I know I want to major in something business related, but what are the best majors before getting an MBA?

Hi Tinni.

This is a great question. I would agree with everything Austin said and add the following.

My MBA experience required four things and the people who graduated at the top of my class had all these skills. They excelled in school and they are all excelling in their careers now.

1. Math - There is a LOT of math in every MBA program. In MBA lingo this is called "the quantitative" (quant) part. My math was rusty so I had have my daughter tutor me in algebra before the school would even let me in. The people who had the best math skills did really well on the math-heavy classes, which were a real struggle for me. The engineers, doctors and finance majors in my class all graduated near the top of the class. None of the math idiots like me did. So know math. Take classes in algebra and statistics (that one almost killed). Get really good at graphs and equations. The other people in my class who came from a strict liberal arts backgrounds also struggled with the math and did not do well in the quant classes. I suggest in addition to math you take economics and finance classes. That way, the MBA will just be review.
2. Writing and Communication - As Austin correctly notes, there is a lot of reading and writing and communicating in every MBA curriculum. All (or most) of the exams are essay. You'll have to do a lot of reading and you need to be able to absorb it, understand it and regurgitate it with understanding. Take a lot of good writing courses in undergrad. Learn to how write a good essay and term papers with citations and solid logical analysis. This is invaluable in business school. I was really good at this stuff which made up for my poor math skills. You will have lots of group and individual presentations, so get comfortable in front of groups. If you don't like it, learn. Take a speech class. Join the debate and forensics team, try out for the next school play. Class participation is also a significant component of your grade in a lot of MBA classes. Get comfortable speaking up and being able to articulate your thoughts quickly and coherently in front of your classmates. This will also be important if you run or attend a lot of meetings after graduation.
3. Group Work - There is a MASSIVE emphasis on group work in every MBA program. The reason is because, ostensibly, your getting an MBA so you can manage people and run things. You're going to be the leader eventually, which means you have to play well with others. At the start of each term, the class was broken up into teams of 5 or 6 people. We worked with that team on everything for that term and then at the start of the next term they broke us up and made a bunch of new teams. So at one point or another I was on a team with about 30 other people. And it was common knowledge in the class who the people were who did not play well with others. These difficult people had trouble on almost all their teams. So learn to work as part of a team or group. Learn to be able to give orders and learn to be able to take them. You won't always be in charge in life. I can get along with anyone so this was easy for me, but some people struggled. Start now. Look for anything that gives you experience being part of a group that has an actual task to complete. Volunteer at your church or a soup kitchen, join clubs that do fund raisers. Getting an MBA requires a lot of group work, but it is nothing compared to what the real world of work requires. Best to learn it now and get better at it. These are what they call "soft skills". If you don't have them, you will need them. It can be hard to find classes that have a lot of group work so you may have to go outside school to practice this.
4. Software & Computers - Not surprisingly, there is a big emphasis on computers and software in every MBA program. Learn to use word processing programs, presentation programs (like PowerPoint) and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, learn Microsoft Excel. Excel is required for almost all your classes. Get really good at it. I'm a total nerd so it all came easy to me. But it was hard for others and I did a lot of tutoring for my team mates. Take some software coding classes too. It's not really needed for an MBA but if you can show prospective employers that you can also write code or build a website, your way ahead of most people.

That's what it takes to excel in business school. And any major that hits all these should work. If you get a liberal arts degree, sprinkle in some good math, econ and a stats class. If you go more hard sciences, sprinkle in some writing and speech classes.

One other thing I would add, and this goes for any school whether it's high school, college or grad school, is that you need to learn how to study. Everyone learns differently. Some people are visual learners, some are auditory and learn best by hearing the lessons, some are experiential and learn best by doing (working through problems, taking stuff apart, handling things). Figure out how you learn best and get good at it. Learn to take notes efficiently and learn to read so you absorb the material.

And lastly, above all, get the best grades you can in high school, undergrad and grad school. The people with the best grades and best admission test scores get into the best schools. And the people who have the best grades from the best schools can write their own ticket and do whatever they want. If you have great grades in business school, the top consulting firms and companies will recruit you. You don't have to take those jobs, but if you have low or even mediocre grades, you won't get the chance at all. Maximize your options and get great grades.

I loved getting my MBA and I still talk to one or two of my classmates almost every week. It's very intense but so worth it.

There are a lot of great websites that discuss business schools and how to get in. Poets and Quants is one of my favorites.

Hi Tinni,

Really great question. So the good thing about getting an MBA or JD is that there isn't one major that is better than the other; there is no magic major that will open the door to Wharton or Harvard. Graduate schools like to see that you are a normal human being with passions and interests. You should pursue a major that teaches you valuable skills that would be used when pursuing an MBA (i.e. writing, reading, public speaking, and collaboration). The nice this about this flexibility is that there are many majors that fulfill this. Interpretive dance may not be the best major to choose if you want to get your MBA but do not feel pressured that you have to be a business or accounting major to pursue your MBA. I personally know plenty of liberal arts majors who went on to pursue their MBA. If you want to major is business then by all means, but if not that is also ok.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!

Best,

Austin

You are making a great decision to get a business degree, and there are several routes you can go. My first suggestion would be to major in accounting. Accounting is known as the "language of business" and can help you in many areas of business. Fun fact, several CFOs I currently work with started their careers in accounting.

You mentioned economics in your question - in addition to majoring in accounting, I would consider getting your minor (or double majoring) in economics. Accounting will help you understand the financials of a company, where economics will help you understand/predict the business environment as a whole. Therefore, I would major in accounting and minor in economics. This will make you a well-rounded individual, primed and prepped for the MBA program.