<p>Columbia University stopped offering undergrad business majors. </p>
<p>I think that should speak for itself.</p>
<p>what exactly does that "speak" to you Davis?</p>
<p>That it's not exactly seen as a valuable degree. It's a highly subjective major where the curriculum can be determined by professors' personal opinions. In my opinion, Accounting is the only solid business major.</p>
<p>Also haoleboy, I just read what you wrote about science majors feeling threatened. Honestly, I don't see how this makes much sense seeing how the prospects for the two divisions rarely overlap.</p>
<p>Given, I am planning to major in one of the sciences (mathematics) but I don't feel threatened by business majors. In fact, before I went to college I owned my own business and there are things you learn in that process that 99% of b-colleges will never be able to prepare you for.</p>
<p>i didn't mean threatened in terms of job prospects, but rather bragging rights. business majors' pay out of school is almost comparable to engineering and higher than most science majors'. I feel like this is why you target business majors over much easier majors like sociology.</p>
<p>I see what you are saying. But no, I don't feel that way. I think sociology is something that can benefit from a rigorous academic background. Where business is more likely to favor the rogue than the system and since you can't teach someone to be creative and resourceful it presents problems that other majors don't have to face. Like I said, accounting I understand, teaching GAAP can benefit business majors but most b-students are going to get something in like "marketing" where a psychology and statistics degree might be more helpful.</p>
<p>I think you should reconsider your stance on business majors. I'm a math major studying finance and many models I work with are as complex, if not as elegant, than many of the scientific theorems. If you haven't noticed lately, business runs the world.</p>
<p>
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business majors' pay out of school is almost comparable to engineering and higher than most science majors'.
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</p>
<p>It's only true if you go to a top business school or the ivies.
If you only graduate from a so-so state school, the difference b/w engineering (from the same so-so school) and business major is about 20k to start. This is speaking from experience...</p>
<p>I think it all comes down to how hard you work, how much you network and where you go to school. I mean, ya, an engineering degree pretty much qualifies you with a set of tool that you can use on the job... You will get good pay right away, but it will hit a ceiling as smarter students graduate with more cutting edge skills.
With business, you cant expect the degree to get you too far, especially if your not at a great school. You need to do internships, work hard, meet the right people, work on your social skills, etc.... and you can go far. You get better with time and experience instead of outdated. I go to a very good b-school, and have no regrets. If all I did was go to class though, and expected a good job, I would be crazy. But I work hard, am very involved, and am taking advantage of every opportunity I get. I understand that not much of what I am learning will really be used after graduation, but is rather teaching me a mindset/way of thinking, and giving me experience that will set me out on the right track to become successful in business.
So to the question; in my opinion, if all you do is go to class and expect to get good pay, dont do business.... Do something where you will use exactly what you learn in school, or close to it at least, and sit back and do that forever. If you are passionate about business and eager to learn and succeed, than it is for you.</p>
<p>^^ bout the biggest bunch of bullsheet I've ever heard</p>
<p>umm sorry haoleboy, but evo is right!</p>
<p>Hm, so I go to a business school that is ranked 45 according to US News. Am I screwed?</p>
<p>Will I have to live out on the streets?</p>
<p>Uh ohhhhh!</p>
<p>All of you put way too much emphasis on your prestigious schools and you make it sound like we "average school" students don't have much going for us.</p>
<p>Anyone who says a business major is not a real major is simply...a snob. Business majors in Accounting must memorize all of their Accounting skills acquired to pass the CPA exam. State license exams are difficult and make sure that the applicant knows what they are doing in order to pass. Some areas of Finance require the Series Exams, or to become a Charted Financial Analyst, another difficult hurdle. Computer Information Systems parallels Computer Science. Look at the courses offered to see. Other business majors use liberal arts subjects, such as Marketing, which teaches psychology of consumers (Consumer Behavior) and Communication skills (Professional Selling and/or Marketing Management. Also, Marketing Research is another name for…Statistics. Furthermore, all business majors