I want to major in business when I go to college, but I’ve realized that not every college’s business school is open to undergraduates (for example, Berkeley, UCLA, and Columbia). In order to apply to the business school as an undergraduate in the future, however, there are certain requirements. Requirements include econ classes, math classes, and the sort. My question is: what should I select as my major this fall when I apply to colleges? “Business” usually isn’t an option. Do I select undecided, even though I have decided I want to do business in the future? What steps should I be taking to study business? Please let me know if my post is confusing.
Some schools do have undergraduate business schools, for example Wharton at Penn or Robins School of Business at University of Richmond. Or are you talking about direct admit into the business school? Most undergraduate b-schools have students apply during their freshman or sophomore year at the university. If business isn’t listed as an intended major, select undecided or something similar, like econ.
If you want to study business as an undergrad then research and apply to colleges and universities that do have undergraduate business programs. It will eliminate some schools from consideration but there will be tons of schools left to choose from-- plus you will be able to study what you want to study.
If you just google USNWR undergraduate business schools or poets and quants undergraduate business schools you will get lists of schools to look into.
Many people do say that an economics major is very much like a business major but I disagree with that notion. Econ is a liberal arts course of study and the major itself gets quite theoretical at the higher levels. If you go to a undergrad business program you will take a business core curriculum with classes in subjects such as accounting, finance, IT, management etc. and you can major in a business subject.
In any event if a school does not have an undergraduate business program do not write business as your intended course of study. They want to know what you plan to study as an undergraduate at their institution, not what your eventual career path may be.
@happy1 So if the school does not have an undergraduate business program, should I mark “undecided” for career interest? Or, since business programs have prerequisite courses, should I mark one of the prerequisite courses? And if I get into a college like that, would I be spending my time only taking the prerequisite courses…? Thanks for your help.
MBA programs (which I’m guessing is what you are thinking about if you don’t study business as an undergraduate) do not have prerequisite courses but the good ones typically require 2-5 years of solid work experience. I think you need to do some research and get a better handle on things.
I think the OP had a good handle on this, and it is a valid question. Undecided is probably fine, or whatever you think you might major in if you aren’t accepted into the business major. Usually you have time for more than just the pre-reqs – you will usually take 4 classes per semester, so you get at least 8 total. Pre-reqs might be something like Calc 1, Micro, and Macro. You don’t usually have to declare a major until end of sophomore year, so it is okay to go in undecided.
At some colleges you do need to figure out what college to apply to if you aren’t a direct admit. For example, at Michigan it might be LS&A if you aren’t a direct admit to Ross.
Unless I read it wrong, the OP is considering applying to some schools with no undergraduate business program at all (ex. Columbia) — see OP post #3. If that is the case it is fine to take things like economics, calculus, statistics etc. but there really are no prerequisite courses for MBA programs as people from all kinds of disciplines (ex. engineering, science, philosophy, etc.) can get into a MBA program.
Some top MBA programs require calculus (my D1 is now bemoaning the fact that she didn’t take it as she looks at application options). But the initial post is talking about schools with undergrad business majors.