Wealth or Waste? Rethinking the Value of a Business Major

Wealth or Waste? Rethinking the Value of a Business Major

This WSJ article takes a look at the undergraduate degree in business and it's ability to prepare students for the business world. The core of the article is graduates need Critical Thinking and Problem Solving skills first in order to apply business learnings. The criticism is Marketing, Accounting and Financial students are learning rote skills without the ability to be able to apply these skills in the real world with a big picture view point.

The authors viewpoint is undergraduates lack:  

• Problem Solving
• Critical Thinking 
• Creativity

To me this sounds like what we teach in Entrepreneurship, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. A number of Universities have ICE programs, Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship... essentially developing an umbrella curriculum that incorporates, science, technology and business.

My classes in Small Business Management at both the undergraduate and graduate level have a strong emphasis on Ideation, Problem Recognition and Critical Thinking. This occurs early in the semester before we delve into developing the business plan and proforma projections. Developing a set of financials that looks great needs the underpinning of a great idea that solves a real market problem.

Read the article and view the video... it gives me ideas for future curriculum development in my Entrepreneurship Classes!



All the best!
Dom Celentano
Tips on Running a Small Business