Today in GEM we studied the fiscal, monetary and political issues around German reunification following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. I love GEM. During class, it occurred to me that I would thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to look at the issue of Scottish independence in similar depth. For me, the idea is hopelessly flawed, but I would relish the opportunity to dive into detail on the economics of it all. An Independent Study Project with Matt Slaughter, perhaps? We could get it published in the Economist, be interviewed on the BBC, graduate from Tuck in 2012 and ride into Edinburgh on a white horse to close Holyrood and use proceeds from selling the asset to help George Osborne’s deficit reduction efforts. 
Alas, the scope of the study would be much too wide for an MBA class. So much we encounter in class arouses my curiosity and makes me want to study it in more depth, but time is the scarcest resource a Tuck MBA student has. A PhD in economics mightn’t provide enough time to look at all the angles.
Where the Tuck MBA unquestionably has merit is in developing a broad and integrated base of knowledge for its students. Looking at the impact of recessions on C (consumer spending) and I (private investment) links effortlessly to our study of Porter’s Five Forces in Strategy on why some industries (consumer staples) are often less volatile, and in a sense more attractive, than others (major capital goods). Similarly, when we learn about the strategic benefits of committing resources to increase a firm’s participation constraint, the implicit challenge in a Tuck MBA student’s mind is, “How does risk and return (a concept we study in Capital Markets and Corporate Finance) come into play here?”
This is no pedagogical accident. It is the benefit of Tuck’s rigorous general management program, and thoughtfully constructed core. No longer are we simply financiers, consultants, marketers or strategists. We will graduate from this great academic institution as multi-disciplinary leaders – leaders who know that we need to hire a team of PhDs to fully consider the economic implications of Scottish independence, but leaders who understand how to construct and motivate such a team and what questions to ask of them.
As for the non-academic part, I’m off for lunch shortly with the CMO of General Mills. I’m a lucky boy.
Read the full article: The academic merit of the Tuck MBA