements for an offer.
193:, which might be taken by students to get higher grades for university applications. An American example is a degree in physical education. These have been issued to members of the
158:
One thing these courses share is that they are "vocational", which are perceived to be less intellectually rigorous than the traditional academic degrees.
185:
Additionally, although not considered Mickey Mouse subjects as such, some qualifications are not preferred by top universities and are regarded as "
186:
116:
received negative press coverage when a module on the sociological importance of football which had been designed for students taking
366:
147:, but as though it was a full degree course. Other degrees deemed "Mickey Mouse" include "golf management" and "surf science".
102:
71:
155:
to examine "prejudice, citizenship and bullying in modern society" as part of a B.A. degree in
Education Studies.
223:
414:
78:
274:
409:
59:
429:
404:
238:
143:
49:
354:
323:
113:
288:
161:
Defenders of these courses object that the derogatory comments made in the media rely on the low
20:
424:
380:
134:
419:
261:
305:
8:
197:, to make them eligible to play; otherwise they would fail to pass traditional subjects.
206:
41:
336:
189:". A 2007 report stated that the sciences were more challenging than subjects such as
289:"Let's be honest, spending three years at university is a waste of time for too many"
194:
148:
233:
162:
82:
167:
37:
171:
121:
74:
398:
190:
129:
125:
211:
152:
138:
217:
228:
98:
55:
45:
34:
326:, EducationGuardian.co.uk, 15 January 2003. URL accessed 24 June 2006.
58:. It came to prominence in the UK after use by the country's national
357:, EducationGuardian.co.uk, 12 August 2005. URL accessed 24 June 2006.
117:
94:
106:
177:
369:", London School of Economics. URL accessed 19 July 2008.
337:"Durham University students offered Harry Potter course"
264:", BBC News, 14 January 2003. URL accessed 24 June 2006.
103:
if the glass is half full or if the glass is half empty
308:", BBC News, 29 March 2000. URL accessed 24 June 2006.
275:"50% higher education target doomed, says thinktank"
44:regarded as worthless or irrelevant. The term is a
277:, EducationGuardian.co.uk, accessed 24 June 2006.
396:
81:created the target of having 50% of students in
355:"A-level pupils urged to spurn 'soft' subjects"
318:
316:
314:
105:. See, this prepares them for careers later as
311:
151:designed an optional module centred around
300:
298:
381:"Too many pupils taking 'easy' A-levels"
16:University degrees regarded as worthless
378:
256:
254:
397:
295:
48:, originating in the common usage of
286:
251:
379:Asthana, Anushka (12 August 2007).
178:A-level subjects and "soft options"
13:
72:Minister of State for Universities
14:
441:
287:Lesh, Matthew (29 August 2022).
262:'Irresponsible' Hodge under fire
273:Donald MacLeod, (14 July 2005)
224:List of Advanced Level subjects
372:
367:How to apply: A level subjects
360:
347:
329:
280:
267:
128:was portrayed as a "degree in
1:
244:
7:
200:
88:
10:
446:
353:Polly Curtis and agencies
141:referred to the module on
97:quipped that “in college,
65:
18:
239:Underwater basket weaving
195:college's athletics teams
70:The term was used by the
306:Beckham in degree course
114:Staffordshire University
19:Not to be confused with
21:Disney College Program
415:Criticism of academia
135:UK Independence Party
31:Mickey Mouse courses
27:Mickey Mouse degrees
207:Academic inflation
410:Academic scandals
343:. 18 August 2010.
324:"Taking the mick"
168:annual grade rise
149:Durham University
79:Labour government
437:
430:Pejorative terms
405:Academic degrees
389:
388:
376:
370:
364:
358:
351:
345:
344:
333:
327:
320:
309:
302:
293:
292:
284:
278:
271:
265:
258:
234:Scholarly method
163:symbolic capital
83:higher education
33:) is a term for
445:
444:
440:
439:
438:
436:
435:
434:
395:
394:
393:
392:
377:
373:
365:
361:
352:
348:
335:
334:
330:
321:
312:
303:
296:
285:
281:
272:
268:
259:
252:
247:
203:
180:
91:
68:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
443:
433:
432:
427:
422:
417:
412:
407:
391:
390:
371:
359:
346:
328:
310:
294:
279:
266:
249:
248:
246:
243:
242:
241:
236:
231:
226:
221:
214:
209:
202:
199:
179:
176:
172:United Kingdom
133:In July 2015,
122:sports science
90:
87:
75:Margaret Hodge
67:
64:
51:"Mickey Mouse"
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
442:
431:
428:
426:
423:
421:
418:
416:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
402:
400:
386:
382:
375:
368:
363:
356:
350:
342:
338:
332:
325:
322:Emma Brockes
319:
317:
315:
307:
301:
299:
290:
283:
276:
270:
263:
257:
255:
250:
240:
237:
235:
232:
230:
227:
225:
222:
220:
219:
215:
213:
210:
208:
205:
204:
198:
196:
192:
191:Media Studies
188:
183:
175:
173:
169:
164:
159:
156:
154:
150:
146:
145:
144:Question Time
140:
136:
131:
130:David Beckham
127:
126:media studies
123:
119:
115:
110:
108:
104:
101:majors study
100:
96:
86:
84:
80:
76:
73:
63:
61:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
39:
36:
32:
28:
22:
425:Mickey Mouse
385:The Guardian
384:
374:
362:
349:
340:
331:
282:
269:
216:
212:Diploma mill
187:soft options
184:
181:
160:
157:
153:Harry Potter
142:
139:Louise Bours
111:
92:
69:
50:
30:
26:
25:
420:Dysphemisms
218:Jodeldiplom
399:Categories
245:References
229:MRS Degree
99:philosophy
56:pejorative
46:dysphemism
35:university
387:. London.
118:sociology
112:In 2000,
93:Comedian
85:by 2010.
341:BBC News
201:See also
95:Jay Leno
89:Examples
60:tabloids
170:in the
107:waiters
66:Origins
42:courses
38:degrees
124:, or
54:as a
137:MEP
29:(or
109:."
40:or
401::
383:.
339:.
313:^
297:^
253:^
174:.
120:,
62:.
304:"
291:.
260:"
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.