<p>Hey guys,
I see all these threads ranting about how international business is such a joke. I'm becoming a senior this year and am applying to all the top business schools (wharton, uva, ross, hass, although my top choice is Georgetown). My dad works at a private investment firm and associates with many very very rich people. In collge both he and I want me to major in international business... The reason for this is because after college I want to be shipped overseas. I don't want to work in the U.S. and have to travel internationally all the time but want to work permantly internationally (I'm 100% american btw). What I don't understand is why so many people down international business. This major prepares people to work internationaly (hence the name). If international business is such a bad major for people who plan to work internationally what do you guys think would be a better major... Thankfully my dad knows many people who work at or own companies overseas that can hook me up with jobs but still, why is this major as bad as people say?</p>
<p>If you have connections major in whatever you want. </p>
<p>However, international business degree does NOT teach you how to do business internationally. You learn that from on the job experience. If a person has no connections and get this degree than they have no fallback. </p>
<p>Your dad being a business man should know that a degree won’t teach you how to do your job. Anyone who wants to work internationally should major in a respectable field and intern overseas. That’s what my friend did. He majored in Finance with an international concentration and interned in Dublin, Switzerland, and Spain. He is now working for an international shipping company.</p>
<p>Hmm, thanks for the response. I was kind of thinking of majoring in economics but my dad considers that a worthless degree.</p>
<p>I don’t understand. Your Dad has the connections to get you the kind of job that you want regardless of what major you choose, correct? And it sounds like he can financially support your college education regardless of the expense of the school? If both of these are true, why not just get into the most prestigious school you can and choose the major that you think will satisfy you the most academically? Then get a great GPA and do internships during your Summers, just to make sure your Dad’s connections don’t have any doubts about hiring you. In your situation, it doesn’t matter if you major in Economics, International Business, or something else.</p>
<p>And someone without connections, unless going to an elite business school, has better job prospects with an Economics degree (if you focused on quantitative electives) than with an International Business degree. I do not see why your Dad considers Economics worthless and International Business worthwhile.</p>