A few years ago, getting an MBA degree felt like a path to a secure future. This simply means that an MBA degree holder gets a better job and a higher salary. But now, it feels like everything has changed. Do you feel the same? 

Since AI has become a part of the corporate world. It is doing various tasks that managers and analysts used to do. AI is able to do research, read data, and then prepare a report. We, humans, need at least 2-3 hours for this, but AI is doing this in seconds. AI is also helping in making business decisions. Since AI is taking over the workplace. Many students and professionals are raising a question: Is spending two years and a lot of money on an MBA degree worth it or not? 

This question is not as simple as anybody can answer it with just yes or no. It requires a lot of guts and understanding to answer this question.

Is Pursuing a Business Degree Still Worth it or not?

If you want to know the answer, you need to take a flashback to what college taught you. An MBA & BBA degree teach you the very basics of business. Like how business works and how a company manages finances, and many more. This degree prepares you to enter the business world. 

This is something that a textbook makes you understand about business. But the knowledge and skill you gain beyond your textbook is even more important than that. You learn how to lead a team of many people, and how to present your ideas in front of many people. You deal with the actual problems, which gives you confidence and helps you to understand industries in a better way. 

Isn’t it the very basic thing? But without these skills, you can’t be able to survive in the industry.

Now, the need for humans in the business world is more important than ever before. The person who is skilled and able to make decisions, AI can’t replace them. Because real-world problems need real people’s solutions. Technology can do tasks more quickly, but it cannot replace the judgement which humans take. In business, the important decisions are always made by humans – not by machines. Machines are made by people to help them. Not to make them useless. 

Why MBA & BBA Degrees Feel Outdated?

Now, the real truth comes in. A lot of universities and colleges have failed to change their curriculum according to the demands of the changing world. Just enter any classroom, and you will feel that they are studying the same case study that their seniors studied 15 years ago. Just think about it, how the 15 year old case study prepares a student to face today’s problems. The world has completely changed, but the curriculum at many places has not.  

AI has changed the industry completely. It has rewritten the rule book on how companies work. But have the textbooks and teaching approach in colleges changed? The answer is no. Are they making a future leader with outdated knowledge? 

Now, it’s high time that universities need to update their syllabus and include AI in them. Because AI is taking over industries rapidly. If a student knows how to use their knowledge and enhance their work with AI, that will be the perfect combination for any company. 

Focus On Skills, Not On Degrees

This is where talent is recognised. If you have the skills to solve today’s problems, nobody can replace you. AI is not just a threat to those who are working according to old methods, but a wake-up call for everyone to update their skills according to the updated world. 

In today’s world, skills matter more than degrees. Nowadays, there is a concept of ‘Skill- based hiring’, which many companies follow during their hiring process. Many big companies like Google, Apple, and IBM have openly announced that they are not focusing on degrees, but they are focusing on skills while hiring for many positions. So, gain more practical experience and focus on building skills. 

AI tools are the most important learning tools any student has ever had access to. If you want to learn about marketing strategy, just take the help of AI. It will give you all the information and also guide you step by step. So, treat AI like a helping hand. The friend or the teacher who solves all your doubts without making you feel dumb. 

The student who wants to build their future has to treat AI like a helping hand, not like a threat. Students need to improve their learning with AI, not to ignore it. 

Let’s take it as an example of any competition. Ignoring competitors means losing half of the competition. But learning from competitors makes you already win. 

Any student who has an MBA degree and is also well-skilled in AI will always win over someone who just has the degree. So, keep learning and keep improving yourself. That’s the only mantra that will make you succeed in the future. 

The Bottom Line 

MBA & BBA degrees will not become useless. But without skills, they valued nothing. In today’s world, there is no place for someone who just has theoretical knowledge. Because 15 year old problem solving theoretical knowledge can’t help you solve today’s problem. New problems need a new approach. The students who will win in the upcoming years will be those who combine human skills with technology. The one who knows how to work with AI for the best result. 

The question is not really about- MBA Vs AI? 

The question is- are you preparing yourself to become an MBA graduate with AI skills? Are you ready to keep learning? Because in today’s world, Keep learning is the only degree that will never become useless.