Why do so many people hate on Management degrees?
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Original post by Abdul-Karim
People on here are so idiotic. Reality is, it depends on what institutions you go on to study management. Cass is an example of a school of Business where there management graduates are employed in areas such as Banking because of the vocational, applicable aspects of the course.
If you do management at a top rated university for the degree then there's potentially good career prospects. What universities have you applied to?
If you do management at a top rated university for the degree then there's potentially good career prospects. What universities have you applied to?
Newcastle, and my insurance is Northumbria
Original post by Carl1234
Everyone always says that these degrees are generic, micky mouse degrees and hate on them all the time. I personally have applied for the course, but why do they do this?! Is there really no good job opportunities after a course like this?
It depends very much on the institution. If you're talking Warwick, LSE, UCL (despite being a new course), you are looking at a very lucrative career.
Original post by Aristotle's' Disciple
Depends where you're studying. International Management at WBS is one of the strongest undergraduate business degrees in the world and won't be the same as Business Management at Birmingham City... crude example, point being just because a course has a certain title you shouldn't automatically dismiss it or otherwise.
Don't kid yourself man. Go back to doing MOS.
In terms of difficulty, IM is piss.
In terms of uni reputation, Warwick is decent but LSE/Ox/Cam/Imperial surpass it.
In terms of course rep, Econ, Maths, Mose, A&F etc are better
Original post by uxa595
Don't kid yourself man. Go back to doing MOS.
In terms of difficulty, IM is piss.
In terms of uni reputation, Warwick is decent but LSE/Ox/Cam/Imperial surpass it.
In terms of course rep, Econ, Maths, Mose, A&F etc are better
In terms of difficulty, IM is piss.
In terms of uni reputation, Warwick is decent but LSE/Ox/Cam/Imperial surpass it.
In terms of course rep, Econ, Maths, Mose, A&F etc are better
MOS? Don't know what that means. How do you know IM is piss, have you studied it? Course rep is negligible, it has no bearing on how difficult a course is, I'm studying Maths so it doesn't bother me either way, but it sounds like what you have to say is heavily biased, at the very least lacking substance.
Original post by Aristotle's' Disciple
MOS? Don't know what that means. How do you know IM is piss, have you studied it? Course rep is negligible, it has no bearing on how difficult a course is, I'm studying Maths so it doesn't bother me either way, but it sounds like what you have to say is heavily biased, at the very least lacking substance.
No bias at all. I do A&F at warwick so I have a close understanding of their modules as many overlap + I know the people doing them and their views on modules I did not do.
It is pis, most modules are so easy. Even A&F is easy.
i dislike management courses because different people give different answers and no one single correct answer for one simple question. this subject is easy to pass but difficult to score because all my given answers are no more than opinions or prejudices in the lecturers' eyes therefore i dropped the management degree after first sem and change to account and finance degree and so far i am happy with my decision because i find out that i like accounting and finance degree which requires me to do some simple calculations.
i think u jst have to find ur passion, if u do what u love then it wont consider as a difficult job. my definition of excellence is doing what u love and able to keep doing what u love.
i think u jst have to find ur passion, if u do what u love then it wont consider as a difficult job. my definition of excellence is doing what u love and able to keep doing what u love.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Abdul-Karim
People on here are so idiotic. Reality is, it depends on what institutions you go on to study management. Cass is an example of a school of Business where there management graduates are employed in areas such as Banking because of the vocational, applicable aspects of the course.
If you do management at a top rated university for the degree then there's potentially good career prospects. What universities have you applied to?
If you do management at a top rated university for the degree then there's potentially good career prospects. What universities have you applied to?
Accepted an offer from Northumbria
A few tips:
- Management studies is very broad and covers marketing; human resources; accounting + finance; economics; internationalisation; strategy; operations; business law - focus on one or two early on, sign up to relevant professional bodies and get active in the local groups
- Make sure you get relevant work experience during the summer, if possible also during a sandwich year
- Learn a language / study abroad for a semester
- Get some extra curricular activities under your belt, volunteering, mentor scheme, societies
- Management studies is very broad and covers marketing; human resources; accounting + finance; economics; internationalisation; strategy; operations; business law - focus on one or two early on, sign up to relevant professional bodies and get active in the local groups
- Make sure you get relevant work experience during the summer, if possible also during a sandwich year
- Learn a language / study abroad for a semester
- Get some extra curricular activities under your belt, volunteering, mentor scheme, societies
Original post by ChaoticButterfly
I dislike managers anyway 
Also then thought of someone getting a mangers degree, going into some field and then bossing a bunch of workers about who do a job the manager has no experience it just sickens me.
