I chucked my job in the legal profession to do a degree in something I love - Politics (all right love is perhaps to strong a word but you know what I mean) So my experience is different to Russ and guest. I also won a scholorship for singing, the tuition involved helped my singing (I hope) but it didn't really change my style of singing in the folk idiom (sound of can of worms being opened)it just improved my technique. Any degree can be of use in the outside world as long as the principles involve things like research ie not just the content but the methodology of learning processes. Going to university as a mature student still meant I learnt an awful lot from events outside the normal academic fields. I would imagine that a lot of people might question a degree perhaps asking why somethings were included and others missed out and it might depend on what they thought Folk music was (quick bolt that stable door before the horse comes out again) I suppose I would only object to a degree if if said that there was only one way of looking at something and as long as there is more than just one tutor I can't see that happening. Any way good luck and have fun. Cllr