Is a business undergrad degree worth it or just major in any area and than get an MBA later?
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Anonymous
| My DS is interested in business/finance/marketing. Do you need specific undergrad major to do MBA later? Are there some undergrad degrees that make it so you don't need an MBA? |
Anonymous
| Yes, business degree is worth it. If you want MBA, you can major in anything, really, though tbh, I don't know that an MBA is worth it if you get an undergrad business degree. |
Anonymous
| Yes, reduces the number of credits needed for MBA because you can usually wave the generic classes and focus on the specialty you are pursuing. So 1 year vs 2 year program. |
Anonymous
| MBA is much more valuable with a different major for undergrad: STEM especially. |
Anonymous
|
You don't need to consider MBA now.
Get into a good undergrad business. |
Anonymous
No, it doesn't really matter. |
Anonymous
|
Business undergrad is lower end trade skills. Good for working in G&A (HR, Accounting), not for career growth.
For becoming a leader in a business, business degrees pair much better with skill in the company's subject matter , so double major or ugrad in a "product" subject and then MBA. |
Anonymous
|
It depends what field she wants to go into. Does she want to be an entrepreneur and run her own business? Is she going to take over a family business? No need for an MBA -- get an undergraduate business degree and take classes in accounting, finance, marketing, etc., so she knows a little bit about everything.
If she wants to go into investment banking, VC, equity research: focus less on getting a business degree and more on getting into a target school and majoring in math or econ, and pursue a summer internship one of those firms. Work for a few years and then get an MBA (or don't get one at all -- it depends on where she lands after graduation and what track she's on.) If she wants a marketing job with an agency, or something "mid range" like that, get a business degree. |
Anonymous
Totally not true. If a school has undegrad business program, its usually a premium major - UPenn, Cornell, NYU, Emory, ND, UVA, MIT, etc. |
Anonymous
|
I work in technology at five different companies and I see a similar pattern at all five:
- CEO: Undergrad at either Harvard, UCLA, UVA, USC, UNC; Master at Oxford, UCLA, UNC; JD at Harvard, MBA at Booth from U. of Chicago, Wharton, UVA Darden school, UMD Smith school, etc... - CIO: Undergrad in CS or Biomedical at UVA, VT, UMD. MBA at Georgetown, UVA Darden, UMD Smith - CFO: Undergrad at either Harvard, UCLA, UVA, USC, UNC; MBA at Booth, Wharton, Stanford, UVA, Georgetown It looks like the MBA is the ticket to senior leadership, in addition to "networking". |
Anonymous
I agree. The C-suite jobs that I follow (I don't pay attention to all industries) usually have a path of T20 college (more often, top 10/Ivy) => 3-5 years in consulting => MBA at top 5 program. |
Anonymous
I am the PPP and just want to point out that the "networking" is ten times more important than that credential. Just keep that in mind. |
Anonymous
| Study what you love and will do well at. Rule #1 for undergrad. If dc loves business and will do well that is better than many other outcomes. |
Anonymous
Depends on what he wants immediately after college. A job in IB/Finance/Accounting? He isn't getting that job with a history major. Any job in business in say marketing, hr, operations, events? he can land a job but in the big ticket companies he will compete with others who have an undergrad degree in the specialization. |
Anonymous
I don't know whether the MBA is important, but there's no 'pattern' to where people study. https://lesshighschoolstress.com/lists/tech/ https://lesshighschoolstress.com/business/ https://lesshighschoolstress.com/biotech-pharma/ |