<p>I'm very certain on applying to vanderbilt early next year; i'm looking to pursue a career in business, and i just went on the website and saw that Vanderbilt has no undergrad business majors....just minors in management and economics. I know Owen is pretty prestigious, but if I'm looking to go to a prestigious graduate school for an MBA, is Vandy a good place to study undergrad?????</p>
<p>I would sugggest looking into what the profile is for students who are accepted into MBA programs at the schools you like. Although I admit it has been years since my peers were getting MBAs, they did not necessarily even have undergrad business majors. I went to an engineering school that offered only engineering & industrial management degrees. I had many friends who went to Wharton, Darden, Tuck, Harvard, BC, Stanford, UMich, MIT, etc. for MBAs. They actually had an edge due to the fact that they co-op'd. They said most of their MBA classmates were older, since the prestigious schools preferred work experience prior to acceptance in their programs. Medical schools don't even require science undergrad degrees. I suspect you may find that the degree is less important than the quality of experiences you have during your undergrad years. Vandy does have econ classes, managerial classes, etc. that you can take to beef up your resume. Check out the class profiles for the MBA schools you are interested in - you should be able to find a list of undergrad schools & maybe even majors. The school's MBA webpage will tell you what you need in terms of undergrad preparation, too.</p>
<p>BTW, when I was in school, no one wanted a business undergrad degree. The saying was that business grads were a dime a dozen! :)</p>
<p>There is no undergrad business program available, but you can take a number of neat business-ish courses that will prepare you well. In addition, there's this great new business frat on campus (it's co-ed) and it seems to be the main avenue for folks looking to go into the business world. They are really well connected (Goldman Sachs looks to them for recruits, for examples) and is really starting to take off on campus. It's called Alpha Kappa Psi (AKPsi for short) and you should look into it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I wouldn't really recommend studying business for undergraduate. It's like the most frowned upon major (anywhere).</p>
<p>^^ What are you talking about?!</p>
<p>Getting a major in business is about as neat as going to DeVry to be trained in it. There's a difference between training to do something and receiving an education.</p>
<p>um..I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm tired and not really understanding this, or you guys just think business majors are dumb? Am I missing something here..sorry</p>
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um..I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm tired and not really understanding this, or you guys just think business majors are dumb? Am I missing something here..sorry
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The point is that it's definitely possible to be in successful in "business" without going to college. So the point of a business major doesn't really make sense to me when you can study a subject that truly requires a college education.</p>
<p>Yeah, going to a place like Wharton is really stupid...
Seriously, i worked in fin services for years. Met lots of business undergrads.
Nothing wrong with it. Some psych majors too (like me) - but they tend to be weak on the numbers side.
So, we would generally see UG business, engineering, math majors doing well.
A quality business program will give you grounding in accounting, financial statements, quant analysis. If you don't get in in UG, you better get in an MBA program ...or somewhere.<br>
So music majors are stupid too? Don't need to go to college to play music. What a silly argument...</p>
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Yeah, going to a place like Wharton is really stupid...
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You get a BS in Economics from Wharton though. I meant the schools where you get a BBA or BSBA.
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So music majors are stupid too? Don't need to go to college to play music.
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What about to play music professionally? (By the way, I'm talking about the type of music that you need to go to college to get good at).</p>
<p>NO, you get a BS in Economics from the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn.
Wharton has an undergrad BUSINESS program. And Cornell has one too (no not economics). So does Univ of Michigan. And UVA. And Boston College.