There you go.
Also then thought of someone getting a mangers degree, going into some field and then bossing a bunch of workers about who do a job the manager has no experience it just sickens me.
There you go.
By a degree in management, they mean a degree in (business) management. While it is a course which does train graduates to become business managers, it incorporates a much wider business education in addition to this.
Original post by cambio wechsel
Honestly, I think these degrees are pretty well complete bull****.
I study Finance, Accounting and Management at a RG uni so it doesn't have the emphasis on management like a pure management degree obviously would but I think I'm in a decent position to comment still.
Whilst I agree pure management degrees may not be as rigorous as mathematics or economics ones, I would still argue that they are more than worthwhile for anyone hoping to enter a career in banking, investment management, accountancy, business roles in corporates, start-ups, or pursue entrepreneurial endeavours etc.
- Arguably, management content is more directly applicable to the 'real practical world' in comparison to the contents from their counterparts such as economics
- Management students from leading universities fare well on the recruitment front. Scores go into the big 4, a decent number into IB etc. I don't think there is evidence to suggest that other more traditional degree grads are actively advantaged over management ones.
- Management is also popular outside the UK, where it a more well known and respected degree. As for the easiness, for my university at least, not many at all get firsts in their degrees despite achieving AAA-A*A*A in their A levels. The workload may not be as high but I view that as a positive. More time to send out good quality applications for internships and grad roles, more time to bulk up the rest of your CV, which will be key in landing offers, whilst being equipped with a solid business grounding.
- Management covers a range of issues from accounting, economics, finance, business strategy, operations, computing (within business), HR, law. Now I am not a fan of the management component of my degree, however my operations module actively helped me land an internship at a leading business operations and technology firm, whilst my computers in business module helped me get an analyst internship for a boutique consultancy. Both of these after my first year of university.
So, not a useless degree.
(edited 10 years ago)
I can only speak from an engineering/tech perspective as that's the only field I have worked in. I have worked a total of about 2.5 years, for some very big name companies, as well as a startup, and know a lot of people working for Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and a gazillion startups, etc.
Both from my personal experience and experiences relayed by friends, ALL of the most effective managers have very high technical backgrounds, and most of them do not have management degrees.
Like cambio wechsel said with the swimming analogy - you have to learn management by doing it, and to get there, you need to be better than everyone you manage at what they do. A management degree doesn't really prepare you for that.
To be a manager at a software company, you need to be a very good software developer yourself. To be a manager at a pharmacy, you need to be a very good pharmacist yourself. To be a manager at a car dealership, you need to be more knowledgeable about cars than all the sales people.
You can't just get a management degree, and walk into fields that you have no idea about, and expect people to hire you to lead their teams. It just doesn't work that way.
One use I can think of for a management degree is if you have a degree in something else, and worked in that field until you become a manager, then do a management degree so you can do your job more effectively. Even then the value of such a degree is debatable (I personally believe it would be somewhat useful).
I also don't have as much respect for business degrees as I do for most other degrees, because I don't think they are really "creating" any value for humanity.
If you are a doctor, you are helping people staying healthy and regaining health. If you are a scientist, you are discovering aspects of the physical world that were not previously known, and can potentially make the world a better place. If you are a psychiatrist, you are helping people becoming happier and helping them combat mental illnesses. If you are an engineer, you are pushing the human frontier of technology and solving problems in the world. If you are an architect, you are building bridges and houses, which obviously benefit humanity.
If you are a business person... you are shuffling money around, making some people richer and some people poorer, without really adding any net value into humanity.
I think similarly of lawyers.
And I don't think I'm alone. I believe that's why a lot of people don't have a lot of respect for business people and lawyers, not just because they are usually rich. Doctors and engineers are usually rich, too, and they don't get nearly as much hate.
Yes, job prospects are good and you can probably become very rich, but when you die, what will people remember you for? If you are an engineer, you can say you built bridges. If you are a doctor, you can say you saved x number of people and performed some very difficult surgeries. What about you?
Both from my personal experience and experiences relayed by friends, ALL of the most effective managers have very high technical backgrounds, and most of them do not have management degrees.
