How do students cobble together a undergraduate business degree at Rice University?
https://ga.rice.edu/programs-study/departments-programs/social-sciences/managerial-studies/managerial-studies-ba/
Or they attend a university that offers undergraduate business.
A minor in business is also very popular. All courses are taught by Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business (JGSB) faculty.
https://ga.rice.edu/programs-study/departments-programs/business/business/business-minor/#requirementstext
There is a business minor. but not a major. Students can add a business minor to any major. Many students do Econ majors or Math/Econ majors in addition to the business minor. Some add business minors to Computer Science, Engineering, Sports Management, etc. Many students come into Rice with enough AP credits that adding a business minor is relatively easy. The business minor is the most common minor at Rice.
https://economics.rice.edu/undergraduate-program/economics-major
https://economics.rice.edu/undergraduate-program/mathematical-economic-analysis-major
https://business.rice.edu/academic-program/undergraduate-business-minor
Undergrad business degree isn’t a great idea. You can do economics major with a business minor than masters in business. Ones who do business major, most of them end up going for masters.
Disagree with the above as a blanket statement.
First, It is important to understand that economics and finance are very different majors. Economics (to use the example above) is a liberal arts course of study and gets very theoretical at the upper levels. In contrast if the OP goes to an undergraduate business school you will take a business core with introductory classes in subjects such as accounting, finance, IT, marketing etc. and then you will major in one of those disciplines. I’m not saying that one path is better than the other, but they are different.
Second, while some undergrad business majors go on for a masters it is, as for a student with any other major, it is a personal choice and will depend on career prospects, aspirations etc… My H was an undergrad accounting major, worked for a Big 4 firm for 7 years, went back for a MBA and has been the CFO of some large companies. He feels that his combination of undergrad and grad degrees and expereince at a CPA firm were important. I was an undergrad business major and never went on for a MBA and have a long and wonderful career.
I would suggest the OP take the time to look at the coursework (can be found online) for both a business major, a business minor and any other options he/she is considering and see if one path is preferable. It appears that at Rice a business minor is available but you can’t “cobble together” a business major. If a business major is what the OP wants then he/she should look at colleges that offer an undergrad business degree.
Agreed but just like your son, most need an MBA to get ahead. If OP wanted only a BBA, he would only be applying to business programs. It seems he is looking for a solid education and a successful career in business, which requires a masters, BA or BBA isn’t enough.
Take a look at the many industries out there: aerospace, defense, pharmaceuticals, IT, medicine, automotive, entertainment, construction, insurance, real estate, etc. Not all of the people in these jobs have an undergrad business degree. Having a relevant degree to the industry you hope to enter would make it easier. IE for a job in the IT industry, it helps to have a Comp Sci degree. Once you have relevant work experience, its possible to learn the necessary business skills on the job.
For these reasons, many business schools don’t accept students right out of college without any relevant work experience. So while an undergrad business degree might be useful as a broad exposure, you can often get better bang for your buck by majoring in a STEM field that would open doors in the many industries listed above. Once you get a few years work experience, then go back to school and get an MBA.
@sgopal2 Your advice aligns with what I’ve heard from almost every accomplished person with business degree.