Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Is the modern University system the most practical way to train professionals like Engineers, Accountants etc?

Universities are expensive. It’s an ethical dilemna that we have to go into 150K of debt just to try to obtain the American dream.
Universities have a lot of requirements that have little to do with the jobs of accounting and engineering.
In the distant (maybe not so distant) past these jobs were trained through free apprenticeships, not university, and you didn’t have to start in 6 figures of debt just to try to obtain a middle class job.

I think you are correct in that the university system is not the best way to educate many professions including engineering and accounting. In Great Britain, medical doctors are trained for the medical profession right after high school (their equivalent) and omit the courses normally required in a liberal arts education or the first two years of a University in America. If I recall they spend four years in med. school followed by two years of internship and another year or two if they are in a specialty. Therefore, they can be out and practicing medicine after six years or 23 or 24 years old or 25 or 26 with a specialty. I think accountants and engineers should spend 2 years in a school or university and another 2 years as interns with a business. After this and passing an exam, they should be fully qualified (certificated engineer or chartered accountant). The same could be done for teachers, lawyers, and almost any profession. Your point is well taken and the system should be changed. Very good idea on your part.

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6 Responses to “Is the modern University system the most practical way to train professionals like Engineers, Accountants etc?”

Love <3 Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:48 am

Universities are expensive under a capitalist system which places money above all else ( Alarm Bell #1 ) I think the modern University system is the least practical way to train professionals (Alarm Bell #2) my opinion is based on my relations with people who graduated from Universities, in fact, I think the entire institutional education is complete crap starting from preschool ( Alarm Bell #3)
References :
Future accountant and computer scientist who ISN’T planning to go to a University.

fishy man Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:54 am

well, the universities are very well organized and structured for the learning - however, Love <3 is right, they are far overpriced - some of them to me seem just a tad crowded as well, i’d like them to be broken up a bit more
References :

Ratz Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:24 am

Training isn’t really the goal of a university, a well rounded liberal arts education is. Yes, maybe an apprenticeship or ‘vocational school’ is better for some professions, but isn’t the obvious solution to this to lower the cost of university? Every other country in the world manages to have excellent universities which cost half to a tenth what ours do.
References :

Angel Barbie Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:48 am

you need to do a more vocational course if you want to do engineering or accounting… i went to uni but that was because i wanted to work as an occupational therapist. the course was funded by a health authority bursary and we spent blocks out working in practice to gain practical hands on experience. to me it seems pointless doing a degree in something useless that qualifies you for nothing!
References :

peter m Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 2:24 am

Possibly;

And they are not just "expensive".

They are also faulty in that the university-trained engineers at least, have just built a massive high

rise building-the tallest in the world- while almost everyone else knows that these are almost

redundant,unsafe and just "citadels-to-professionals everywhere".

What i mean is that unnecessarily cram people into an area which uses too much energy and uses

vast amounts of funds (or money) to plan;to design and to execute/build.

And i make no apologies,in advance, for stating these by now obvious things!
References :
Some conciderable construction experience.

ronald.glass@sbcglobal.net Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:02 am

I think you are correct in that the university system is not the best way to educate many professions including engineering and accounting. In Great Britain, medical doctors are trained for the medical profession right after high school (their equivalent) and omit the courses normally required in a liberal arts education or the first two years of a University in America. If I recall they spend four years in med. school followed by two years of internship and another year or two if they are in a specialty. Therefore, they can be out and practicing medicine after six years or 23 or 24 years old or 25 or 26 with a specialty. I think accountants and engineers should spend 2 years in a school or university and another 2 years as interns with a business. After this and passing an exam, they should be fully qualified (certificated engineer or chartered accountant). The same could be done for teachers, lawyers, and almost any profession. Your point is well taken and the system should be changed. Very good idea on your part.
References :
M.A. Economics 1968

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