In today’s fast-evolving job market, degrees once viewed as a guaranteed ticket to success can leave graduates underemployed or forced to retrain. Rising enrolment has saturated certain fields while employers increasingly prioritize practical skills and demonstrable experience over academic credentials.
Below are 5 degrees whose appeal outstrips their actual career prospects, along with the reasons they fall short.
Mass Communication
Traditional training focuses heavily on theory and print journalism, leaving many unprepared for digital-first content creation, driven marketing, and technical broadcast skills now sought by employers.
English and Literary Studies
While the study of literature sharpens critical thinking the lack of direct vocational pathways makes it hard to translate into steady employment.Overreliance on teaching roles or editorial positions in short supply drives many graduates to pursue additional qualifications in law education or digital publishing just to compete.
International Relations and Diplomacy
This field attracts ambitious students, but actual openings in foreign service embassies and international NGOs are extremely limited. Curriculum emphasis on theory often overlooks practical skills such as foreign language proficiency, policy analysis software, and grant writing that organisations require.
Theatre Arts and Performing Arts
Despite Nigeria’s vibrant entertainment industry, formal degrees in theatre arts rarely guarantee a sustainable career. Most actors, directors, and producers rely on on-the-job apprenticeships and networks outside academia.
Graduates often pivot to related areas such as media production, event management, or corporate training to find reliable work.
Sociology and Psychology
Understanding human behaviour is valuable, but local demand for sociologists and clinical psychologists remains low, and licensure processes can be lengthy and costly.
Many graduates end up in generic administrative roles or complement their degree with certifications in counselling, human resources management, or market research to become employable.
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