Many people around the world aim to earn graduate degrees before they get into a job or occupation. This is because there is a notion that people with graduate degrees tend to earn more than those with lower qualifications.

However, that is not the case in all fields. In fact, graduate degrees sometimes add no incentive or benefit to one's chosen field or work.

Here are 10 of the most 'useless' degrees that grads go in for, as per the "Hard Times" report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.

Criminal Justice and Fire Protection

The report suggests that a graduate-degree holder earns just a little more than his or her colleagues with college degrees, with the exact percentage pegged at 18%. Unemployment levels in this field are also generally very similar - 3.3% for graduate degree holders and 4% for college degree holders.

Computer Science

This is another field where having a graduate degree is almost irrelevant. This is because the field of computer science appreciates the experience more than certificates. The difference in unemployment levels for both graduate degree holders and college degree holders is just 0.8%.

Communications and Mass Media

In this field too experience counts more than certificates. Most media people are not professionally trained, yet do better and also earn better salaries compared to their trained colleagues. Unemployment levels for both graduate degree holders and college degree holders is just a 0.9% difference.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering generally tends to thrive on efforts the more. In that, an experienced college degree holder will always be preferred by to a new graduate degree holder. Unemployment rates between both sets of degree holders are 2.8% for college grads and 2.2% for graduate degree holders.

Civil Engineering

Civil engineering, just like chemical engineering, follows virtually the same trend. However, a graduate degree holder earns averagely 14% more than counterparts with college degrees. But in another breath, unemployment levels are different by just 0.8%.

Social works

In this field, graduate degree holders have a slight upper hand on their colleagues with college degrees, albeit being very close. College grads in this field tend to earn 9% lower in terms of salary but have a huge chance of securing jobs even pitched with experienced grads for an opportunity.

Commercial Art and Graphic Design

In this field, employees are paid based on their abilities and not what their certificates say about their qualifications. An experienced graduate degree holders, though, earn 16% more than others with college degrees. They also have an unemployment rate which is 10% lower.

Computer and Information Systems

This is another field that would rather have experienced employees than a duel on qualifications. That is why experienced degree grads are increasingly being put under pressure by a colleague with college degrees of coming through. In terms of unemployment, the difference between experienced graduate degree holders and college degree holders is just 0.3%.

Marketing and Market Research

College graduate has a higher unemployment rate of 19%, as compared to graduate degree holders. However, in this field, it is not all about the certificates but also experience and outputs. When it comes to earnings, experienced graduate degree holders take averagely 31% more than college grads.

Human Resource and Personnel Development

In this field, there is very little to choose between graduate degree holders and college grads. This is because sometimes certificates tend to be deceptive when it comes to outputs. However, an experienced graduate degree holders still have the upper hand, as they earn 23% more than colleagues with college degrees. When it comes to unemployment too, college graduates have a 19% higher rate than graduate degree holders.

NB: The above rankings were made according to the "Hard Times" report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.