I think lost in the fray is the notion that my daughter isn’t necessarily interested in a business career but rather a career in genetics counseling. She is not looking to go to Wall Street, etc.
Alabama does have a solid business program and a practical business education to complement a STEM degree which in her case is useful and DOES add optionality (particularly relative to a biology degree by itself).
I also think a bit of research into the STEM Path to MBA program at UA will yield surprising insights. Classes are highly group project oriented, almost consulting-like in their approach. Project management, presentation, problem solving, data analysis, and team skills are developed and reinforced throughout the program. This is useful in any career path. Students work directly with local and international businesses, attempt to find ways to commercialize NASA patents, and learn about how businesses work in a very practical sense. You take classes with a cohort of the same students throughout the program, so many bonds are formed. The more traditional/fundamental subject matter is taught beginning in year 3 of the program.
Graduates typically average $70-80k salaries upon completion of the program and there is a 90% job placement rate. The majority of students in the program are engineering majors, but include biology, chemistry, computer science, math, physics, and creative arts majors as well…from all over the US.
For my daughter it exposes her to a great practical knowledge base, helps develop team building, networking, and problem solving skills, and rounds out an education focused on a myriad of science courses in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and physiology.
All for free (given her generous scholarship) and likely achievable in 4 years given that she is coming in with 36 credits that cover a significant portion of her Gen Ed requirements.
I do appreciate your feedback in any case and do agree that if the end goal is to pursue a strictly business oriented career there are “better regarded” programs out there. But in my daughter’s case that’s not the objective.