Since MBA is a postgraduate degree, it is safe to assume that most business schools require applicants to have an undergraduate degree to be eligible. This is particularly true of the top business schools in the United States.
For students with business majors or those who pursue a bachelor’s program in business administration, an MBA is the top popular choice.
Many students are not sure whether they absolutely need to have a business-related undergraduate degree to apply for an MBA. What if your undergraduate degree is in a non-business field, such as engineering, computer science, medicine, literature, or architecture? Would you still be able to pass muster?
What’s the best undergraduate degree for an MBA?
The fact is that there is no specific undergraduate degree or majors that can be termed as the best if you intend to do an MBA.
If we look at the stats, we see that nearly half of MBA applicants (48 percent) have majored in business. This includes both general and specialized business degrees. The good news is that there’s the other half with non-business–related degrees.
The stats show that Liberal arts graduates come second (24 percent), and engineering and science degree holders are third and fourth (10 percent each), respectively. This bodes well for those with bachelor’s degrees in non-business-related disciplines.
What’s more, even if they feel insecure about their proficiency and capacity to deal with intensive MBA courses, business schools usually give them the opportunity to take additional business courses once accepted into a program.
You might be required to take general courses in accounting, statistics, or finance in advance of your MBA program. This positions you well to gain to bridge the knowledge gap and integrate into the learning process more seamlessly.
What’s more, business schools encourage non-business-degree students to apply because they add value to the diversity of their classes and thus enhance the learning experience of their peers.
Is it worth earning an MBA with a non-business undergraduate degree?
Absolutely yes! An MBA degree equips you with knowledge and skill sets to help you move up the corporate ladder and take up senior managerial positions. So, the value gained through an MBA is not limited to a certain industry.
For example, in a non-business area like medicine, an MBA can help you hone your strategic decision making, leadership and problem-solving skills which can help you take up senior managerial positions in the healthcare industry. Taking up senior roles also translates into a higher paycheck and other perks.
Read: MBA after MBBS at Cambridge Judge with scholarship despite low GMAT
An MBA also facilitates career change. So, if you completed your undergrad in a non-business area like engineering and after working for a few years, plan to switch to the highly lucrative finance industry, you might consider pursuing an MBA to help you with your career objective.
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Work experience is more important than undergraduate specialization
Work experience is crucial while applying to a top MBA program. It helps bridge the gap between what you’ve achieved academically and what you wish to pursue professionally.
Giving yourself some breathing space between undergraduate and postgraduate studies makes sense because jumping from your undergraduate degree straight into an MBA program is not as enticing and savvy a decision as it may seem.
Students may think that back-to-back degrees will catapult them to a rewarding and well-paid job right after graduation. That is not necessarily true and is a wrong interpretation of what continuous education constitutes or encapsulates.
Theory without practice adds little value to your career aspirations and professional progress. We would argue that seeking a synergy between your studies and work is a more prudent decision in today’s world, where change is the only constant.
Striving to build symbiotic relationships between formal education and work experience thus makes a lot more sense. You may as well end up earning more money too.
You may have specialized in a non-business area during your undergraduate education. However, you may have achieved a lot professionally and handled various roles and responsibilities. The MBA admissions committee value your achievements, professional growth and current skills more than your area of undergraduate studies.
You can effectively use your MBA application to talk about your career progression including how you managed teams or worked within tight deadlines, demonstrated leadership skills, extracurricular activities you were involved in and also the impact of your work.
Also read: How to impress MBA admissions officers
Many business schools require MBA applicants to have a work experience of at least two years, the average being 3-5 years. You might also be expected to have an adequate grasp of basic accounting, statistics, and finance.
Build a strong MBA application
There are other creative ways to address shortcomings in your formal education. Investing in your application process is an obvious and logical effort.
You’d be able to secure a top school admit by coming up with competitive test scores and a stellar MBA application. Dedicate enough time and effort to come up with high-quality MBA essays, resume and recommendations so that your application stands out.
Once you get an admit, business school might offer you to take foundational courses. It is also reassuring to know that your fellow students are not likely to have much of a head start over you. MBA courses are very intensive and demanding, and they need utter dedication and focus, irrespective of your previous academic performance and excellence.
The corollary is that even if you are not required to have an undergraduate business degree, it is incumbent upon you to take general courses in business, accounting, finance, or statistics to lay a foundation for a less cumbersome and time-consuming start into your MBA program.
The lack of business-related academic background is not an insurmountable barrier. You need to carefully assess your MBA application in the context of your career and educational goals, your current position and needs, and specific goals you can apply your new knowledge to.
Final Thoughts
The overall conclusion is that you do not necessarily need a business-related undergraduate degree to apply for an MBA program. There are ways to bridge your business-related knowledge gaps, and if business schools like your application and work experience, they have ways to help you with that.
For top business schools, your work experience might as well be more valuable as a prerequisite for admission. They have learned that even when students’ educational backgrounds are impeccable, they can be misleading as to their true potential for further learning and development. All that glitters is not gold, as the saying goes.
Some schools go so far as to intentionally encourage students with non-business degrees to apply. They do so because they believe that broader inclusion boosts diversity in an MBA class.
It is also judicious for MBA applicants to focus on the relevance of MBA education to their needs. You’d also need to have adequate work experience, proper references, right skills, and ability to clearly and unequivocally explain your career goals and aspirations in your application and interview. If you get these right, the other pieces of your educational puzzle should start falling into place too.
At MBA Crystal Ball, our top-rated admission consultants have helped candidates from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds including those from non-conventional fields like merchant navy (commercial shipping), doctors, physiotherapists, architects, mass media & advertising get into the top MBA programs.
If you need help with your application, drop us a line at info(at)mbacrystalball(dot)com
References: 1, 2, 3, 4
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