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Often criticized, yet still the world’s most popular degree program, undergraduate business education is used to being in the shadow of its younger sister, the MBA. Recently, respected periodicals such as the New York Times and Chronicle of Higher Education, along with the “National Survey of Student Engagement,” have labeled undergraduate business programs as “the slackers’ degree.”

In the November installment of eNEWSLINE Live (ENL), Dr. Stefanie Lenway, dean of the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University spoke with John Fernandes on the future of undergraduate management education. In their discussion, Dr. Lenway addressed difficult questions such as: Are the critics on target? What is the state of undergraduate business education? Do the programs prepare students for future careers, and how do they need to change to ensure that they provide students with skills to succeed in a complex, interdependent, and increasingly fragile global system?

In the conversation, Lenway explains that undergraduate business education is unique from other disciplines, because it is fundamentally multidisciplinary with an appreciation of dynamic technological and economic change. In addition, today’s business students should understand entrepreneurship and the creative process in order to compete in a global market. She feels increased international experiences, an emphasis on creativity and continuing education, and stronger ties to liberal arts to ensure creative thinking skills will help prepare students for a rapidly changing market and continuous innovation in business. Lenway further discussed how students also will need a fundamental understanding of other cultures and their business procedures in order to tap into global business and expertise, plus much more.

Watch: Preparing for an Uncertain Future: How Does Undergraduate Business Education Measure Up?