2 DEGREES. STILL NO LIFE JACKET.

The real news

The story, straight

A degree teaches skills and signals training to employers. Computer science studies how computers solve problems.

An MBA is a business-management degree. Neither is a life jacket with a graduation tassel.

On Moonshots, episode 307, the panel debates falling computer science enrolment and business-school applications, asking what happens when AI can perform some of the coding and spreadsheet tasks people train for.

The underlying numbers measure different things. Preliminary National Student Clearinghouse data show Computer and Information Science enrolment down 12.4% at US undergraduate 4-year institutions this fall.

Only 46% of reporting institutions were covered, so the figures may change.

MBASchools.org, citing GMAC data reported by Bloomberg, reports applications to full-time US MBA programs down 27%, with international applications to US MBA programs down 38%. GMAC identifies visa-policy concerns among the pressures on US demand.

These figures do not prove AI caused the declines.

The panel's argument is that routine coding and spreadsheet work face pressure, while deeper technical work and raising money for businesses still matter. That is their interpretation, not proof that either degree is useless.

A panelist also rejects the idea of a permanently safe career, while the host stresses relationships and purpose over curriculum alone.

Lil'meme's response: strap both diplomas around his body and discover that career insurance excludes water damage.

The useful takeaway is not to abandon learning. Compare what a program actually teaches, what it costs and what you can demonstrate afterward.

A working project gives people something to inspect besides the frame.

Repost this before I apply for a master's in flotation.

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