<p>Take a look at the data. I'm astonished at the number of undergrad biz graduates these colleges churn out, compared to graduates in other subjects such as engineering, science, or liberal arts. Only econ and poli science comes close in terms of popularity. Do these biz graduates get decent jobs?</p>
<p>Here's the list with the number of graduates last year recorded.</p>
<p>946 USC Marshall
615 UC Santa Barbara Bizecon
374 UC Berkeley Haas
361 UMich Ross
327 Santa Clara Leavvy Finance/Accounting</p>
<p>Wrong interestingguy. The days of on the job training are long gone. The few places it still exits are Ibanks and big consulting firms. Did not work too well for the Ibanks a year ago. That’s what happens with inbreeding. Group think and a sense always being smarter than the rest. Not so much over time.</p>
<p>barrons,
I respectfully disagree with your view about on-the-job training. My view is that this is a reality for every job, whether it is in a field that the student has studied or not. Sure, some jobs will have an expectation of operational competence on some tasks, but every company will have its own culture and its own approach to attracting, training and developing employees. And the recruitment is far less about what the student knows or has learned in the classroom and much more about who the student has demonstrated that he/she is (both in and out of the classroom). </p>
<p>Let’s face it-most colleges generally do a lousy job of preparing students for the real world, particularly for non-technical fields. No surprise as most college profs haven’t got a clue on how to actually do things (that’s why many are teaching). However, effective profs can help students develop and sharpen their critical thinking abilities and that is what an intelligent employer is looking for. A thinker. A problem-solver. Someone with an ability to gather and understand pertinent information, organize it, analyze it, deduce from it, act on it, etc. That person can be a religious studies major just as easily as a business major. Smart is smart and intelligent employers and interviewers usually know how to identify it. </p>
<p>So, in answer to the OP’s question, I think that the business school thing really took off in the 80s/90s when Wall Street paying silly money and lots of kids got greedy and some business schools with high profiles (hello, Wharton!) got a lot of press. Soon business school enrollments started to grow and competition to enter them increased sharply. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of smart, talented business types in non-business fields of study and an enlightened and quality employer will be happy to attract them and train them as they know that people are often a company’s greatest asset. </p>
<p>Now whether this economy is going to grow enough to accommodate all of the college graduates, well that’s another story….</p>
<p>Maybe, but most of the better starting business jobs outside NYC will go to business grads. And many business students have zero interest in working in NYC for an Ibank. </p>
<p>With millions of unemployed and already trained people on the street looking for work, the market for recent college graduates is the worst in decades. Virtually nobody is training entry level applicants at this point when there is an abundance of skilled workers available. Some students even offer to PAY for internships just to get the job experience. I know recent law school graduates doing contract work for $20/hour. The enlightened employers are trying to avoid laying off the staff they already have not hiring inexperienced college graduates.</p>
<p>Better chance than history majors from same schools. = Barron’s</p>
<p>I dont agree. Lots of employers like liberal arts students because they can write and express themselves clearly, cogently, and concisely. In fact, the MBA was designed originally for liberal arts students to get some training in finance and marketing. </p>
<p>Most employers are interested in how well you did in college, what you did besides go to class and if you had any internships anywhere or studied overseas. They pick the top students from all areas of study, not just business. </p>
<p>Business students from a college with a broad based core requirement are often prized. </p>
<p>Ditto for professional schools and grad schools.</p>