What if you aren't interested in business? Should you get an MBA?

Thanks for the replies guys. This is interesting to me since we have debated the MBA at SJCME (St. Joseph's of Maine) MBA with so many people saying, "well, that's not an MBA per se" which led me to question, then why would someone not interested in business get an MBA? Though I know people who have done just that.

 

The SJCME MBA is an MBA degree, plain and simple, regardless of whatever supercilious input you've gotten here or elsewhere.

 

Sticking my nose into what I don't understand...

But here goes, anyway.

If, God forbid a million times, I should decide to pursue any Master's degree in business or management (brrrrr!) my first choice, obviously, would be an LL.M. in taxation. Leaving that aside as a special case, which it is, the ONLY Master's degree in business I would consider for a picosecond is:

(drum roll)

The Master of Accountancy!

Why? Because ALONE of all the things one can study in b-school, accountancy is a science that is vital and cannot be performed by anyone not trained in the science itself.

History is stuffed with "uneducated" people doing amazing things in management, marketing, finance, IT, etc. but accounting underpins ALL successful business activity and permeates EVERYTHING a business does. A SOLID knowledge of accounting is irreplaceable and is also a firm foundation for a career in any other business activity (excluding law, but law isn't really part of business per se.)

 

Re: Sticking my nose into what I don't understand...

You are correct about Accountancy being a science, but I don't know if it is the core of success. Could be, but I'm not convinced.

 

If you're not interested in Business, don't go for the MBA. Pick up a couple of books on Amazon if you would need to learn additional MBA skills for your job or personal reasons.

Rhonda

 

I agree that MBAs are becomming more common.

I think it is a BIG stretch to say the only difference between an ivy league school and a state school is the strength of the alumni association. There is no doubt that the contacts a person develops at a top b-school are very valuable. Even so, I have to believe there are differences in the quality of education between Harvard and a state school.

Travis

 

For instance, professors may be held to higher professional standards at Ivy League's than state schools...