Best Minor to add to Finance Major for PE?

So I am going to be a freshman next fall at Pitt. I'm majoring in Finance and plan to do a certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation. My advisor has encouraged me to take a good amount of extra accounting classes throughout my four years. However, my study abroad director, who was a business person himself, encouraged me to consider an economics minor.

If I want to get a job in investment banking and eventually go on to private equity/venture capital in about 3-5 years after graduation, is an economics minor or an accounting minor combined with a finance major more beneficial?

Thanks

9 Comments
 

Accounting, statistics or computer science. In that order.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

I'm a rising senior at Pitt currently interning in PE. I'm just a finance major with no minor because I'm graduating early (this December, mainly due to saving money as I'm out-of-state) and I don't have time but I'd definitely say econ minor OR a combination degree of both a Finance and Econ major (there's a program for that). I definitely regret not doing that. The accounting department is not worth the time and effort if you're not going into strictly accounting (aka big 4 or CPA). Plus you take financial and managerial accounting as an undergrad anyway so if you're not really into accounting that's more than enough, trust me. Econ or Statistics (like UTDFinanceGuy mentioned) are definitely the better option at Pitt. Feel free to PM me.

 
Best Response

I'd recommend econ personally, since you can learn most of the accounting you need to know without having to take formal classes. Econ/CS/math or something that deals with more abstract or quantitative concepts will helps you with things like Excel coding, general analysis of investments or industries, etc. I think. There's nothing that trains your brain better than dealing with problems like that

 

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