A question for those with a MBA or business professionals in general

[wacki]

I just got a difficult to resist job offer doing research at a University setting. I have an advanced science degree with strong backgrounds in CS, biology, chemistry and bioinformatics. Although I love my work, I've often wondered if I would be happier in the business setting. My current job offer would allow me to take any class of my choosing for free. I was curious as what classes (preferably graduate level) you would be good for someone feeling out the business world.

Classes I've taken relating to business:

Statistics (multiple regression, Markov Models, Bootstrapping, etc.) 500 level
Probability Theory 400 level
Business Law for under grads 300 level
Micro/Macro Economics 300 level (both)
A bunch of CIS classes
A bunch of classes on excel, access, etc.

Yes I know this is what a guidance counselor is for but in my experience most of them really suck. I want to ask someone with real world business experience.

[edtost]

what school? we may be able to look at a course catalog online....

[wacki]

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/Management/coursedescriptions.shtmlx
This has courses, although I not sure if "Management" is the same as "MBA" although I bet both overlap.

This is the MBA site:

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/MBA/

But for some reason I can't find a link for the courses. When I find it I will post.

[fingokra]

Take into considearation that I didn't finish my MBA

Of those listed I would think Strategic Management and/or Small Business Entrepreneurship are likely to be the most enjoyable and useful. Atleast for me

[edtost]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.kelley.iu.edu/

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/Management/coursedescriptions.shtmlx
This has courses, although I not sure if "Management" is the same as "MBA" although I bet both overlap.

This is the MBA site:

http://www.kelley.iu.edu/MBA/

But for some reason I can't find a link for the courses. When I find it I will post.

[/ QUOTE ]

what area of business are you interested in (eg management, entrepreneurship, quantitative finance, economic research, etc?)

f600 (asset pricing theory) looks like a good intro quant type course; w211,300,511 seem to be interesting management/entrepreneurial type classes.

then again, i'm a (not so) humble finance undergrad, so that the above with a grain of salt.

edit: you also may want to consider courses outside the business school, eg from math or econ departments.

[wacki]

Thanks, as for my interests I am not sure. I could see myself running a pharmaceutical company one day. I wasn't expecting people to actually look at the courses. I appreciate it though. In my field people want Bioinformaticians that understand Unix, Perl, C++, Markov models and SQL. Those are primary needs that counselors don't tell you. I still can't find a course bulletin on that link. I'm going to IU tomorrow. I will ask for a course list when I get there and post it.

[edtost]

have you read Peopleware (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0932633439/ref%3Dnosim/joelonsoftware/002-6968866-6080054)? i imagine managing pharma researchers has some similarities to programmers, so it may have some good ideas for you.

note that i got the amazon link from here (http://www.joelonsoftware.com/printerFriendly/navLinks/fog0000000262.html), and it looks like an affiliate link, if that bothers you.

[smokingrobot]

while you're at it, read some adam smith and other early poly sci stuff dealing with economics (liek das capital by marx) it'll really help.

you'll also understand why communism sucks.

[jakethebake]

I'd take some basic economics classes like the ones you listed and an intro finance class.

[codewarrior]

Accounting.

(All the business classes in the world won't help you if you don't understand what your account is doing with your P&L. Familiarize yourself with what is legal/accepted accounting practice - when you run a business, you have to tell your accountant how you want things done - you may move the bottom line in many ways, but the decisions to do so lie with the big cheese.)

(Edit: expounded on my orignal, breathtaking, one-word reply.)

[skipperbob]

[ QUOTE ]
I just got a difficult to resist job offer doing research at a University setting. I have an advanced science degree with strong backgrounds in CS, biology, chemistry and bioinformatics. Although I love my work, I've often wondered if I would be happier in the business setting. My current job offer would allow me to take any class of my choosing for free. I was curious as what classes (preferably graduate level) you would be good for someone feeling out the business world.

Classes I've taken relating to business:

Statistics (multiple regression, Markov Models, Bootstrapping, etc.) 500 level
Probability Theory 400 level
Business Law for under grads 300 level
Micro/Macro Economics 300 level (both)
A bunch of CIS classes
A bunch of classes on excel, access, etc.

Yes I know this is what a guidance counselor is for but in my experience most of them really suck. I want to ask someone with real world business experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cutting-edge Advice...Go get a real Job /images/graemlins/blush.gifYou'll find out what business is all about quickly /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Accounting.

[/ QUOTE ]

The "language of business" is definitely somethiong every businessperson should learn, but maybe not for someone "feeling out" whether they would enjoy business or not.

[codewarrior]

I think most of the classes listed teach all kinds of fluff and buzzwords that hide the true nature of business.

[kenberman]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, as for my interests I am not sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

then perhaps some general intro classes that cover some broad topics would be good. an MBA is really a general degree, and people in my class went on to pursue various functions in various industries. For instance, marketing (in a variety of industries and setting), Finance (either corporate finance, investment banking, sales/trading, or research), Consulting ('strategy' at a prestigious place like Mckinsey, Bain, BCG, or a similar boutique being the goal, with places like Accenture or IBM a couple steps down).

all of those careers are pretty different, which might help you realize how general an MBA is. in many instances, it's just a plaque thats required for certain jobs/prestige. most of what you'll need for any 1 particular job, you'll learn on the job. thats the unfortunate reality.

that being said, my MBA was tremendously useful for my career, as I studied Psychology and Classics in undergrad, and had never thought about any of the careers I listed above. in b school, I found the best classes were the ones

a) that had a tremendous professor
b) were in a field I had interest in.

