UC vs CSU business major

<p>Hi, I am a transfer studenting at a CCC wondering where I should go to study business. My interests are in accounting, management, and finance. The UC's that actually offer a business major for transfers are UCB and UCR. I already got accepted to UCR but still pending UCB, which I probably won't get into. I also got into CSUF and CSULB as a business major. Looking at the programs the schools offer. I am leaning towards going to CSULB.<br>
However, all my friends and family are looking down on me because I want to go to a CSU instead of a "UC". </p>

<p>I also got accepted to UCSD as in "management science" major and UCI as a "business economics" major. A lot of my friends who are determined to work in the business fields are taking up these programs. But is it really worth it?</p>

<p>Looking at the programs, they both are offered by the economics department and are truly not business degrees but economics. If I want to get a job in the business field, should I consider taking these programs? Economics is a social science that studies people's behavior under the stress of scarcity right? Will programs like this truly prepare me for a job in business? Is it risky taking up programs like this? Is it better for me to go to CSULB, which actually has a business school and offers a true business degree or go to a UC that don't actually offer a true business program?</p>

<p>Has anyone taken up these programs offered by the UC and end up regretting it? </p>

<p>Is it easy to find a job straight out of college obtaining these degrees?</p>

<p>Lets say someone who has graduated with a degree in finance at a CSU and another person who has majored in "business economics" or "management science" both applied for a job in finance. Who would have a better chance of getting the job?</p>

<p>Does the UC prestige factor over weigh the business programs at a CSU?</p>

<p>Why do so many students who want to into a business go to schools that don't even offer their major?</p>

<p>Which is truly the better path to take?</p>

<p>Am I really foolish for wanting to go a CSU or am I foolish for turning down these programs offered by the UC?</p>

<p>If anyone can give me some feedback, that would be great.</p>

<p>Prestige factor matters a lot in many business fields including finance, but much less so in accounting. If you’re planning to be an accounting major I think any of these schools will be fine. I would ask to see job data of recent grads to confirm, but data for Cal Poly SLO was floating around these boards recently and their grads looked well employed at accounting firms.</p>

<p>For other business jobs Berkeley Haas would be in a different strata for jobs than all of the others and a grad of UCSD would be much better off than one from any CSU.</p>

<p>Just go to a UC and be done with it.</p>

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<p>I don’t get your reasoning. Are you trying to say that just because its the “UC” label on the degree, you will have a better chance of landing a job in business?</p>

<p>The thing I want to know why people choose to do business econ or management sciences to try to land a job in business. They are both econ programs not business. A business program is more like professional school where they actually teach you what you will face in the business field. Economics is a social science and programs like these will teach you the theory of economics not business.</p>

<p>I don’t get why so many people choose to these programs. Is it because they get the “UC” prestige advantage? I don’t get why people don’t go to csu instead when they actually offer business degree. Is UC prestige > CSU business? Like a person who wants to go into management. Why would he want to study something like biz econ that for 4 years at a UC when his true goal is management? He can easily go to a CSU and get a degree is management and will probably even be happier learning the subject.</p>

<p>the big question I want to know is
Is the UC prestige factor worth it?<br>
If your true goal is business, why not aim for a business degree?
Do people do majors like business econ or management science because it has the UC name attached to it?</p>

<p>Because yes, pristige of school matters a lot. The most elite business jobs of the last half century–jobs on Wall Street, in managing consulting firms, at venture capital and other private equity firms–have gone mostly to kids from schools that don’t offer a single business course, the ivy leagues (other than Penn and Cornell).</p>

<p>A UC will get you a better job in business than a CSU in the vast majority of cases. Enployers know they are more selective and the key in business is to find the smartest people, we can train.</p>

<p>hmom5, what’s your opinion if it’s between UC Riverside or Merced vs CalPoly SLO? Can a 3rd tier UC be considered more “prestige” over CalPoly SLO, giving that SLO’s undergrad business ranks in top-100 of business week?</p>

<p>A mom, as I know you’ve posted mostly about accounting I don’t think it would matter and I’d choose Cal Pol as the best college experience among the three. If it were finance however, I’d do the CC route and hold out for a top UC.</p>

<p>Is the UC prestige factor worth it? </p>

<p>Over the CSU? Yes.</p>

<p>If your true goal is business, why not aim for a business degree?</p>

<p>Because you don’t need a business degree to get into the business field.</p>

<p>Do people do majors like business econ or management science because it has the UC name attached to it? </p>

<p>Not necessarily. Some people sometimes just don’t have a choice due to academic or financial reasons.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, you want to be surrounded by people who are brighter and more competitive to build your knowledge and competitive spirit.</p>

<p>I know exactly what how you feel. I am a freshman at a CC and I can’t decide what to do either. I know that the “UC” has a better name, but the CSU’s are the ones with the programs. It is so frustrating. I understand everyone’s point, except Texas for that comment about just going to a UC. There was no logic to that. Not to want to make it worse, but since making the best decision, is better than just an choice. What about private schools like USC? I am just doing my GE’s and going to take a few business classes like econ and accounting to see if this is even something I want to do. Just try and give it a shot.</p>

<p>If you are dead set on majoring in accounting and then becoming an accountant, CSU or UC both work. </p>

<p>However, if you want to go into other fields, like ibanking or consulting, the prestige of your school matters a lot. It is not necessarily the “business degree” that provides you with these jobs, its the school’s alumni and network. In fact, your degree barely matters after your first few jobs. The important part is finding a school with good connections and landing a good starting job as a platform for other jobs.</p>

<p>I am attending UC Berkeley right now, and I have spoken with some Haas students. They tell me that Haas is not rigorous at all, despite its prestige, and that even econ students may learn more than they do. But, the important part is that the Haas School of Business has great connections with large firms, and Haas students have an easier time finding good jobs when they graduate.</p>

<p>A business degree is not simply the same business degree anywhere. The value of each business degree is determined by the strength of a school’s network and prestige.</p>

<p>If not UCB, UCSD and UCI are the next best you mentioned. Prestige is the difference between being employed and having a job business majors dream about, and it will be hard to get your foot in the door from a cal state campus.</p>

<p>What about Cal Poly? It’s similarly tiered as UCSB/UCI/UCD and has a proper business program?</p>

<p>Bump! I just want to see more input for this discussion</p>

<p>A son of my friend graduated from UCI with a Business Econ degree in 2011. He worked several internships while in college. He was recruited out of school by PWC and is working there now.</p>