Monday’s Headlines: Are Business Degrees Losing Their Value? Some Critics Weigh In

While 20 percent of undergraduate students are business majors, critics say that such a degree holds little value, and some schools are working to combat the problem by mimicking liberal arts courses, which develop critical thinking skills over basic training, according to a Wall Street Journal article:

The biggest complaint: The undergraduate degrees focus too much on the nuts and bolts of finance and accounting and don't develop enough critical thinking and problem-solving skills through long essays, in-class debates and other hallmarks of liberal-arts courses. Companies say they need flexible thinkers with innovative ideas and a broad knowledge base derived from exposure to multiple disciplines. And while most recruiters don't outright avoid business majors, companies in consulting, technology and even finance say they're looking for candidates with a broader academic background.

George Washington University, Georgetown University and Santa Clara University are among schools worldwide looking to appease employers by beefing up business school lessons on history, ethics and writing. Examples include University of Denver's Daniels College of Business will require a course designed to integrate history and social responsibility in a global context.

 

Other News:

JPMorgan Chase leads the trend of banks testing derivatives for trade finance. [Financial Times]

Morgan Stanley’s CEO’s 2011 comps dropped by 25 percent, and none of the firm’s top execs took cash bonuses. [CNN Money]

Just eight financial service chiefs rank in top 50 paid CEOs. [DealBook]

Opinion: Crowdfunding could democratize Wall Street. [NY Times]

Seven tips to a better GMAT score. [Businessweek]

A Rothschild fund may expand next year. [Financial News]

Advisors worry that demands for more transparency will lead to lower pricing. [Investment News]

A 13-year score card of hedge funds. [Financial Times]

Merrill's $5 million slap may signal more deferred-pay cases. [Investment News]

Q&A with AmEx recruiter. [Bloomberg]