Are MBA Schools Finally Getting a Clue?

I did quite well financially by getting an MBA and I'm certainly glad I got the degree, but the biggest beef I have with MBA programs is that about 75% of what you learn is not that applicable to the real-world. Instead of taking people through case studies concerning big strategic issues that a CEO faces, grad schools should have courses on how to write, present, work with others, set priorities, read financial reports and so on as well as specific tasks that pertain to one's chosen discipline (marketing, finance, etc.) And yet, most still fill much of the classroom with "theories" that may work in the context of a grad school class, but aren't practical in the real world.

As I think back on my grad school days, I bet I've used absolutely nothing from at least half the classes I took. Granted, this was back when we were writing on stone tablets, but my experiences with schools since then show me that little has changed. That said, I must commend the University of Michigan. From what I've seen there, it appears their professors are working to make the curriculum real-world based.

That said, it now appears that some schools are starting to get a clue. They're working with employers to develop custom, practical programs that are designed to give the students exactly what they need. Yes, these are MBA Executive programs, not "regular" MBA options, but at least it's a sign of hope. As employers get more demanding about what they want, hopefully schools will change courses to make them more and more practical.

Anyone else out there with me? Was mine the only grad school experience where I didn't learn much of practical use in the real world?

Comments

[plonkee]

Perhaps the issue is that MBAs were originally designed for aspiring CEOs (or consultants to them) but now they are taken by people for whom that isn't a relavant goal.

[Kevin]

Sounds like you went to the wrong school for an MBA. I learned how to do a lot of those things you spoke about in my undergraduate classes. We always had at least one group project/presentation per class that taught us skills like delegating work, communication (both in a group and public speaking), writing, etc. I wasn't a big fan of it at the time, but as I look back, it was invaluable.

[belittle]

My undergrad was engineering and what I retained from my MBA in 1 class equalled about how much I learned in the 4 years of undergrad.

I thought the MBA contained nearly all real life examples.....

[Curtis]

I just finished my MBA last December after completing a BS in Engineering Management nearly 10 years ago.

I have since gone on to teach MBA courses of the evening as well. I agree that much of what I learned in my MBA program didn't help a whole lot and was mostly things I had learned from work experience. I was amazed though at how many people in the program struggled to get through... and ended up with the same MBA as me!

The classes I got the most out of depended mainly on the instructor. There is only so much a college can do in setting up a program. The real value comes from the quality and experience of the instructor themselves. In my Quantitative Analysis course I teach, I skip over many of the book examples and come up with my own from either work or life. Makes things much more meaningful.

[m]

I had a very similar experience in grad school (though not an MBA program). In my program, there was little real world learning and I feel I didn't get much out of the program at all.

My school had a great reputation and ranking, but that is not enough to ensure that it is a good fit or a truly a quality program. If I could go back I would definitely do more research and learn a lot more about as many schools and programs as possible before selecting one.

Then again, if I could go back, I wouldn't even study my same field again anyway!

[shadox]

I am not sure what you are talking about. I went to a great business school and have been using much of what I learned. Of course, I took primarily marketing classes and work in marketing.

In addition, I think that business school SHOULD prepare students for executive management. That's where many of us aspire, and that's a subject worthy of higher education. If you want to learn how to read financial statements, take a specific course or read a book. That's my opinion.