My daughter changed her area of interest from chemistry to business during the application process; apparently she had been thinking about it for some time but never mentioned it (we have a good relationship but she tends to keep her thoughts to herself).
My husband and I discussed with her the advantages of getting a STEM degree and then an MBA, that some employers think business undergrads need better analytical skills, etc. (i.e. tried to talk her out of it), but that’s what she wants to do, at least right now.
She doesn’t have any experience or coursework in business, except for being a bagger in a supermarket. The appeal is that she wants a well-paying, professional job after college and her mentor, who she likes and respects, has a B.B.A. and enjoys her work.
She applied to schools with business programs and good science programs. An OOS public college with a good but not ‘top’ reputation, offered her a full-tuition scholarship to their business school, which is tempting as finances are an issue. She’ll visit in April; by all accounts the school is very appealing and she’ll probably like it. She was also admitted to our state flagship, which she likes as well. She has excellent grades and stats, so she’s likely to be admitted to and get at least some merit aid to most places she applied.
The question I have is how to evaluate the business programs at different schools. I’ve looked online and in books, but most presume that the reader is familiar with different areas of business which we aren’t (neither my husband nor I work in the private sector). Of course we know something about business from personal experience but there are probably gaps; for example it wasn’t until recently that I learned that logistics/supply side management was a course of study.
We’d studied the websites where she applied and looked at other sites, but what would help is a guide on what areas of study exist, what courses should be offered, typical career paths, etc. Is anyone aware of such a website or guide, or have any other suggestions in addition to continuing to studying the websites?
First of all, I hope she’ll understand while there’s time that she’s GREATLY damaging her future by ditching the STEMs. Your idea with the MBA was perfect and please try to persuade her more… Also, if she does still choose BBA, look into internships. They’re very important in this field. Also, employers always prefer graduates who took lots of Math courses so look into the college’s math department too.
That doesn’t really matter… I was thinking about Business myself but then decided to go with STEMs. Very few people are 100% sure what they want to do / study. She probably liked Chemistry at HS and then in the last moment started doubting her choice (happens ALL the time) and went with whatever aroused her curiosity at the time…
Look for internship requirements, experiential learning and good career plan advising. There should be a focus on critical thinking skills and communication skills. Because contrary to what a previous poster said, employers want those skills first and foremost. There are sub forums for majors on CC. You might try looking in those. Look at rankings but don’t get too hung up on them because they are usually a reflection of the graduate school and not the Undergrad. Most business curriculum is general ed the first year, business core in the second year and then major specific in the last two years. Most schools won’t have her choose a major until junior year after doing the business core.
Supply chain and logistics is a relatively new field. Those degrees didn’t hit the scene until the last few decades. Very in demand skill set in industry right now. Accounting is very solid and a 150 hour program is required to sit for the CPA exam. Look at CPA exam pass rates if they are available. Make sure the Big 4 firms recruit on the campus even if she is not interested in working in one. Management information systems is also a huge field that is good for computer kids who want to do more than program. Finance requires a good accounting background so you will see a lot of overlap. Marketing can range from sales to analytics. Management tends to be more general in nature and related to human resources management but it varies.
Many graduate business schools want students to work for a few years before getting their MBA. It makes the education more meaningful. That is a bit different than some other majors.
I just saw this (thought I had asked CC to notify me of replies but I guess not); thank you so much for your great advice gettingschoolld (I love your user name, BTW). It is so helpful to learn what the different fields about and how to evaluate a program - there’s a lot of info. out about evaluating MBA programs, but not business undergrad. It’s surprising b/c there are so many.
My DH and I were not happy about our DD’s decision to apply to business schools, because she had originally wanted to study chemistry and changed her mind shortly after beginning 12th grade. We’re also evaluating the chemistry and other science programs at the school she’s thinking of in case she changes her mind.
Agree with @gettingschooled about supply chain management. There is a TON of opportunity in supply chain right now. It’s also a field most people never consider or even hear about. @DragonBoatGirl, you can PM if you think your daughter might be interested in the field or if have any specific questions about the field or SCM programs.