Like cambio wechsel said with the swimming analogy - you have to learn management by doing it, and to get there, you need to be better than everyone you manage at what they do. A management degree doesn't really prepare you for that.
To be a manager at a software company, you need to be a very good software developer yourself. To be a manager at a pharmacy, you need to be a very good pharmacist yourself. To be a manager at a car dealership, you need to be more knowledgeable about cars than all the sales people.
You can't just get a management degree, and walk into fields that you have no idea about, and expect people to hire you to lead their teams. It just doesn't work that way.
One use I can think of for a management degree is if you have a degree in something else, and worked in that field until you become a manager, then do a management degree so you can do your job more effectively. Even then the value of such a degree is debatable (I personally believe it would be somewhat useful).
I also don't have as much respect for business degrees as I do for most other degrees, because I don't think they are really "creating" any value for humanity.
If you are a doctor, you are helping people staying healthy and regaining health. If you are a scientist, you are discovering aspects of the physical world that were not previously known, and can potentially make the world a better place. If you are a psychiatrist, you are helping people becoming happier and helping them combat mental illnesses. If you are an engineer, you are pushing the human frontier of technology and solving problems in the world. If you are an architect, you are building bridges and houses, which obviously benefit humanity.
If you are a business person... you are shuffling money around, making some people richer and some people poorer, without really adding any net value into humanity.
I think similarly of lawyers.
And I don't think I'm alone. I believe that's why a lot of people don't have a lot of respect for business people and lawyers, not just because they are usually rich. Doctors and engineers are usually rich, too, and they don't get nearly as much hate.
Yes, job prospects are good and you can probably become very rich, but when you die, what will people remember you for? If you are an engineer, you can say you built bridges. If you are a doctor, you can say you saved x number of people and performed some very difficult surgeries. What about you?
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by ChaoticButterfly
I dislike managers anyway
Also then thought of someone getting a mangers degree, going into some field and then bossing a bunch of workers about who do a job the manager has no experience it just sickens me.
There you go.
Also then thought of someone getting a mangers degree, going into some field and then bossing a bunch of workers about who do a job the manager has no experience it just sickens me.
There you go.
It's the class system in another form, they don't have this sort of nonsense in other countries which is probably why other countries actually make stuff
Original post by ihavemooedtoday
I can only speak from an engineering/tech perspective as that's the only field I have worked in. I have worked a total of about 2.5 years, for some very big name companies, as well as a startup, and know a lot of people working for Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and a gazillion startups, etc.
If you are a business person... you are shuffling money around, making some people richer and some people poorer, without really adding any net value into humanity.
I think similarly of lawyers.
And I don't think I'm alone. I believe that's why a lot of people don't have a lot of respect for business people and lawyers, not just because they are usually rich. Doctors and engineers are usually rich, too, and they don't get nearly as much hate.
Yes, job prospects are good and you can probably become very rich, but when you die, what will people remember you for? If you are an engineer, you can say you built bridges. If you are a doctor, you can say you saved x number of people and performed some very difficult surgeries. What about you?
If you are a business person... you are shuffling money around, making some people richer and some people poorer, without really adding any net value into humanity.
I think similarly of lawyers.
And I don't think I'm alone. I believe that's why a lot of people don't have a lot of respect for business people and lawyers, not just because they are usually rich. Doctors and engineers are usually rich, too, and they don't get nearly as much hate.
Yes, job prospects are good and you can probably become very rich, but when you die, what will people remember you for? If you are an engineer, you can say you built bridges. If you are a doctor, you can say you saved x number of people and performed some very difficult surgeries. What about you?
How does investment banking add value for example? Imagine if the start-up one of your mates is from decides to go public and raise capital. An investment bank will assess how much the start-up is worth, help value the stock and will then help them access the market and help the business grow. A lack of an efficient capital market has also hampered the economic development within third world countries.
Investment banking and accountancy remain pretty meritocratic fields in terms of bonuses being determined by performance a clear career progression structures, the latter which certainly is not seen in the public services sector for example.
Not every profession has to add humanitarian value either. Many important jobs which do not have that 'highly moral' aspect to them need to get done. If I wanted to contribute to humanitarian causes I could do so outside of work.
(edited 10 years ago)
Because they are indeed generic.
