Does degree atar requirement indicate its value/quality? (1 Viewer)

[Nebth3master]

So my friend and I both got accepted for early entry and he was jokingly insulting my chosen degree because while I chose bachelor of IT with a typical atar requirement of 75, he was accepted for a bachelor of cybersecurity with an atar requirement of 80. Keep in mind that I had the option to pursue a degree with a higher required atar (the offer is unconditional so atar doesn't matter) but I chose one that's lower than his and he keeps making fun of me and says that I'm stupid and am unable to get a higher atar than him and that his course is better because of the higher atar requirement. Is it true that my course is worse because of the lower atar requirement of 75? Thx

 

[jimmysmith560]

First, congratulations on your early offer! Your friend's comments are uninformed. Essentially, the ATAR requirement of a degree does not indicate the quality of the degree. It is a reflection of the demand for a particular degree and/or the number of places available to students. The quality of a degree is perhaps better determined by identifying the level of commitment that a university has to constantly improve the quality of its education. Consider MQ's Bachelor of Commerce, which requires a selection rank of 80, and USyd's Bachelor of Commerce, which requires a selection rank of 96. It would be reasonable to expect that both universities offer a good quality degree and education, the only difference being that there is more demand for USyd's Bachelor of Commerce. With that being said, some degrees understandably have higher ATAR requirements than others. For example, USyd's Bachelor of Science requires a selection rank of 80, whereas its Doctor of Medicine requires an ATAR of 99.95.

It is important to keep in mind that the ATAR remains a rank (not a mark) and one of the several means through which you can gain entry into a chosen university degree. Because of this, what matters in the case of standard ATAR-based entry is that you get the required ATAR for your chosen degree. Neither the ATAR that you receive nor the degree's ATAR requirement will matter once you start university.

I hope this helps!

 

[pikachu975]

So my friend and I both got accepted for early entry and he was jokingly insulting my chosen degree because while I chose bachelor of IT with a typical atar requirement of 75, he was accepted for a bachelor of cybersecurity with an atar requirement of 80. Keep in mind that I had the option to pursue a degree with a higher required atar (the offer is unconditional so atar doesn't matter) but I chose one that's lower than his and he keeps making fun of me and says that I'm stupid and am unable to get a higher atar than him and that his course is better because of the higher atar requirement. Is it true that my course is worse because of the lower atar requirement of 75? Thx

No it doesn't indicate value since computer science is the most OP degree with the best industry yet it's a lot lower entry than e.g. medicine

 

[cossine]

But why does computer science have a lower atar requirement

I think medicine is highly respected across certain communities. As a result there is high demand.

 

[realcareerchats]

It would indicate value if all courses had the same quotas for students and all students applying had perfect information of job markets and decided solely based on employability + salary prospects