Business Studies - a respected option for GCSE?

BS is considered a soft option by certain unis and employers.

So it entirely depends upon what DC want to do afterwards.

As with everything in life, one things has a direct impact upon another.

I didn't do BS at GCSE level but I did a BTEC National Diploma in BS instead of A levels. This was mid-80's. I then didn't do a degree (but my mate with equivilent diploma marks did - she went to Exeter).

We are both Chartered Accountants now with our own practices. We both qualified in our early 20's but I was a tad before her because, by not doing a degree, I took the quicker route.

I cannot comment on the difficulty of BS at GCSE but as a subject it does give an insight into what is further useful study.

DS1 took Business Studies as one of five Highers ( Scottish) and also for advanced Higher, He was accepted into all universities he applied for (including Edinburgh, St Andrews (Warwick and Newcastle), So they obviously rate it fine.

What webwiz said. I think there?s a big difference between pushing a child into something they don?t want to do and helping them decide between 2 or 3 subjects which they like (or hate!) equally.

DD is 12 but decides GCSE options this term ? she might need some guidance, don?t you think? Most of the advice seems to be about keeping as many doors open as possible at this stage which IMHO is best done by choosing a wide range of subjects.

that's a real shame about the careers advice

but to clarify, I think business studies opens more doors than it shuts. Perhaps not form a uni point of view but certainly from an employer point of view.

My gut reaction would be don't take this, but I had to re-think when DS was offered this at his Extremely High Performimg Grammar school. Doesn't affect their Uni choices it seems.

Kids aren't given any unbiased advice about GCSEs options stewmaker careers advisors are thin on the ground these days - my DS is in year 9 and we have a parents evening next week and an options evening the week after. He'll be bombarded by teachers saying this will be a good choice for you (as my DD's were) and he'll look to me and DH for advice. He has provisionally chosen drama, french and history but still has one choice left and doesn't know what to do in that space. I don't have any "plans" for him but GCSE choices matter more now and I wouldn't want DS to shut any doors at this stage.

i just find it a bit weird. My parents never interfered with my choices although they fully expected me to go to uni. We were advised by careers advisors in an unbiased way, which I don't think parents often are. I know my DH felt obliged not to follow his 'dreams' and regretted it years later.
I can understand that if parents want their kids to go to a particular uni they would want to have an input in choices but I don't think this is right... I think kids know in their hearts what they want/don't want and if they choose badly at this level it's no biggy.
TBH I used the fact I was expected to go to uni to hurt them and went on a YTS instead, I just don't like being told what to do. Still ended up with a degree mind-you.
I think I have issues with parents wanting to live out their lives through their kids.

My DS is 17 mo and I reserve the right to change my mind later

Personally I would if it was a really badly regarded subject, which Business Studies isn't, or if they planned to take too many I'd veto them taking them all. I'd probably advise against BS in any case because I think it's something better studied later on.

Stop, no; advise, yes. ie DS was pretty clear what he wanted to do and we were very happy with his choices but DD is much less so and will probably have to choose 3 out of ? a second MFL, history, geography, PE, drama, business studies, art, music. From that list she will definitely do history and PE and given the school she is at, we would be quite happy for her last option to be business studies rather than geography or a second MFL.

can i just ask. would you stop your dc from taking their own choices?

It does depend on the school, too. DS was advised against it by older friends at his school which specialises in science and maths, but DD goes to a school which has a business specialism and from which students frequently win local and even national competitions for business ideas so it seems as if their courses are well planned and academically rigorous. She?s choosing GCSE options this term and will be considering BS quite seriously, I think.

At degree level it is a totally different thing. My son considered it, but decided against it as we told him he could pick the information up elsewhere, and he had to do an arts subject and wanted to do a technology. He was really choosing between Geography, ICT, Business Studies and Music. He wasn't going to have grade 5 music so couldn't do Music, ICT doesn't cover the aspects of computers he likes (and he was told he could pick up A'level computer programming without it). So he choose Geography.

Many Oxbridge admissions tutors are prejudiced against ANYTHING with 'studies' in the title (and against law and psychology too...) though others are not. Oxford Central Admissions will say it doesn't matter, but I'm afraid it does at some colleges and for some subjects. It's safest to stick to sciences, history etc if your son or daughter has high-flying aspirations.

As with many subjects (law, psychology) there is a huge difference between the view taken of the subject at GCSE and the view taken of it as a degree. I'm not a fan of BS GCSE, not because I don't think it's a valuable subject but because the courses are badly thought out, there's no prior study so you have to learn everything if value in 2 years and if you want to do it as a career you'd be better served gaining skills you can transfer and studying it properly.

I did Business Studies at GCSE along with 12 other strong subjects. While I don't feel it will disadvantage me in regards to university and life, I don't think it'll be particularly helpful. I didn't really enjoy the lessons, but I found the exams quite easy and got an A* in the end. On the spec. I did, it was 40% coursework, which was AWFUL. I wasted so much time on it. I suppose some people found it interesting, and I suppose, fun, but I certainly didn't.

I don't regret taking it, although I do regret not taking Geography which I could've done instead.

I did business studies as an extra GCSE, and it was a good boost to round out my qualifications, economics is a heftier subject, and carries weight with maths.

Isn't the main driver what areas of further study or career he thinks he may want to move into?

I passed the entrance exams for Oxford following immense school/parental pressure, but had no intention of going there if I could help it, it just wasn't my "fit" or my decision.

I went to Cranfield where business orientated qualifications were valued and useful.

I interview graduates for positions at the first rung of global planning careers and I do find if they have chosen and enjoyed business studies or economics they have a drive to do well in a commercial setting.

....and the key thing overall is that I have an immense job that I love.

As long as he takes a clutch of "academic" GCSEs as well he'll be fine taking Business Studies - plenty of kids take things like Art and Drama just because they're interested in them.

If I wanted to get into a good university, though, I'd only do Business Studies at AS/A Levels if I were doing three (or more) other hard academic subjects, like Maths.

I find this fascinating! My ds is doing a business degree in the equivalent of a red brick university in Ireland. Every subject studied here has equal status in university or college entrance (certain subjects need sciences, languages etc. plus most colleges want a European language as well as English and Irish). Ds's entrance requirements for business were much higher than for an arts degree and higher than many science and engineering courses! So not a soft option here

it's no wonder employers are constantly complaining that graduates are ill-prepared for the workplace is it?

I studied economics as part of my degree and it hasn't been useful at all in the real world, although i did find it interesting.

Learning about how a business works IMO is invaluable.

I don't doubt that universities have these opinions, I just think it is a shame.....

I agree with those who say that if it is one "soft" subject amongst other more academic ones there is no harm done.

DS's form teacher was the business studies teacher and she actively discouraged anyone from the higher sets from taking Business studies at gcse level.

Thanks, Senua. That's the one I was thinking of.