Business Schools – The Top 5 Business Administration Universities
Business Administration is a very popular major for undergraduate students and graduate students alike. Because of the various specializations that one can study within that major, the degree has many uses upon graduation, and opportunities are numerous. Business Administration degrees can be earned online and in a traditional classroom setting and can be found in all degree levels. If you have ever considered earning a BA degree you want to make sure you are getting a top-notch education from a fantastic school. Here are the top 5 schools that offer undergraduate BA degrees according to US News & World Report.
1. University of Pennsylvania
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. University of California – Berkeley
4. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
5. New York University & University of Virginia (tied for 5th)
If you are seeking a graduate Business Administration Degree, like a MBA or DBA, here are the top 5 schools for those programs:
1. Harvard University & Stanford University (tied for first)
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Business)
4. University of Chicago (Booth campus)
Many of these schools offer traditional on-campus degree programs for their masters degree programs however some of the top 5 undergraduate programs may offer online programs for their degrees.
A business degree can find you work in small and large companies and even prepare you for starting your own business. If you had a concentration in accounting or marketing, you can also find a career within those fields without that having been your actual major but more of a focus within the business administration. It’s because of the structure of the business administration degree program that shows how versatile the degree can be and why so many people choose to major in business administration.
Is Business Fashion School Right For You?
Okay, so it may sound a little funny but fashion business school is something that many fashion students are looking into now more than ever. Their school does sound a bit ludicrous, but if you consider the reasons why people attend school in the first place the idea of fashion and business together only make sense.
These degrees are about learning the ins and outs of the business and refining your skills whereas business courses are for people who want to manage or start one of their own. For those out there already attending school, it is a safe assumption to say that many of them dream of having their own line some day. A fashion line is a business, and that is where fashion business school courses can come into play.
Who Needs Business School…Right?
Who cares if you are a pro at making A-line dresses fit even the sloppiest of figures if you can’t run your business properly? It is insane to think that so many people are failing to consider the vital role that this business industry plays in their chosen field.
What would the industry be if it weren’t for fashion business schools? If nobody knew how to run a business there would be no Versace, no Louis Vuitton or Donna Karen. Fashion in itself is a business, and those students out there who are serious about their success will put some consideration into fashion school [http://www.fashion-school-info.com/best-fashion-schools.html] business courses.
Deciding if Business School is Right for You
It is important to realize that while it may seem like common sense, not all schools are going to offer courses in business. School courses are designed for one thing or another, but not always both. Find out what type of coursework your chosen school offers and see if you can get some good courses in it in while you are in attendance.
This means that not only will you be able to learn everything that you have ever needed to know about the industry, but you can also learn the ins and outs of it as well and how to handle certain things that your business may throw at you. If you become a millionaire you can hire a manager but in the meantime, you are going to have to learn something or other about business in this industry. School may be the way to help you do just that.
Those Big Words, ‘Business School’
The ultimate goal for those who enroll in an MBA program is career advancement. What form this advancement will take depends completely on each individual’s personal agenda. One student may plan to return to work for a former employer in a more sophisticated context, while another may seek to change careers entirely, transferring to a field that is more challenging or fulfilling. Other more entrepreneurial students may attempt to launch an independent business. Whatever the case may be, MBA programs are designed to guide the student toward the path of their choosing while providing the skills that will be required when they reach their destination.
How do they do this you ask? Well, the most successful MBA programs strive to gather groups of students with diverse backgrounds and goals and then facilitate the sharing of their experiences in the context of the study of theoretical business applications. Before we get in to the academic elements of the MBA program, let’s first take a look at some of the different techniques schools are currently using to cultivate leadership qualities in their students (besides the standard lectures, papers, exams, etc?).
1) Problem-Based Learning (a.k.a Case Studies)
Rather than simply conveying material to the students through lectures, business schools are now using the problem-based learning format to force students to think for themselves rather than regurgitate material that they’ve memorized.
Classes are subdivided into small groups and each group is presented with a particular management issue or problem.
As a team, the students must research the case they’ve been presented with and apply what they’ve learned from their studies to come up with a solution to the particular problem.
This type of exercise forces students to become “horizontal thinkers” who must consider ALL factors related to a particular decision rather than simply looking at an issue from on particular perspective (ie. accounting vs. marketing vs. finance).
2) Studies in the Field
Many schools are now supplementing class lectures and individuals study time with studies in the field
Although most students coming into MBA programs already have significant work experience, schools continue to stress the importance of “learning from doing”
The interpersonal skills that are crucial to strong leadership cannot be taught in the classroom setting but rather must be observed first hand in the field.
3) Team-Based Learning
While many of the projects assigned in business school require students to work in groups, team-based learning focuses specifically on how to work as team.
The goal isn’t so much to complete a particular assignment or project on some managerial issue, but rather the to learn how to work closely with others.
Setting goals, assigning responsibilities, and learning to rely on others are some of the skills involved.