For instance, Marketing High Tech Products was my favorite class, b/c it happened to meet both of the above requirements. of course, you needed an intro Marketing class as a prereq.

I did not enjoy Accounting perse, but I did like a lot of the capital markets stuff that came later. (but not the corporate finance or corporate stucture classes). they are much different topics that attrect different people, despite falling in the same department in the same grad school.

I would figure out who the best professors are, and see what they teach. if it's a topic you're interested in, figure out how to get in there, even if it requires a pre-req. assuming you have the time, there's no reason not to.

[thejameser]

accounting is good

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Accounting.

[/ QUOTE ]

The "language of business" is definitely somethiong every businessperson should learn, but maybe not for someone "feeling out" whether they would enjoy business or not.

[/ QUOTE ]

As I was told in undergrad business school, "....the language of business, if you are going into business you had better speak it."

[kenberman]

[ QUOTE ]
I think most of the classes listed teach all kinds of fluff and buzzwords that hide the true nature of business.

[/ QUOTE ]

which is?

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think most of the classes listed teach all kinds of fluff and buzzwords that hide the true nature of business.

[/ QUOTE ]

which is?

[/ QUOTE ]

Make profit.

[kenberman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think most of the classes listed teach all kinds of fluff and buzzwords that hide the true nature of business.

[/ QUOTE ]

which is?

[/ QUOTE ]

Make profit.

[/ QUOTE ]

which is what those classes teach

Figure out what you want to do. Your background is probably best for trading, pharmaceuticals (operations), or VC/PE (assuming you have operational experience).

That said, don't expect to get any tangible benefits (yes, I said "any") in getting a good job from merely taking courses. You need the degree (MBA, MSc quant fin, etc).

Moving on:

Want to be a trader? Load up on courses on equities/deriviatives/fixed income and statistics.

Want to work in pharma? Take marketing and operations courses.

Want to work in VC/PE? Finance, entrrepreneurial, and operations courses.

[ChipWrecked]

Read 'The One Minute Manager' and Dale Carnegie's book.

[West]

[ QUOTE ]
I just got a difficult to resist job offer doing research at a University setting. I have an advanced science degree with strong backgrounds in CS, biology, chemistry and bioinformatics. Although I love my work, I've often wondered if I would be happier in the business setting.

[/ QUOTE ]

This paragraph kind of makes weird disharmonic music go off in my head at the end. The grass is always greener...

[ QUOTE ]
DON'T Read 'The One Minute Manager' and Dale Carnegie's book.

[/ QUOTE ]

[drewjustdrew]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, as for my interests I am not sure. I could see myself running a pharmaceutical company one day. I wasn't expecting people to actually look at the courses. I appreciate it though. In my field people want Bioinformaticians that understand Unix, Perl, C++, Markov models and SQL. Those are primary needs that counselors don't tell you. I still can't find a course bulletin on that link. I'm going to IU tomorrow. I will ask for a course list when I get there and post it.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are not really interested in pursuing a degree consider this. I go to the U. of Chicago MBA program right now and they offer a BioPharma club that discusses business issues relating to the industry. I would assume with Indiana being a pipeline to Eli Lilly that they have something similar. Perhaps you can join their club or at least attend meetings.

[Boris]

The business law or the micro classes would be the most helpful in real life. no idea how they compare with the other classes on a resume.

[The Venetian]

I would suggest a Financial Statement Analysis-type of class. If, for nothing else, it will help you if you decide to try and manage your own personal investments.

It would help to have some grounding in accounting, but you certainly don't need a hardcore intro course where all you learn is how to make journal entries.

Honestly, most MBA classes are pretty fluffy, common-sense stuff, but mine's been good to me, so I don't say this too loudly.

[wacki]

I'm at IU right now. Walking into the business school I couldn't stop counting how many women I wanted to boink. But anyway. I walked over to the graduate wing which is 1000x nicer than any other building on IU's campus. The MIS/Finance office said their classes are too integrated for me to take just one. I was like "Lady, that's a bunch of bullshit and you know it.", but I bit my tongue. Anyway, I left that wing and went to a desk with a bunch of plasma screens that were showing the symbol "IU" and that's it. I was like "that is one expensive poster".

Turns out I can take a single MBA class. I just can't take a Management Information Systems class or and class through that department. Those classes double as an MBA class btw.

I have to schedule a meeting (no walk-ins) with an advisor and get the signature of both the Professor and the Dean to sign up.

The course bulletin isn't online. Well it is, you just need the password. Thanks for the advice to all those who responded. I will keep you updated.

[DrunkIrish05]

I was gonna say that it sounds like some type of MIS class but now it sounds like you can't take one. I have my BA in finance and am halfway to my MSA, with the classes I've taken I would say definitely DO NOT take a management course. Very very rarely you can find a good one with a great prof, but usually they are just memorizing buzz words and processes that are just common sense in the first place. I've hated these classes because they are so damn soft. I have no idea of what MIS classes are actually like but with your potential programming needs, they could really help you out i think. If you can't get into one of those I suggest some type of intro econ or finance, you seem like a smart enough guy so i'm sure you could handle most finance classes without having the overlap of other classes. I also wouldn't take an acct class, just not that valuable unless you really know accounting and you won't through any type class you could possibly jump into. Hope this helps.