Not too shabby...</p>
<p>The stupid part of a business degree isn't the economics, statistics, or the accounting. The stupid part is the marketing, "organizational psychology," "leadership" stuff. Vanderbilt teaches the latter in its HOD program, which the kids in A & S really look down on. Let's face it: there are rigorous business programs and there are business programs that are not so rigorous. All of us in the business world who have been subject to consultants who come along and encourage us to follow the latest "management" fad know how silly all that is. Likewise, we know how important knowledge of economics, finance, statistics, and accounting are to the effective functioning of a business. I think Vandy has made an excellent choice in segregating all those "soft" business-y things in Peabody, and keeping the A & S econ. program where it is.</p>
<p>Mirimom, I think that the best leaders are those who have taken courses in the areas you seem to look down on. I happen to think that organizational psych/leadership/etc. are important. If more corporate "leaders" knew how to lead PEOPLE (not just their bottom line) perhaps the folks who actually work for a living might be better off today ... you know, the ones who keep getting more work put on them as jobs are cut ... while the managers who no longer have anyone to manage never seem to suffer cutbacks in their own ranks. </p>
<p>The reason I recommend against business as an undergrad degree is simply because there are so many business grads. If you can distinguish yourself from the masses with a different type of degree (while taking business courses), it is probably a good idea. If you really do like business, though, I would suggest looking at schools where the undergrad business department is strong.</p>
<p>toneranger, you sound really ignorant. Graduating from Wharton gives you a BS. Trust me.</p>
<p>I think it helps to have a mix of both...hard quant coursework...and some org psychology and leadership offerings.
For those interested in business, my advise would be for business grads to attend a strong program but to also minor is something else...like history or psychology...to ensure a broader, less occupational perspective. You can also major in a liberal arts area and take business as a minor. This is what I did. Although, I must admit, that even after taking a few accounting, economics and MIS classes, I still could use some better grounding in financial analysis.
In terms of career opportunities, accounting and finance majors from good schools usually do fine. Marketing and management majors (the "soft" majors) have a MUCH harder time finding jobs. Employers want people who are good with numbers AND people. Both skills are important in business.
Yeah, there are lots of business grads. But there are also lots of Economics majors, English majors, Math majors and Psychology majors. I don't agree that these majors distinguish you from the masses. Some of it is the school you go to. Most of it is how you DO at the school, including activities and leadership. And the connections you make or already have. There's no magic formula for standing out...</p>
<p>Johnnyhoward. you are correct. I meant to say you can get a BA inEcon from the Arts and Sciences school (similar to Vanderbiilt). And yes, a BS from Wharton.<br>
My point is that Wharton is a BUSINESS school. For undergrad and grad.
The other business schools I mentioned award BS degrees in finance, economics or accounting, among other areas. Vanderbilt has chosen NOT to go this route. And graduating with a degree in economics from Vandy is NOT comparable to getting a degree from Wharton.
I think it's wise for students who are interested in business to carefully consider how they want to achieve their goals. An UG business program is one way to get there and Vanderbilt doesn't have one. NYU, Wharton, Cornell all offer quality ug business schools. As do some of the public universities. It's something to think about when choosing schools to apply to. And it's a valid concern for those interested in Vandy.<br>
From the Wharton site:<br>
More than fifty percent of the courses you take will be in business education. The remaining will be in the arts and sciences. The business fundamentals include a nine-course core comprised of management, finance, accounting, statistics, marketing, and operations and information management. In addition, you will take upper-level courses in an area of specialization, as well as business electives and courses in various areas such as societal, organizational, and global environments. The Undergraduate Division website can give you a more in-depth look at the curricular requirements.</p>
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My point is that Wharton is a BUSINESS school. For undergrad and grad.
The other business schools I mentioned award BS degrees in finance, economics or accounting, among other areas.
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No, most of the other schools you mentioned get you a BBA or BSBA. Although Wharton's a business school, the point is that it's not like the other silly ones out there because it actually gives you a worthwhile type of degree (BS in Economics).</p>
<p>BBA - BS. Semantics really. It's the quality of the school that counts. I can't believe you would say a BBA degree from Univ of Mich is silly.<br>
I have a family member with an MS in Commerce from UVA. Silly? Doing pretty well.
My neighbor has a BS in Finance from our state flagship. CEO of a small company here. Silly?
What's silly is my friends d who has a political science degree from a well known LAC and is working as a waitress at applebees.
There are many paths to success...and going to a good school with a reputable business program is one of them. Doesn't need to be Wharton.</p>
<p>And even though you are heavily focused in business, you still get a quality and indepth liberal arts education.</p>
<p>^^^^^
True of most quality ug business schools.<br>
again, semantics.</p>