Majoring in Business

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would smart and ambitious student major in business? What even is that? It seems like a vocational degree or something you'd get an MBA for. Why not study economics? Math and concentrate on Finance. Communications. Math and Statistics. Psychology.

Only two Ivy schools offer this as a course of study for undergrads. Stanford does not, which I think says a lot. When I look at the courses these major take it just seems like a bunch of generic stuff and some fluff like marketing, other than one or two econ courses. Do companies really feel these graduates are prepared to contribute to their bottom line?

In parent times, getting a bachelor’s degree in business was seen as a little down market, even though many great kids went that route.

Now, the humanities are what’s in the doghouse, and the business school undergrads tend to have better stats than the arts and sciences students.

Yep!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would smart and ambitious student major in business? What even is that? It seems like a vocational degree or something you'd get an MBA for. Why not study economics? Math and concentrate on Finance. Communications. Math and Statistics. Psychology.

Only two Ivy schools offer this as a course of study for undergrads. Stanford does not, which I think says a lot. When I look at the courses these major take it just seems like a bunch of generic stuff and some fluff like marketing, other than one or two econ courses. Do companies really feel these graduates are prepared to contribute to their bottom line?

In parent times, getting a bachelor’s degree in business was seen as a little down market, even though many great kids went that route.

Now, the humanities are what’s in the doghouse, and the business school undergrads tend to have better stats than the arts and sciences students.

Um, no, not at my school.

I think was really thinking of my alma mater, Wash. U., when I wrote that. Niche.com shows that Wash. U. business school students have really high stats.

But I think one important point is that this kind of thing goes in waves, and that it’s important that students study what interests them. If a lot of students go through the motions of learning about business because they think that’s where the money is, but they don’t really care about business, those students will probably be weak employees, and employers will tilt toward preferring other kinds of degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people saying that majoring in finance and accounting are the same thing as majoring in just plain business? And yes, there are tons of schools where students get a BA in Business.

No one is saying it’s the same. Everyone is saying that majoring in “business”without a specialization is silly

Not at schools where “business” is only business major offered, like at UVa or Cal.

[Anonymous]

dH majored in International Business. It was a junk degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:dH majored in International Business. It was a junk degree.

Do you mind sharing where? DS is interested in the International Business major at Dickinson. It looks ok, but I think he would have a better foundation majoring in Economics and Spanish. (I say this as someone who studied Economics in college and grad school.).

Interested in hearing others’ thoughts. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:dH majored in International Business. It was a junk degree.

Yes if it was from a junk college.

This is a major that college brand and prestige matters more.

[Anonymous]

Does this question include the majors of accounting and finance?

Because the kids I know with those majors are hired long before they graduate and making bank.

Harder for the marketing majors? Probably. But it is a dumb question regardless.

My own opinion is study what you love and will do well in, even if it is art history or philosophy.

[Anonymous]

My bus admin degree included:

3 semesters of accounting
1 semester of finance
2 semesters of contract law
2 semesters of statistics
3 semesters of economics
and the rest was liberal arts classes

I felt like the accounting and finance classes were extremely valuable and have helped me over the decades. I learned how to read a P&L statement and learned general ledger accounting. The skills that I learned in those 4 classes really, really helped me in my career and also helped me with my personal stock portfolio investments.

The economics classes were pretty much a waste. I see zero value in majoring in economics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people saying that majoring in finance and accounting are the same thing as majoring in just plain business? And yes, there are tons of schools where students get a BA in Business.

No one is saying it’s the same. Everyone is saying that majoring in “business”without a specialization is silly

Not at schools where “business” is only business major offered, like at UVa or Cal.

You need to do more research.
The degree offered at UVA is a major in Commerce, and the students do choose a specialization to focus on.
https://www.commerce.virginia.edu/bs-commerce/academics/concentrations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My bus admin degree included:

3 semesters of accounting
1 semester of finance
2 semesters of contract law
2 semesters of statistics
3 semesters of economics
and the rest was liberal arts classes

I felt like the accounting and finance classes were extremely valuable and have helped me over the decades. I learned how to read a P&L statement and learned general ledger accounting. The skills that I learned in those 4 classes really, really helped me in my career and also helped me with my personal stock portfolio investments.

The economics classes were pretty much a waste. I see zero value in majoring in economics.

Could you share what your first job out of college was and what you do now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My bus admin degree included:

3 semesters of accounting
1 semester of finance
2 semesters of contract law
2 semesters of statistics
3 semesters of economics
and the rest was liberal arts classes

I felt like the accounting and finance classes were extremely valuable and have helped me over the decades. I learned how to read a P&L statement and learned general ledger accounting. The skills that I learned in those 4 classes really, really helped me in my career and also helped me with my personal stock portfolio investments.

The economics classes were pretty much a waste. I see zero value in majoring in economics.

I mean, you might see zero value in majoring in economics, but my junior Econ major’s $42/hour summer internship seems to say otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people saying that majoring in finance and accounting are the same thing as majoring in just plain business? And yes, there are tons of schools where students get a BA in Business.

No one is saying it’s the same. Everyone is saying that majoring in “business”without a specialization is silly

Not at schools where “business” is only business major offered, like at UVa or Cal.

You need to do more research.
The degree offered at UVA is a major in Commerce, and the students do choose a specialization to focus on.
https://www.commerce.virginia.edu/bs-commerce/academics/concentrations

Looks like a lot of people don't have much insight and throw out BS.

So UVA has BS in Commerce with concentration in Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Management, MIS

Similiarily a lot of other schools have BS in Business Administration with those concentrations.

[Anonymous]

Some people view college as pre-professional training and others view it as an educational experience. It’s a bit of a class divide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people view college as pre-professional training and others view it as an educational experience. It’s a bit of a class divide.

What different educational experience do you think you get from majoring in Psychology, History, Communications, English vs CS, Engineering, Science or Business

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people saying that majoring in finance and accounting are the same thing as majoring in just plain business? And yes, there are tons of schools where students get a BA in Business.

No one is saying it’s the same. Everyone is saying that majoring in “business”without a specialization is silly

Not at schools where “business” is only business major offered, like at UVa or Cal.

You need to do more research.
The degree offered at UVA is a major in Commerce, and the students do choose a specialization to focus on.
https://www.commerce.virginia.edu/bs-commerce/academics/concentrations

Looks like a lot of people don't have much insight and throw out BS.

So UVA has BS in Commerce with concentration in Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Management, MIS

Similiarily a lot of other schools have BS in Business Administration with those concentrations.


UVA also offers Econ. Both McIntyre grads and Econ grads go to Wall Street.