In an email letter sent to students on April 7th, Dean Moses Pava of the Sy Syms School of Business announced the development of a new curriculum for the business school, set to take effect in the coming academic year. According to the letter, the curriculum was redesigned in order to provide business school students with an updated and comprehensive course of study with more choice and flexibility, while continuing to provide a high-quality education that will give students the skills to compete in the business world.
“My goal since becoming Dean has been to offer students state of the art business courses and majors, and to empower students to take control of their own education,” said Dean Pava. “Each one of us, in a sense, is the entrepreneur of our own career, and this starts in college. The new curriculum brings us closer to this vision.” He also encouraged students to take advantage of the increased elective options and take courses that are “non-traditional” for business students, such as the liberal arts.
The great excitement for many students is the variety that electives provide. With operations management and macroeconomics no longer required, time is now open for electives to step in. For accounting student Rachel Veres (SSB ’15), the change is great. “Accounting is a really precise major, so it’s nice that I can take electives in non-business subjects that I’m really interested in,” she said.
Sima Biederman (SSB ’15), a Management major, concurs with Veres. “I’m actually glad that Operations Management and Macroeconomics aren’t required anymore, even though I might take them anyway, because I’d much rather take a history class or something else enjoyable.”
However, some worry that the withdrawal of certain requirements to make room for electives in other areas of study could harm rather than help. One student expressed concern regarding the reduction of math-related requirements like Macroeconomics in a business school curriculum, since the analytical thinking skills acquired in such courses are crucial in the business world. The absence of math-related courses on a transcript, she said, could have a negative image in the eyes of graduate schools or potential employers.
In addition to select requirements being eliminated, one major has been removed entirely – Human Resources (HR). Current HR major Tova Kay (SSB ’14) strongly disagrees with this decision.
“HR is a growing field, with job options that offer competitive salaries,” said Kay. “It’s a great field for someone who likes business, but also has interests in other areas like psychology, for example.” Kay also noted that potential employers at informational interviews have been impressed that she is focusing on HR.
Yet, while one major may be on the outs, new opportunities are also being ushered in, in the form of a Business Intelligence and Marketing Analytics concentration. The major was added to give students relevant skills for entering the current business world’s data-driven environment.
“The internet and social media have generated vast amounts of data with hidden information embedded in various websites across the web,” explained Dean Pava. “The new Sy Syms major will teach students how to extract and analyze this information in meaningful ways in order to help businesses, government, and individuals make better decisions. This is a burgeoning industry, still in its infancy, with huge potential impact to help us understand our own world better. This new major will give you specific and highly marketable skills in the high tech economy.”
Despite a few objections, the reception of the new curriculum has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The new curriculum is so much improved,” said accounting major Tova Ross (SSB ’15). “It gives us more flexibility, while still making sure we know a tremendous amount before graduating. It allows us to focus more on the fields that [are related to] our majors, or to take more classes related to what we plan on seeking jobs in. A huge part of why I joined Sy Syms was because I saw from day one that the people in charge are organized and hyper-efficient; I haven’t been let down yet.”