Why do so many on here think a Business major is useless

[Blue3]

And how do you think the government got those stats?

[parochial boy]

My two cents - I did a PoliSci degree and got a job at a big 4 accountancy firm after that, absolutely no need to do any sort of "Business" degree at any point.

What my degree did teach me is how to think for myself and to formulate an approach to solve challenges and problems.

By and large, people who came out of university with a bunch of technical accounting knowledge did not have that ability; and within a couple of years any advantage they had in terms of technical knowledge had dissapeared, because the real world does not actually resemble a college course.

[RINO Tom]

In my experience, business is a "party" degree. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing a business program is good for is networking opportunities.

And we're all perfectly fine with poli-sci nerds continuing to believe this.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I think this discussion would be better served in a thread dedicated to discussing the overall purpose of a college education. One school of thought, embodied by Gateway89, is founded in utilitarianism and materialism. Another, not entirely represented here, but perhaps embodied by, say, Nathan, believes the exact opposite. Between that, there are disputes over data and details (see the discussion between Gateway and Blue3).

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

The problem is too many people view college as a place where you go just for the main intent of just learning about stuff you are mostly passionate about

That is the point of college and was for hundreds of years (along with becoming a well-rounded person in a diverse array of fields). If you want to contribute to watering it down, be my guest. Training can be done in technical programs. As parochialboy says, most Big Four don't actually appreciate the skills taught in current accounting programs as they lack applicability to the problems they need to solve. I know that they are going into a select group of target schools to help build the college curriculum but this will obviously not have too much of an effect, and it seems more like a recruiting effort than anything serious. Remember that a) most skills do have to be learned on the job regardless of how much effort they put into building courses in established colleges; their impact will be minimal; and b) they are asking young people to take on the unnecessary cost of (poor) training - as a weeding mechanism no less! - for which the employer should bear responsibility. You go to college to learn. Your employer pays you to learn skills. College as an investment is the saddest state of affairs - it's an investment in your well-being as a person and little more. There is no problem with majoring in these, but you ought to explore a ton of side options as well along the way. Finance is a very beautiful thing, but you are only enlightened as you wish to make yourself with the proper supplements.

[OSR stands with Israel]

The problem is too many people view college as a place where you go just for the main intent of just learning about stuff you are mostly passionate about

That is the point of college and was for hundreds of years (along with becoming a well-rounded person in a diverse array of fields). If you want to contribute to watering it down, be my guest. Training can be done in technical programs. As parochialboy says, most Big Four don't actually appreciate the skills taught in current accounting programs as they lack applicability to the problems they need to solve. I know that they are going into a select group of target schools to help build the college curriculum but this will obviously not have too much of an effect, and it seems more like a recruiting effort than anything serious. Remember that a) most skills do have to be learned on the job regardless of how much effort they put into building courses in established colleges; their impact will be minimal; and b) they are asking young people to take on the unnecessary cost of (poor) training - as a weeding mechanism no less! - for which the employer should bear responsibility. You go to college to learn. Your employer pays you to learn skills. College as an investment is the saddest state of affairs - it's an investment in your well-being as a person and little more. There is no problem with majoring in these, but you ought to explore a ton of side options as well along the way. Finance is a very beautiful thing, but you are only enlightened as you wish to make yourself with the proper supplements.

Well that's what it was until the 1970s really ,but with most employers now asking for you to have a college degree the purpose of college has changed . In many cases you either need a masters degree or certification to get a good paying job .

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

How so? That people who aren't intellectually curious but want a white collar job have diminished what it means to go to college? Isn't that exactly what we have been discussing this whole thread?

And if they are just asking for a college degree, that shows no preference in major. Strong social science programs are very justly rewarded in the marketplace so long as that department requires one to know how to think.

[RI]

In my experience, business is a "party" degree. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing a business program is good for is networking opportunities.

And we're all perfectly fine with poli-sci nerds continuing to believe this.

Good thing I didn't major in Poli Sci, then.

[RINO Tom]

In my experience, business is a "party" degree. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing a business program is good for is networking opportunities.

And we're all perfectly fine with poli-sci nerds continuing to believe this.

Good thing I didn't major in Poli Sci, then.

Haha, just joking.

Seriously, though, RE: the OP ... I have found my "business" degree (finance, in my case ... never knew a single person who got this "business degree," personally) to be quite useful.

[Suburbia]

It's better than a useless Gender Studies degree or some other nonsense.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Another, not entirely represented here, but perhaps embodied by, say, Nathan, believes the exact opposite.

Ahem, thanks.

[mvd10]

Most people with business degrees probably want to end up in consulting or investment banking but AFAIK a lot of firms in these fields mainly want people with good problem-solving skills. I know someone who studied biology and she ended up at McKinsey. I still don't think it's useless, a business degree probably makes a career in finance easier. And don't forget the networking like other posters said.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Another, not entirely represented here, but perhaps embodied by, say, Nathan, believes the exact opposite.

