@ Charles Manning. You're an idiot.

That's arguably the most ignorant post in this entire thread, which is no mean feat.

If you're so into stereotyping I'm surprised you didn't cotton onto why the students and teachers of engineering / mathematics et al are in such short supply - could it possibly be because they're all socially inept and nobody would dream of working with them? No, because tarring everyone with the same brush is a bl**dy stupid idea, especially if you've got no idea what you're talking about.

Many of those teaching Media Studies at my old university are established and critically acclaimed novelists, continue to work in the media (local newspapers, national newspapers, magazines and so on) and, judging by your post, considerably more intelligent than you.

I know plenty of engineering students who “sponged off the state” – up to and beyond PHD level, at the best universities in the country. Yes, the degrees may be seen as more useful – but the people I know that did them had a natural aptitude and pretty much never went. One specifically continued to a post doctorate level, specifically to avoid work. So get off your high horse, the type of person you appear to venomously dislike appears in all walks of life, and certainly in all walks of academia.

You can no doubt guess that yes, I studied media at university. While there I never once watched a “couple of hours of TV”, never once reported on advertising, and evidently came out of it a much more rounded person than the likes of you.

Interestingly, I also walked straight into a journalism job, earning above the average salary and yes, paying more than the average tax. So no – you didn’t “pay” for me to go to university.

As I said: small-minded, ill-informed idiot.

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"Media studies" etc. Easy to find lecturers (just ask any burger-flipper at McD). Easy to find students (lazy bastards who want a cruisy time while at university). Easy to assign homework(watch a couple of hours of TV and write a report on how many times there are food ads). Extra credits if you submit your report in text-speak or CtlC CtlV it directly from a blog, or send it in via twitter. No expensive equipment.

Degrees that actually help the economy, engineering and the like, are pretty much the opposite. Hard to find lecturers (they are all gainfully employed). Hard to find students (few have the qualifications & skills needed). Hard to assign and mark homework (need to read all those maths workings etc). Expensive equipment.

Now that many universities get their funding based on performance (measured by number of students they have, and the number of grads they crank out), no wonder they push the easy option