require calculus and statistics in the lower division and most in the major/concentration as well. Economics majors usually take Econometrics, based on mathematical models, and all business majors must take Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, which is also Calculus-based. A Business program shows how these academic subjects may be applied in the workplace or to specific business problems. Business Law/Legal Studies majors face extensive writing assignments that require critical analysis of the facts and correctly applying the rules of law to the given situation, similar to a pre-law student and the typical pre-law majors, such as History and Political Science. Many students enter business thinking it is easy, but face this work throughout the Bachelors degree. Everyone has different areas of interest and the ivy league schools all offer MBA programs and most top schools (including 2 Ivy leagues, Penn and Cornell) offer undergraduate business programs, probably with more to follow what seems to be a trend of Business School growth among top schools. BTW, all undergraduate business programs require 60 credits (half of a 4-year program) in Liberal Arts courses to develop the same basic academic education given in the College of Arts and Sciences.</p>
<p>Some business schools have majors/concentrations that require 15, 18, or 24 credits in the major at 3 credits per course. Accounting is 24 credits at Miami beyond the core curriculum. Other concentrations require 15 to 18 credits to complete. Less than that constitutes most minors in the business school and most minors taken in CAS, in addition to a business major, require 15 credits. So it depends on the school. Looking at the curriculum before enrolling and asking questions related to course requirements on a campus tour (led by the best students on campus) are two good ways to make sure you have enough depth in your area(s) of study.</p>
<p>umiami: I don't think it's not a real major, I just think it's not a really helpful major. I've already given credit to Accountancy.</p>
<p>What evo said is absolutely correct. The belief that your business degree will get you anything above a $35,000-$40,000 career out of college is purely delusional unless you go to a major university. Even then, the main reason those candidates are going into better jobs isn't because the program is necessarily better but that those colleges have attained a large enough alumni/influence in the business world to push their undergrads. To be successful in business, you can't just take business courses at college you have to network and take advantage of all social and work opportunities. It's an industry built around what's social. Academia is inherently antisocial. So get internships during the summer and work on your sphere of influence so that when you do graduate you can push yourself into a high paying job.</p>
<p>Also your salary depends where you live; could +- $10,000</p>
<p>guys, im pulling your leg. business sucks, period. </p>
<p>DAVIS, look at this thread I made only a few days ago matter of fact:</p>
<p>one of the biggest regrets of my life was majoring in business--unfulfilling pseudo-science with a bunch of brown nosers is all it was for me..</p>
<p>Hey, I didnt mean to put so much emphasis on the quality of the school. Sp1212: 45th is still great!
With any field, a better school will yield better starting salaries, but I think a little more so in business because of the fact that you are not coming out with a specific skill set (or at least not like engineering, law, medicine, etc...), and therefore the "name brand" and alumni networking can have more of an effect.
But still, I think it depends most on what you do while your in school..... Im sure you can create amazing opportunities for yourself in any business deptartment. In fact, if your at a less competitive bus. program, and you still work your ass off, then you will probably shine even more and have some pretty awesome doors open up to you.</p>
<p>My dad went to some state university in Rajasthan (India) to study Accounting and he's making about $70k a month now... I wonder what use his Accounting is?</p>
<p>More stories? My parents' friend did his BBA. He's one of the wealthiest Indians in Singapore. You have no idea how horrendously rich that guy is, really... And he was poor in his teenage years, went to some small university in India.</p>
<p>Honestly, I see my science classmates slogging their ass off everyday, and see them in their parents' shoes. The salaried class. The question here should be 'science majors: low/disproportionate returns?'</p>
<p>so what do you guys think of an econ degree (for business purposes)</p>
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unfulfilling pseudo-science with a bunch of brown nosers is all it was for me..
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</p>
<p>You better get used to brown nosers or stay away from corporate environments because the brown-nosing you see in school is nothing compared to the real world.</p>