Second of two parts (read the first part)

As more MBA programs admit talented but inexperienced Millennial generation students, the trend is stirring up concerns. Will their limited workplace exposure prove detrimental in the classroom? Have they formulated a clear career strategy, or do these impatient Millennials just crave Master of Business Administration credentials to escape entry-level jobs? And how will they compete with more seasoned students in this weak job market?

Opinions are mixed, but there is clearly skepticism about MBA candidates younger than 24, the fastest-growing age group taking the Graduate Management Admission Test. Some older students consider them entitled neophytes along for the ride rather than equal partners on the team. Although they may have benefited from internships and college leadership positions, they often lack the rich professional backgrounds that enhance a class discussion or project. Rebecca Lopes, an MBA student at the University of Wisconsin, questions the motives of young Millennials. “I think some students may just be trying to delay moving into the real world,” says the 27-year-old former account executive at the JWT advertising agency. “Work experience is crucial to being a valuable student in terms of sharing insights. It also helps you understand what aspect of business is right for you.”

Some academics agree with Lopes and worry that MBA programs could become training grounds for beginners. Henry Mintzberg, professor of management studies at McGill University in Montreal, calls lowering the MBA age “an awful trend.” He believes MBA programs should build on students’ management skills, not teach rookies basic financial analysis. “You should at least know what it’s like to be a manager,” he says.

Valérie Claude-Gaudillat, MBA director at Audencia Nantes School of Management in France, fears that inexperienced students will cheapen “the MBA brand.” Perhaps, she suggests, the acronym could eventually stand for “Master of Business Apprenticeship.” She once offered a course combining MBAs with younger students from the school’s master of management program. The MBA students were not at all pleased. “The expectations and contributions of the students were very different, so we dropped it,” she says. “How can you compare the experience gleaned from an internship with the long-term responsibilities and challenges of being a manager?”

Ask Jodi-Kaye Wade, a 21-year-old MBA student at Florida A&M University, that question and she would argue that her internships at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dell, the US Forest Service and a Chinese management consulting firm have given her a solid business foundation. “Those real-life situations taught me a great deal about HR, contracting, finance, and consulting,” says Wade, who plans to pursue a career in international development and social entrepreneurship.