In the past, getting a business degree was seen as a good idea for those who did not want to specialize in a particular field of business such as marketing or finance. Recent information may challenge that line of thinking. In today's market, many recruiters and businesses are not seeing much value in those with business degrees. Although they aren't completely ruling people out who have business degrees, it does seem like those with more specific degrees tend to have a leg up on the competition.
Business Degree Problems
Those who have a regular business degree tend to get a very general view of the discipline of business. They may have a basic understanding of concepts that are used in the business world, but they never get enough depth or practice solving problems to satisfy many companies. Because of this, many companies would prefer those who have a liberal arts degree in a specific field as opposed to someone with a general business degree. The business degree is also the most common undergraduate degree in the United States today with more than a fifth of all college graduates ending up with this degree. This means that workers with business degrees are easy to find in the private sector today.
What Schools Are Doing
Because of this line of thinking, many business schools are taking the initiative to change some of their curriculum around to better suit companies. For example, they're putting more of an emphasis on writing and essays so that students have to use critical thinking skills in their classes. They are focusing on history and other styles of liberal arts to give the students a more well-rounded education overall.
If you're in the process of choosing a degree program, you may want to look at some other options besides a general business degree.
Read more at the Wall Street Journal. [3]