Ahem, thanks.

I hadn't seen you post in the thread.

[Flameoguy]

Because they all have associates' degrees in poodle psychology.

[RINO Tom]

Because they all have associates' degrees in poodle psychology.

Wut.

Anyway, what was said above is correct: most financial fields want someone who is smart, a good relationship manager and who can problem solve.  If you and candidate B are of equal value in those fields and you have a business-related degree, you probably have a leg up (assuming candidate B doesn't have another connection that would cause the employer to trust him or her more).  Business degrees are far from useless, and I've never heard that stereotype, honestly.

Even if that stereotype exists, we engage in our own share of other-major-bashing in our lovely "party major."  (What's wrong with a smart, successful person who parties?? )

[vanguard96]

In my experience, business is a "party" degree. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing a business program is good for is networking opportunities.

Another common one is Communications.
Education schools have Human & Organizational Development as their easy grading major

[OSR stands with Israel]

It's better than a useless Gender Studies degree or some other nonsense.

when I attacked Liberal Arts degrees those were the degrees I meant, not the ones such as English, History etc but people on this forum overreacted and thought I was attacking the good ones as well.

[Lechasseur]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

[OSR stands with Israel]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

You guys dont have Accounting and Finance Majors at your University ?

[Lechasseur]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

You guys dont have Accounting and Finance Majors at your University ?

I think you can switch from Economics to Accounting in your Senior Year, but no on the other hand Finance is either in private business schools or as a graduate program but not as undergrad

[muon2]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

You guys dont have Accounting and Finance Majors at your University ?

I think you can switch from Economics to Accounting in your Senior Year, but no on the other hand Finance is either in private business schools or as a graduate program but not as undergrad

Interesting. Public universities in IL (and in most states AFAIK) routinely offer bachelors of science degrees in both accounting and finance, usually within their colleges of business.

[MasterJedi]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

You guys dont have Accounting and Finance Majors at your University ?

I think you can switch from Economics to Accounting in your Senior Year, but no on the other hand Finance is either in private business schools or as a graduate program but not as undergrad

Interesting. Public universities in IL (and in most states AFAIK) routinely offer bachelors of science degrees in both accounting and finance, usually within their colleges of business.

It's Louisiana, it isn't really known for having quality schools, I'm not surprised.

[RINO Tom]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

You guys dont have Accounting and Finance Majors at your University ?

I think you can switch from Economics to Accounting in your Senior Year, but no on the other hand Finance is either in private business schools or as a graduate program but not as undergrad

Interesting. Public universities in IL (and in most states AFAIK) routinely offer bachelors of science degrees in both accounting and finance, usually within their colleges of business.

It's Louisiana, it isn't really known for having quality schools, I'm not surprised.

Don't ya think most of the schools in Louisiana adding to that perception are public schools, not private ones?

[MasterJedi]

Where I live, Business is only taught at undergrad level at quite selective private schools (my Dad actually teaches in one), and it basically will allow you to do whatever you want with your life, so Business here is very prestigious. In the public univerisities though, if you're not interested in STEM or Medecine and if you don't plan on working at McDonald's your whole life, you absolutely HAVE TO major in either law or economics if ever you want a somewhat decent job (I picked the latter, after having previously declared the former as my major, I'm frankly not hugely interested in either but I want to be able to make enough to have a somewhat decent life and have a not too horrible career), it's a lot worse here when it comes to ''worthless'' degrees than in the US (otherwise I would have probably majored in History).

You guys dont have Accounting and Finance Majors at your University ?

I think you can switch from Economics to Accounting in your Senior Year, but no on the other hand Finance is either in private business schools or as a graduate program but not as undergrad

Interesting. Public universities in IL (and in most states AFAIK) routinely offer bachelors of science degrees in both accounting and finance, usually within their colleges of business.

It's Louisiana, it isn't really known for having quality schools, I'm not surprised.

Don't ya think most of the schools in Louisiana adding to that perception are public schools, not private ones?

Just because you're in a private school doesn't mean you're smart, just rich.

[Del Tachi]

Business is not an academic degree (hence why most business degrees, even at  the undergraduate level, lack the BS or BA designation).  Therefore, it is not a major in which one will be exposed to the scientific process, deductive reasoning, empirical analysis, truly objective writing, etc.  Instead, you'll just learn to be a mindless desk jockey - and while there's nothing wrong with that - it just isn't a "thinking" person's degree.

Which is a idea that was surmised quite well here:

My two cents - I did a PoliSci degree and got a job at a big 4 accountancy firm after that, absolutely no need to do any sort of "Business" degree at any point.

What my degree did teach me is how to think for myself and to formulate an approach to solve challenges and problems.

By and large, people who came out of university with a bunch of technical accounting knowledge did not have that ability; and within a couple of years any advantage they had in terms of technical knowledge had dissapeared, because the real world does not actually resemble a college course.