Because team project and work groups have become so common in the business world, the schools are stressing teamwork abilities now more than ever..
The Curriculum
Now of course, underlying all of these different teaching techniques, is the curriculum itself. The first year courses of most MBA programs make up what is known as the core curriculum. While each school tries to present the material in what they believe is a unique or progressive manner, there remains minimal variation in these courses from school to school because every MBA student must ultimately have a fairly extensive level of knowledge in the following areas:
Business Strategy Analysis
Financial and Managerial Accounting
Management Statistics and Data Analysis
Managerial Economics
Marketing Management
Managerial Finance
Managing Organizations
Operations Management
For a detailed description of any or all of these courses, please browse through the course calendar or website of the particular business schools you are considering.
Once this core curriculum has been completed, most business schools allow their students to spend the remainder of their course time on electives. Many schools are recognized for particular programs that they offer and this recognition tends to revolve around these second year elective courses. Often business schools will have faculty who are eminent leaders in their field lecturing for these courses, providing the class with cutting edge research and the latest advancements in the area. Some of the areas that a second-year MBA student can specialize in include:
Accounting
Arts Management
Educational Administration
Entrepreneurial Ventures Finance
Government
Health Care Administration
Human Resource
Management
Management Consultants
Management Information
Technology
Manufacturing Management
Marketing
Not-for-Profit Organizations
Operations Management
Small Business Management
So as you can see, it’s no longer possible to pigeonhole business schools as gathering places for society’s elite, who put in a couple of years before taking over the family empire. A degree from a reputable business school can now place you on the fast track for a leadership position in any one of an incredibly diverse number of career paths. The MBA has become just as important in public service domains such as education, government, and healthcare administration as it is in the more traditional corporate sectors.
What to Expect for the Costs you have Sunk In?
Having established that going to business school represents a pretty serious financial burden, let’s see what you’re actually getting for all those dollars your laying out. What are the “frills” schools are using to attract students, and the impact that the program can have on your ability to attract employment and your earning potential once you’ve found the job you’ve been seeking.
Facilities:
Talk about plush. Be prepared to work extremely hard when you get to business school, but if your at one of the better ones, take solace in the fact that you’ll be doing it in style. The fact is that many of the schools (and not just the powerhouses) are investing heavily in infrastructure to woo you. Remember, there’s a definite element of reciprocity in the relationship between schools and applicants. To put it simply, they want you to like them just as much as you want them to like you. As a result a significant proportion of a business school’s dean’s time is spent fundraising. Many schools are building brand new buildings, with brand new classrooms, libraries, conference rooms, cafeterias and students lounges all supplied and state-of-the-art technology. Just as one example, Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management has built a simulated trading floor with the exact same technology being used by real analysts.
Connections:
The business world is ALL about connections. We’re not going to feed you the line that “it’s who you know not what you know” but rather that it’s “who you know AND what you know”. For that reason, an MBA program has become incredibly important for young people trying to get their foot in the door. At business school you’re going to educated in the “what” and immersed in the “who.” Without even realizing it, you’re going to be spending two full years networking. Whether it’s faculty who have pivotal roles in major corporations, corporations who’ve formed alliances with the school, or fellow students, over the course of the program you’re going to be in close contact with individuals who are currently, or will be in the future, extremely influential in the business community. Imagine your new best friend happens to be the next Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, David Filo, or Jerry Yang just waiting to surface. Well that’s the kind of relationship that fortunes are built on.
Jobs:
The following excerpts come directly from the Business Week Guide to the Best Business Schools (6 th ed.). It summarizes the relationship between MBAs and corporate hiring so well that felt we should pass it straight on to you completely unadulterated. We further recommend that you find the complete article from which this excerpt was taken (available on the web) for supplementary reading and that you use the guide as one of your resources for choosing the right business school for you (in our opinions it’s one of the most informative).
As we approach the millennium, the MBA is unquestionably the hottest degree you can hold, particularly from an elite school. The stats prove it: At virtually all of the best schools, GMAT scores and starting pay packages are setting records. Applications are too, although a large part of the boom is coming from overseas…The 61 schools surveyed by business week for its 1998 rankings waded through 116,912 applications for the Class of 2000, and the average GMAT score was 667 for those attending the Top 25 schools, up from 649 just two years earlier.
Today, the MBA is on its way to becoming a requirement for anyone who hopes to build a career in Corporate America, and, indeed, much of the world… Certainly, it’s true that corporate recruiters can’t seem to hire enough MBAs these days. The 259 recruiters who participated in business week’s 1998 survey of the best business schools hired 10,348 MBAs in total, a 28 percent rise from 1996. And they would have hired even more if they could have: Grads of the Top 25 business schools averaged 3.2 job offers each, up from 2.3 in 1992, and compensation exploded. The median pay package (salary, bonus, and extras such as stock options or moving expenses) at the Top 25 hit $111,420, up 19 percent from just two years ago. Another telling figure: Median pay topped $100,000 at 18 of our Top 25-versus 5 two years ago.
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