Hello everyone,
I’m currently a high school senior who is looking to major in Environment Science/Environmental Engineering. I love the major that I’m going in however it is not my Dream to become an Environmental Scientist. Granted I wouldn’t mind rising up 9 to 5 everyday and working as an one, after all I love science and all the job has to offer. But my Plan A in life is to create a business. Let’s say I go to college Harvard for example (not applying only for example). If I’m an undergrad majoring in Environmental Science can I periodically visit the Harvard Graduate School of Business? Is it possible to sit in on classes, listen to lectures, talk with professors and students as an undergrad who is not majoring in Business? Just going for the sake to learn more about the nature of business, build connections and networking?
Doubtful. You may be able to take undergrad business classes at a school that offers them.
At Harvard, I believe that you can cross-register; graduate students can cross-register at any graduate school, and even in undergrad classes–I did. I think that the reverse holds true (undergrads can take grad classes), but why would you? Connections with your classmates in college will be much stronger than connections with people in 1 graduate class, and you can learn plenty about business from your classmates and undergrad classes.
This depends on the school. I don’t know about Harvard specifically, but I know at Columbia periodically certain business classes are opened to the entire university and anyone can register for them. (OF course, those classes are difficult to get into, since everyone wants in.) I’d imagine that several schools with graduate business schools probably do this. Many classes are reserved specifically for the students at the school, though, because otherwise MBA students would get crowded out of the classes they actually need to take.
It’s be a better bet to try to attend a college with some undergraduate business classes if you wanted to take a few. Or, you can learn business more informally through internships and jobs, and then plan to get a master’s in a business-related field (environmental management is one you may be interested in).