Re: Princeton University: M. Fin
That is the general sentiment based on recruitment patterns of Fortune 500 firms. An MBA degree is considered to be more 'practical' based on the course work/recruitment push generally geared towards the corporate world. Masters in Econ, Stats, or even Doctorates in Business Admin are more focused towards the ivory tower/policy think tank type positions. Just look at their career offices.
so its not MBA's procliaming that but it is an industry preference, and industry tries to do what is right for them.
the issue has been that many programs like MS finance or MS econ were structured in a theoretical manner, so academia was simply not meeting industry needs in that respect
Its not about having doors of industry open to them. Someone with a Masters in Math or a Ph.D in Chemistry can possibly get a job in industry. None of those programs Non-MBA programs boast the placement records of this particular M. Fin degree.
depends onw hat you mean by placement records, 100% placement rate sounds pretty good to me. Now if we go into starting salaries and all, that I dont know about.
and again its one particular M fin degree, maybe other schools should wake up and structure their programs differently.
The placement record is what I am focusing on. This is a quant heavy program that matches up exceedingly well against the top 10 MBAs in terms of placements while delivering the rigorous study of a non-MBA program (including those mentioned by you).
so one M-fin program that you see is placing in a manner competitive to MBA programs. what is this telling you?
The Generalist MBA is probably the greatest waste of time & money. If one is good enough, a top firm like Mckinsey can provide roughly the same experience including the network without having to incur lost wages. In fact, many have forgone the B-School option for this very reason.
and by that token so is mfin, if you are good nuff and have a degree in math or stats, or even liberal arts, you can be picked up by an Investment Bank and be trained.
the generalist MBA is something that is in demand in the industry. no wonder that many executives even go into part time or executive MBAs because aside from its 'technical' value, it is a credential that is in demand, is accepted and expected as ppl are climbing up corporate ladders.
so while you or I can wax lyrical about usefulness or uselessness of an MBA program, even a generalist one, the fact that industry values it, thats what is important
I know where your going with the 'specializations' in the MBA programs. Unfortunately, even with the specializations we're talking essentially talking about a focused set of electives aren't we?
deepnds on the program. The question as noted earlier was, what they are learning, is it being valued by the industry.
Take Wharton's MBA in Accounting program. Very well respected, yet the coursework in Accounting does not begin until the second year, even then there is no assurance of the availability of the classes due to the scheduling/recruitment focus. Sure a Wharton grad will get that great job with excellent pay, however did he get the full academic enrichment comparable to an MSA? No.
if the guy wants to be an deep accounting expert than probably not, but for teh type of roles these ppl are recruited into its more than enough.
teh distinction is similar to engineers versus engineering technologists.
This brings me to the main point, many MBA degree seekers are looking for the stamp of "professionalism" rather than a true graduate degree.
its a professional degree. and what is the harm in someone who wants that rather than deep functional expertise in one area? in many cases as industry woudl show, ppl with a more well rounded outlook are needed.
Unlike their counterparts in Law or Medicine, MBA seekers are not exposed to any "confidential/industry specific" knowledge during their studies, so the experience becomes diluted with fluffery and the recruiting starts on day one. Even at the most prestigious B-Schools, the entire experience becomes a vacation from work or a way to re live the crazy college days.
fulffery, recruiting efforts..whatever it is, teh point is that these ppl are in demand,
If Columbia Business did not consistently place its graduates on Wall Street with 100-200K salaries, would there be a mad dash to apply or attend? I don't think so.
an amusing statement especially since one of teh basic criteria you noted to explain the attractiveness of this program was its placement rates and potential career path.
Ironically, the Ph.D. in Economics whose coursework and academic preparation outdistances his MBA counterparts will probably earn less compensation if he stays in academia or face greater opportunity costs if he joins the corporate world.
and what is this telling peope, specialists and deep expertise in one field only is not usually rewarded as much. B-schools are reacting to what industry demands,
From the academic rigor of this program to the placement record, only LSE's Econometrics program matches up well. It is an exception due to its selectivity, courses, and the level of faculty exposure.
you just restated exactly what I said, this is one very selective, prestigious program, and is an exception to the rule.
Most of all, it is an excellent buy because the student is not cheated out of a truly rigorous academic experience combined with assurance of being placed in a position. To me, it is a complete experience.
its an excellent buy if that is what a student wants, so to you..it may be an excellent experience, and I am not arguing that, but similarly MBAs are excellent experiences for many who do that.
I sound like shill but this program impresses me that much.
good program, hopefully other programs will learn from it and structure tehmselves and appeal to teh industry in a manner that they would provide deep subject education while creating high demand for their graduates