Two years ago the faculty at UNLV was debating changes to the business core curriculum.\u00a0 This is the set of courses all students take as part of their BSBA degree (we have a similar set at UCF).\u00a0 The curriculum hadn\u2019t been revised in years and while most people agreed the core had to be changed, there were differences of opinion among the faculty about how to move forward. One morning I was in the courtyard discussing this issue with Professor Wimmer when he said: \u201cI tell undergraduate students that if they can do physics and write well that they will do fine.\u201d\u00a0 I share his view.<\/p>\n
No I don\u2019t want you to change your major.\u00a0 This blog post has nothing to do with your major.\u00a0 Being a good economist, Professor Wimmer was emphasizing the importance of general skills.\u00a0\u00a0 As our world has become more complex, these skills have become more important.\u00a0 Those math geeks you mocked in high school are taking over the universe, especially Wall Street and Madison Avenue. Do you want to earn your fortune there someday? And it is inspiration creatively presented and communicated that goes viral on YouTube.\u00a0 Fame rarely comes to the inarticulate.<\/p>\n
Mastering these skills isn\u2019t just important for those seeking fame and fortune. Employers never tell me that the only thing that stands between students and a good job is an internet gaming course or expert knowledge of the economics of sports and entertainment.\u00a0 They tell me that ineffective job candidates don\u2019t write well, can\u2019t think on their feet, aren\u2019t data driven decision-makers, don\u2019t work well in teams, or present themselves poorly.\u00a0 And, while it is common for students to think of themselves as \u201canalytic\u201d or \u201cpeople-oriented,\u201d\u00a0 the skill sets associated with these descriptions aren\u2019t substitutes for each other.\u00a0 An \u201canalytic-type\u201d who cannot communicate their brilliant solutions is just as unemployable as a \u201cpeople person\u201d who expertly communicates half-baked ideas.\u00a0 Conversely, if you can identify new opportunities, use data to creatively solve problems, work well in team settings and communicate your ideas effectively to others (preferably in multiple languages), you are golden in any profession:\u00a0 $$$$$.<\/p>\n
This is why most b-schools won\u2019t allow you to advance into\u00a0business courses without a record of success in lower-division courses: If you cannot prove to us that you have the math, statistics, communication and critical thinking skills to do well in the general education curriculum, there really is no point in us trying to teach you specific business knowledge.<\/p>\n
So why am I telling you this now?\u00a0 Registration for spring semester classes will begin sooner than you think.\u00a0 Half the credits you earn at UCF will come from outside the college. Work with your advisor to take serious stock of your strengths and weaknesses.\u00a0 Choose general education courses that will help you improve these skills.\u00a0 There is no such thing as too much math or statistics.\u00a0 Embrace courses that give you the opportunity to write and present your ideas to others.\u00a0 While you are at it, take some courses that are very different from your major.\u00a0 Exposure to different perspectives will help you gain perspective and develop your innovative potential. If it seems like a lot of work, it is.\u00a0 The best students will take up this challenge. I have written this before: Whether you like it or not, you are in a competition to realize your dreams.\u00a0 Don\u2019t enter it with only half a degree.<\/p>\n
Paul Jarley, Ph.D., is the dean of the UCF College of Business Administration. He blogs every week at\u00a0http:\/\/www.bus.ucf.edu\/dean<\/a>.\u00a0The following post appeared on\u00a0<\/em>September 12, 2012. Follow him on Twitter\u00a0@pauljarley<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two years ago the faculty at UNLV was debating changes to the business core curriculum.\u00a0 This is the set of courses all students take as part of their BSBA degree (we have a similar set at UCF).\u00a0 The curriculum hadn\u2019t been revised in years and while most people agreed the core had to be changed, there were differences of opinion…","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":38640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[31,21],"tags":[6731],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-40789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-of-business-administration","category-opinions","tag-paul-jarley"],"yoast_head":"\n