<p>Hi everyone. I need some help on my college search. After college I plan on attending grad school and getting a job as a financial advisor or analyst at a large corporation. I was researching colleges, and I found out that most of the ivy league schools don't have an undergrad business program. I like Emory University, and that does have one... but I also like Dartmouth and Stanford, and they have graduate business schools. However, Dartmouth and Stanford don't have undergraduate business schools, and they don't even have majors in finance or business, just economics. If I want to get a job in something financial or maybe major in finance, can I go to these schools and eventually get into their graduate business schools? If I did go to Dartmouth or Stanford, how what would I do if they don't have a business school or business majors??? Also, I know if I attend Emory I can get a BBA and attend their grad school. If I get accepted into Dartmouth or Stanford, what degree would I earn (there isn't a BBA but there is Bach. of Arts or Bach. of Sciences or whatever it is called)? And would that degree allow me to get into their grad school? And what are liberal arts, I don't understand how people who go to ivy league schools like Dartmouth can get into financial corporations when they don't even have a major in finance or business? Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Surprisingly, most people who get into MBAs did NOT major in business as an undergrad. In fact, I would generally advise business majors NOT to go for their MBA because of there will be a tremendous amount of duplicatation.</p>
<p>Business majors make up 25% of most class profiles, most of any major. But clearly you do not have to major in business. Economics and Engineering are the next common majors</p>
<p>
[quote]
I would generally advise business majors NOT to go for their MBA because of there will be a tremendous amount of duplicatation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I would advise that they do what is in their best interest...which is often times returning for an MBA.</p>
<p>The best schools to go if you eventually want an MBA are non undergrad business schools!! The best jobs don;t go to graduates of undergrad b-schools. The only schools that can hang with Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Dartmouth, Columbia, Duke, Williams, etc (none of which have undergrad b-schools) are Wharton, Ross, Hass, Sloan, and Stern. </p>
<p>The best path into business IMO is go to a Dartmouth or Stanford, major in econ, get an elite job, and go to a top 5 b-school after 2-4 years of working.</p>
<p>Let me guess slipper234, you are a Dartmouth student majoring in Econ?</p>
<p>Nope an alum...but Dartmouth is easily one of the top 6-7 schools to get an MBA and a top job. Per capita its in the top 5 schools at HBS, Columbia, Stanford, and Wharton.</p>
<p>Even though there will be a lot of duplication when getting your MBA if you went to an undergrad business school, isn't the main motivation to go because of the large salary difference and the better chance to move up? Obviously an MBA makes someone look a lot better, even if they did go to business school for undergrad.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Even though there will be a lot of duplication when getting your MBA if you went to an undergrad business school, isn't the main motivation to go because of the large salary difference and the better chance to move up? Obviously an MBA makes someone look a lot better, even if they did go to business school for undergrad.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What if you already go to a top undergrad business school like Wharton or Sloan? A lot of these kids are already getting large salaries and will eventually move up once they gain more work experience. I think getting an MBA is more important for those that didn't do undergrad business (engineers, liberal arts majors) that want to change careers or move up within their companies.</p>
<p>In finance you often don't require an MBA to move up. In consulting/ industry, however, an MBA is a huge asset.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In finance you often don't require an MBA to move up. In consulting/ industry, however, an MBA is a huge asset.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah that seems to be the case from what I've seen. Most of the consulting jobs that appear in job searches usually require MBAs.</p>
<p>All I can say is that my son has an undergrad and business and started with an MBA program. He found so much of it to be duplicative of his undergraduate work that he switched to accounting. I don't know if this is true for all undergrad business majors, but it was definitely true for my son.</p>
<p>I don't know about other business schools, but at UMich, Ross's BBA curriculum is almost the same as the MBA curriculum. If other top MBA schools have the same curriculum, I really don't see the point of repeating what you did in your undergrad years. I know for a fact that the accounting and finance classes you take at the MBA level are exactly the same as the intro to accounting (financial and managerial) and finance classes in the undergrad business program.</p>
<p>MightyNick, I couldn't have said it better. That was the point that I wanted to make.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't know about other business schools, but at UMich, Ross's BBA curriculum is almost the same as the MBA curriculum. If other top MBA schools have the same curriculum, I really don't see the point of repeating what you did in your undergrad years.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Sorry, but I completely disagree. MBA classes are all taught from a completely different perspective/level than their BBA equivalents. Also, much of the learning that takes place in MBA classes is derived from class discussions involving students with tangible experience from which to draw from. Sure, both BBA and MBA programs have some sort of Marketing class that everyone must take. However, having taken over 1/2 a dozen marketing classes in undergrad, I can safely say that none of them were comparable to the Marketing Management class I took in graduate business school.