Original post by thegodofgod
At the end of the day, if you come out with a first class degree or a good 2:1 honours degree, you'll be able to get a good managerial job in many different sectors of employment.
At the end of the day, if you come out with a first class degree or a good 2:1 honours degree, you'll be able to get a good managerial job in many different sectors of employment.
In what world do you expect to come out of uni with no experience and be put straight into a "good managerial job"? You may get to one after some years of experience, but that's true of just about any degree that gets you an entry level job. (Hence the skepticism about the value of the degree.)
Original post by clh_hilary
Because they are indeed generic.
Not necessarily a bad thing.
Original post by sj27
In what world do you expect to come out of uni with no experience and be put straight into a "good managerial job"? You may get to one after some years of experience, but that's true of just about any degree that gets you an entry level job. (Hence the skepticism about the value of the degree.)
Your understanding is flawed for two reasons.
Firstly, management students are given the knowledge (business strategy, business operations, HR management, marketing) which could be useful in the future as business managers (further down the line). This is not covered by other degrees.
Secondly, management students do not expect do go into managerial jobs straight after they graduate. This is a misunderstanding. Quoted from Warwick BSc Management:
'Our graduates usually go into management consulting, financial service activities, and accounting within large, global commercial firms. A significant number also enter into marketing, human resources or supply chain management. '
I can assure you it is not possible to go straight into a management position at an accounting firm or investment bank straight after graduating with a bachelor's. But that's the thing- a management degree gives you an overall business foundation- which would be relevant to any business area. It's not just about 'building the business managers of tomorrow'.
Although I may seem like it, I can guarantee that IRL I am not a fan of management myself (I am much more into finance) but I feel it deserves a lot more respect than it gets.
Original post by Tomatochuckers
Not necessarily a bad thing.
Meaning people see that as a degree which gives you no skills or knowledge any other programme wouldn't give you. And most other programmes give you some knowledge on something else.
Original post by clh_hilary
Meaning people see that as a degree which gives you no skills or knowledge any other programme wouldn't give you. And most other programmes give you some knowledge on something else.
Sorry, I mistook 'generic' to mean 'broad'. Management degrees can be tailored to whatever the student wants it to be. If you want the degree to be much finance and maths heavy then it is possible to do so, as management typically gets a lot of optional modules within it.
Original post by Tomatochuckers
Your understanding is flawed for two reasons.
Firstly, management students are given the knowledge (business strategy, business operations, HR management, marketing) which could be useful in the future as business managers (further down the line). This is not covered by other degrees.
Secondly, management students do not expect do go into managerial jobs straight after they graduate. This is a misunderstanding. Quoted from Warwick BSc Management:
'Our graduates usually go into management consulting, financial service activities, and accounting within large, global commercial firms. A significant number also enter into marketing, human resources or supply chain management. '
I can assure you it is not possible to go straight into a management position at an accounting firm or investment bank straight after graduating with a bachelor's. But that's the thing- a management degree gives you an overall business foundation- which would be relevant to any business area. It's not just about 'building the business managers of tomorrow'.
Although I may seem like it, I can guarantee that IRL I am not a fan of management myself (I am much more into finance) but I feel it deserves a lot more respect than it gets.
Your understanding is flawed for two reasons.
Firstly, management students are given the knowledge (business strategy, business operations, HR management, marketing) which could be useful in the future as business managers (further down the line). This is not covered by other degrees.
Secondly, management students do not expect do go into managerial jobs straight after they graduate. This is a misunderstanding. Quoted from Warwick BSc Management:
'Our graduates usually go into management consulting, financial service activities, and accounting within large, global commercial firms. A significant number also enter into marketing, human resources or supply chain management. '
I can assure you it is not possible to go straight into a management position at an accounting firm or investment bank straight after graduating with a bachelor's. But that's the thing- a management degree gives you an overall business foundation- which would be relevant to any business area. It's not just about 'building the business managers of tomorrow'.
Although I may seem like it, I can guarantee that IRL I am not a fan of management myself (I am much more into finance) but I feel it deserves a lot more respect than it gets.
I think you need to re-read my post and what it was responding to.... (You've just spent a lot of time basically agreeing with my response.)
Original post by sj27
I think you need to re-read my post and what it was responding to.... (You've just spent a lot of time basically agreeing with my response.)
No, re-read my reply. My points were detailing how the degree does build up value, contrary to the last part of your post.
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