The MBA Degree: Going Out of Business?

One of the country’s oldest business schools, the University of Wisconsin’s School of Business, may shut down its M.B.A. program. The university is considering ending its full-time master’s of business administration and replacing it with shorter term, more specialized degrees, according to the Wall Street Journal. The school is offering part-time programs in finance and accounting, to meet demand for more niche certifications.

Founded in 1900, the Wisconsin M.B.A. ranks among the top public university business programs. But like other such traditional studies, it is attracting fewer applicants. The reason is that the high cost of the two-year degree and its subsequent student-loan debt size are driving a college graduates straight into the workforce. Fewer employers are helping out with this cost. And the rapid rate of change in today’s business practices means that an academic general business experience may not be the best preparation for future careers in finance and management.

I’m John Howell for 3BL Media.