happysunnyshine

Say I am sure that my interest is definitely in business, so is it wise to major in business for my undergraduate degree? Many people suggest that I should take economics/engineering first in order to get a broader understanding and a better preparation for MBA. My other concern is that the B programs offered for undergraduate degree are very limited. What are your suggestions? What kinds of majors can prepare me the best for the real business world?

lynxinsider

Go to a college that can offer you a lot of academic options and don't require an immediate commitment to a major or school, like a liberal arts college. Take a business class and get a feel for the program, and you'll be able to answer the question for yourself.

From my perspective, there's nothing wrong with majoring in business as an undergrad if that's the discipline you find the best fit with.

mom2collegekids

Unless you'll be entering college with a lot of AP credits, you probably won't be "plunging into" B school anytime soon. Plus, some B schools require you to be "accepted" after your soph year.

I don't see anything wrong with majoring in B as an undergrad. If I wasn't sure which emphasis, I would choose a school with many choices.

Where are you considering?

Consolation

If your goal is to get an MBA eventually, better to get a broad and solid academic grounding as an undergrad, with a major in a field that interests you and might lead you in the direction of a particular industry or type of company where your expertise would be useful. Most good MBA programs now prefer that you apply after working for a few years.

liek0806

I'm not speaking from experience, but it seems like that the only schools where it would matter the most for you to major in business, if they offer it as a a major, at the undergrad level are schools that are not top 30 schools, maybe top 40 schools.

If you're coming out of a school like usc, georgetown, penn, berkeley, carnegie, etc I will assume that similar majors like econ would get some of the same opportunities as the kids in business schools. other majors might have the same opportunity as long as they minor in econ or business, and take up notable work experience to compare with those econ/business school kids.

If you're planning on an MBA, major in what you love at the undergrad level, but be very proactive with your time, and pick up a couple of econ/business classes to. Many might dismiss the humanities as choices, but I've often heard employers love those with critical/analytical skills and excellent communication and writing schools, which and and should be developed in majors like philosophy and english.

The only thing that I will say about a business major is that if you feel you lack a solid liberal arts education, stay undecided and pick your major later. Be sure to look at schools that have a lot to offer in course selection. Don't rule out schools that don't offer "business" as a major at the undergrad level. Some of the best schools in the nation don't have business as a major, but they sure will offer Econ. Weigh out your options. If you need a small school, look at liberal art colleges like Claremont McKenna that have a business/government emphasis, but still allow you to explore other interests through the consortium.

mikemac

its a good idea to take a couple of classes in business-related areas such as accounting, but unless you have a particular focus already such as finance or marketing you don't need to major in business to enter the business world. The 2 most important factors are going to be internships and where you went to school, in that order. Even from a middling school, a candidate that has some impressive internships is going to get a close look by just about everyone. You get impressive internships by starting with mediocre ones and building, BTW. Proctor & Gamble is more likely to hire you for their internship if they see you've already done some and will understand what you're being asked to do.

The 2nd factor is where you attend school. If you look at big employers websites, they often tell you what schools they recruit at. They tend to favor more highly ranked schools, although you can of course send in a job app from anywhere. Your chances of getting noticed from anywhere (if you didn't attend one of the schools where they recruit on-campus) are much higher if you have internships.

happysunnyshine

Thanks for all of your suggestions!
So... the major doesn't really matter but the school matters? Say even if I choose a biochemistry major I can still go into business? Just curious

interestingguy

Yes. (10 char)

XX55XX

Most universities have liberal arts cores (and even the option to declare liberal arts minors) so even if you are in the B-school, you should be reasonably well-prepared for graduate school.

Take advantage of what your university has to offer in regards to non-business courses, and you should do fine.