Twenty-five years ago, selecting a degree seemed simple, since choice was relatively restricted. Now the range of options for students is extensive, which brings added difficulties: should I do a traditional degree, which may not provide good job skills? Should I follow a broad-based vocational degree such as Business Studies? Should I go for a more specific direction, such as marketing? What do these 'super' specialist degrees such as Packaging Design, Food Technology or Perfumery offer?

Most prospective students will select on a number of criteria:

• I want to do something that interests me
• I want a degree that builds on my pre-university skills, where I stand a chance of a good degree classification
• I want a degree with a known track record
• I want a qualification which will give me distinctive skills to gain a better job and not leave me as a well-educated member of staff in a fast food outlet!

The obvious conclusion here is that some specialist degrees will fail on all criteria, leaving you with an exotic qualification with little recognition and no job. Nothing could be further from reality! There is no doubt that the most important factor in your degree selection is following a real depth of interest. To select a degree simply because it looks comparatively easier, even of less interest, is a trap - the likely outcome would be that the degree will not be easy, and will require lots of effort of little interest to you. The result is frustration, boredom and stress, converting what should be a great time into an extended prison sentence.

The resulting outcome could be a lower classification of degree, which might also leave you with employment difficulties to add to the misery! If you are interested in international business and differing cultures, and want to have a job with opportunities for international development with travel and overseas secondments, then a degree such as Perfumery or Food Technology would appear to be very limiting. Again, nothing could be further from reality. The materials used in both Food and Perfume production come from around the world. Think of the cultural richness of how people live, what they eat, how they dress and what personal care products they use.

A key question to ask is how specialist is the degree. At first sight, Perfumery would appear to be a degree that would fit a graduate selling fine fragrances in a department store. Perfumery does include fragrances, but it also includes personal care products (cosmetics, haircare, sun care), fabric care (detergents, fabric conditioners), and household products (air fresheners, cleaners). Any visit to a supermarket will show you the vast range of fragranced products, but that is only part of the story. Cultural diversity emerges with the global nature of the market, where differing cultures demand different products and fragrances. The depth of the industry is also important - the aroma trade includes the production of essential oils (sandalwood from India, tea tree from Australia; the list includes the whole world), the fragrance creative house, the producer of products and the marketing by major retail outlets. Therefore, what appears to be very specialist is in fact a sector-specific degree, developing a broad range of skills.

Entry to such degrees does not involve exotic preliminary criteria, but the normal spectrum of qualifications. A key issue to investigate is the recognition of the degree. Ideally, the qualification should be accredited to both by relevant international general professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and the specialist industry associations. This will leave you in a winning situation of critical competitive advantage in your selected sector, or the use of your broad transferable skills in another sector. In this situation, your specialist degree is no different to a broad-based degree with some specialist options, but not detrimental to your general employability. Therefore, in the evaluation of your specialist degree, enquire about the companies involved in support and placements (such as international blue chip companies), and accreditation and recognition of the degree by national and international bodies.

Specialist degrees can open the door to great opportunities with real competitive advantage in employability and starting salary. Accreditation can ensure that you can still follow a career in broader sectors as an insurance policy. If they fit your interests, such degrees can be interesting, exciting and rewarding.

Author
Dr Tony Curtis
University of Plymouth
Business School