So far, I have made a small mod for my own use, but you have to edit the AcademicCareers file. So far, there's no way to assign degrees to a career in the career xml.
Have you ever tried editing the 'AcademicDegrees' file, esp. the <AssociatedOccupationNameEnum> field? Like in the Business degree it says (mind you this is a mod file that improves degrees by incorporating other skills, etc):
<Degrees>
<AcademicDegreeEnum>Technology</AcademicDegreeEnum>
<AcademicDegreeName>Technology</AcademicDegreeName>
<AcademicDegreeDesc>TechnologyDesc</AcademicDegreeDesc>
<ResponsibilityTooltipKey>TechnologyTooltipText</ResponsibilityTooltipKey>
<AcademicDegreeIcon>hud_technology_major</AcademicDegreeIcon>
<AcademicDegreeRequiredCreditHours>6</AcademicDegreeRequiredCreditHours>
<AcademicDegreeCostPerCredit>600</AcademicDegreeCostPerCredit>
<AcademicDefaultCourseID>AcademicsCollegeOfScienceRabbitHoleCourse</AcademicDefaultCourseID>
<AcademicDefaultLectureID>AcademicsLectureTechnology</AcademicDefaultLectureID>
<AcademicDefaultLabID>AcademicsLabTechnology</AcademicDefaultLabID>
<AssociatedOccupationNameEnum>LawEnforcement, Military, GameDeveloper, BotArena</AssociatedOccupationNameEnum>
<SkillsThatGrantXP>Handiness,0.001; Logic,0.0083; Inventing,0.0083; BotBuilding,0.0083; Hacking,0.003; Videogames,0.003; Future,0.0083</SkillsThatGrantXP>
<BeneficialTraits>Ambitious, Genius, Workaholic, Brave, Daredevil, Handy, BotFan</BeneficialTraits>
<DetrimentalTraits>AbsentMinded, Coward, Loser</DetrimentalTraits>
<SuggestedTraits>Workaholic</SuggestedTraits>
</Degrees>
I'm not quite sure what you'd add to it, perhaps the same as you put in your career's <CareerName> field like for my Fringe Division's case
<CareerName>FringeDivision</CareerName>Perhaps say adding it like
<AssociatedOccupationNameEnum>LawEnforcement, Military, GameDeveloper, BotArena, FringeDivision</AssociatedOccupationNameEnum>
that might work, might it not? I mean that would be tedious to add to a custom career file but IF it worked one could provide instructions on how to edit the file to add the correct information to make it work with a degree if they wished for themselves. Problem is I'm note sure if that works or not even. Any information/insight/testing on the subject you, or others, could provide would be most welcome.