According to Businessweek, less than 20% of the students in their Top 10 MBA programs have a BA in Business.
What that means is, of course, the students study something else and then enroll in the MBA program.
Of the NYU MBA students only 28% of them have a BA in business.
Harvard MBA students - 23% have a BA in business.
Columbia - 22%, Wharton - 18% and Kellogg - 23%.
Either the students are changing their minds, or coming back to the MBA program once they get into business or it just makes good sense to know something else besides how to add and balance a budget.
Colleges such as Harvard, Dartmouth and Columbia don't even offer an undergraduate degree in business.
A director of employer relations at a major university said, "Companies want to be sure a potential hire can have conversations on subjects other than finance."
Colleges and Universities also want students to have to take the additional core classes required to make the step into an MBA program in addition to their undergrad classes because this means more money for them from tuition, no?
This is a lesson that for-profits can learn as well ...the students at for-profits need to know it, too. It's not enough to be able to know your job - your supposed to know that. But can you present yourself in front of people, can you write, can you converse intelligently about other subjects?
Doing those things well will set the student apart from the person/s sitting next to him/her.
What do you think?
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Bill, what you suggest about firms needing well-rounded people who can think from many perspectives, makes sense. If a business leader knows only one field well, that would lead to tunnel vision. Such people lack visionary leadership skills. Well said. Your new blog is off to a great start!
Posted by: Robyn McMaster | June 1, 2006 8:32 PM | Permalink to Comment