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I know for a fact that the accounting and finance classes you take at the MBA level are exactly the same as the intro to accounting (financial and managerial) and finance classes in the undergrad business program.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I have to call bull$hit on this one. Sure, many of the reading assignments and homework assignments for the MBA level accounting course will go through basics that are taught in undergrad. (btw, unless you used accounting in your job, you probably forgot all of that anyways by the time you are going for your MBA). However, the class as a whole should be taught from more of a managerial standpoint...topic example: understanding the implications of financial statements for your company, how they relate to one another, and how to determine whether those statements are providing a material misrepresentation of the company's financial condition. These are not the type of things that intro undergraduate accounting courses focus on, nor should they. BTW, I had classes with former CPAs, and even discussed certain subjects with an active Audit Manager (CPA with Big 4 firm) and each of these people told me that a lot of the material was foreign to them. Why? Because the class is specifically taylored for executives...not CPAs, and certainly not those going into entry-level business roles.</p>
<p>BTW, I know over a dozen graduates of Ross BBA who have returned for their MBAs. I can safely say that they have learned a lot in graduate business school. However, you have to keep in mind that one's primary objective in getting an MBA is not to learn. If your primary objective is to learn, I suggest you consider schools outside of the college of business...perhaps a PHD in Biology will satisfy your craving for knowledge. However, if your primary objective is to either make a lot of money or be successful in business, then an MBA may be right for you regardless of your undergraduate background.</p>
<p>VectorWega, what school do you go to? What is/was your undergrad major? Do you have any idea about the BBA/MBA curriculum at Ross? Have you ever been to their website and did a bit of research and/or talked to advisors and Michigan? You think i'm BS'ing? I'm at Ross and I do know a good deal about the BBA program and I've talked to people there about the MBA program. I really dont' see what more you will learn by wasting another two years doing an MBA that you can't learn by still working. Sure, MBA gives an opportunity to network with other students, professors, etc, but you can do that while you're working. I don't think you necessarily need an MBA to advance or make more money in business. In my opinion, if you already went to a top undergrad business school and have secure a high paying job right out of undergrad, its better to continue working to gain more experience (unless you chose a field like consulting where an MBA is necessary).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sure, both BBA and MBA programs have some sort of Marketing class that everyone must take.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Its not just a marketing or accounting class that overlaps. There are a good 7-8 classes that overlap. The curriculum is basically the same. The MBA is more beneficial to those that majored in something different at the undergrad level and have no or little knowledge of finance and accounting. Go look at the BBA and MBA curriculum at the Ross website and you'll see what I'm talking about - Academics</a> - Stephen M. Ross School of Business</p>
<p>
[quote]
In finance you often don't require an MBA to move up. In consulting/ industry, however, an MBA is a huge asset.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So if you work in finance after your undergrad in business, you typically don't need an MBA to move up or make big money? Do companies typically tend not to pay for your MBA if you're in finance?</p>
<p>
[quote]
So if you work in finance after your undergrad in business, you typically don't need an MBA to move up or make big money? Do companies typically tend not to pay for your MBA if you're in finance?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That depends on the company - some will pay everything, some might reimburse you for a bit and some will only pay for a part time MBA so you can keep on working too. I personally think that if you're in finance and went to a prestigious undergrad business school and have a solid background in the business disciplines like accounting and finance, it makes more sense to keep working and gaining more work experience. If you do the full time MBA program you will be forgoing a high salary (close to a 100K after working 3-4 years and graduating from a top b-school - lets face it...wharton, ross and stern grads that end up in banking or other corporate finance jobs are easily making 100K after at least 3-4 years of work experience if not 1 or 2) and will have to pay 150K for the two years of MBA. Is it really worth it to go back and learn the same stuff you did in undergrad? Sure you will meet different kinds of people in your MBA class and everyone will share their perspectives and ideas in the classroom, but at what cost? As far as education goes, you won't learn anything new and in my opinion you're better off learning by staying in your job. 75% of students in MBA school are non-business majors anyway who don't have the necessary business background to get promoted in their organizations. As a undergrad business major you will have that background.</p>
<p>MightyNick, the 2-year MBA at Ross is 57 credits long. Those with BBA can request or test themselves out of over 20 credits of those to go directly into the business strategy courses and electives that are the heart of most MBA programs.</p>
<p>I really don't believe the avg Ross BBA grads are making six figures within 3 yrs of graduation. Even the ones that have made the big bucks in ibanking may want out. If they want to work for a top strategy consulting company (for example), an MBA may be their best option.</p>