Is a Business and Management degree worth it?

[aegeletrolux]

DS is in year 12 currently trying to decide what he wants to do at university. He really enjoys Business A’level and is wondering if it’s a worthwhile degree. My gut feeling is that he’d be better getting a job and working his way up but I’m probably completely out of touch.

I’ve just finished one as a mature student. As in today is the last day to hand in our final project. I did it as I didn’t have one and was finding it difficult to get a job where I am without one. It was specifically asked for in vacancies for my career, I’m in project controls. The others were construction management (which I wanted to do but couldn’t find a long distance course for it) or engineering.

Was considered a bit of a numpty subject back in my day. I guess things change.

When looking at the Business/Management degrees really look at the modules offered as every uni seems to offer a Business degree and they are not all the same. Some are BSc (and this can sometimes mean more mathsy) some are BAs, some offer a placement year, work/study overseas etc. Some of the modules are very entrepreneurial and others much more operational. Most seem to cover accounting, marketing, business analytics, organisational behaviour, and more recently sustainability etc. Some, eg Bath Uni offer 2x 6 month industry placements rather than a full year. A LOT of universities offer Business with some needing stellar grades (A*AA for the likes of Warwick, Kings etc) to others with grades that are perhaps more achievable. There really is a full range. Some insist on maths, some want a science and a humanity A level. But there’s bound to be several ‘business’ courses that appeal to your DS. Looking at employment prospects it does seem that graduates work in a variety of reasonably paid areas on qualifying.

My numpty son studied Management at Warwick (WBS). He was hired by a US investment bank with a starting overall salary of around 70k and 3 years later is now earning close to 150k. Most of his friends have also been very successful at finding top jobs.
Things do change indeed and in many countries (eg France) Business Management studies are and have always been the fast track to a high flying career (provided you attend the right business school).

But does he have soul? ;)

@Aidaa Another numpty ds here also studying Management at WBS. Fantastic course and has one of the best graduate outcomes of the university as a whole. The Management course at Bath, is also amazing! DS is just going into his 2nd yr and there is such a wide variety of modules on offer. There are some very outdated and some plain ignorant views on here. Well done to your ds! ignore the snarky veiled as humourous comment about does he have a soul.

@Shimy Well done to your son! Yes Bath is also amazing, was actually my son’s “insurance” (offer was just marginally lower…). Initially he actually regretted not to have firmed it as he really liked the vibe and many of his friends went there… In the end everything turned out well at WBS, it’s a great course with so many options at the end.
I know these courses are looked down upon in this country but they open so many doors, are very international etc… My other DCs have done more traditional degrees as they were passionate in specific subjects and had a vocation but they aren’t happier nor having better jobs.

more so than his siblings who’ve done more traditional/academic degrees (STEM related), who can come across as « robotic » and self centered. And he certainly has more emotional intelligence. However it’s true he’s always been more interested in making money compared to his siblings

I’ve just noticed this is a thread from Nov 2022. So @aegeletrolux DS may have made his decision by now!

Stil interesting though. My son is just starting a Business Management degree at a RG. When he told me what he wanted to do (with Business and Econ A levels) I was reasured by the fact that in the tech industry where I work, most of the IT sales guys have BM degrees (and many from non RG even shock horror!) and they are ridiculously well compensated and the company (and others that I have worked at) are constantly trying to recruit them. Cutthroat job but highly, highly lucrative, if that's your bag (as it prob is for most people looking at a non trad academic degree like BM). So I think a BM degree from a RG uni, or even non RG (Bath is harder to get into than most RG for example for BM), with a placement year, at least has good graduate recruitment prospects.

I also know a couple of corporate lawyers who did BM at undergrad and are similarly well paid.

I was somewhat surprised myself as a science grad but yes, the OP here was very out of date I think. Wonder what her DC did I'm the end?

I have one, I am doing ok. It’s really interesting and a degree where I have used a lot of the knowledge gained. Go for it!

Alternatively, Economics?

I did a BM degree in the late 90s then trained to be a chartered accountant and now have a 6 figure salary - not a useless degree at all, quite the opposite. I studied accounting, law, HR, economics, culture etc etc and I could have gone in many directions.