Double Major - Business(Econ)/Comp Sci

I've been lurking on this site for a while and finally decided to make an account. I'm still in high school (aka the good life) and I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do for the next portion of my existence. Obviously i-banking is on my radar, but it's not the only thing.

Anyway, I want to double major in Business/Economics and Computer Science wherever I end up (waiting to hear back from semi-targets and targets). Most offer dual degrees with their respective Business/LSA and Engineering schools, which is ideal.

Possible Career Paths

So my question is: what opportunities, if any, would this double major open up as I search for internships and full-time offers throughout college? Obviously Goldman TMT is a pipe dream, but it'd be nice if a dual-degree in these two subjects improved my chances. I also wouldn't rule out quant work if that's applicable, but I'm more interested in the i-banking at this point.

Benefits of Double Majoring in College

Having an idea of what you want to do with your life can help you make the most of your college years. Double majoring in business/economics and computer science is a good base for many finance careers without limiting your opportunities. As with any career, a good GPA and networking are also important in securing internships or jobs. WSO community members offer their perspective:

  • Econ/CS degree would likely open doors up in quant and S&T, where you will actually utilize your CS skills.
  • Bankers do not need a degree in CS.
  • If it's IB you're set on, you'd probably be better off sticking w/ one major, keeping the GPA up and spending the additional time that you save networking.

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Best Response

High school and you know what Goldman TMT is? Damn. Remember there is a life outside of i-banking. Make sure to enjoy college and not simply slave away trying to become an excel monkey.

To answer your question though, an Econ/CS degree would likely open doors up in quant and S&T, where you will actually utilize your CS skills. Bankers do not need a degree in CS. If it's IB you're set on, you'd probably be better off sticking w/ one major, keeping the GPA up and spending the additional time that you save networking. Solid networking will always trump an extra degree or a tenth of a GPA point. Remember that.

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
 

Although some people may tell you to calm down and chillax, entering college a little more information about career trajectories always doesn't hurt. I applaud your proactiveness.

In short, yes, a dual degree in business/econ with computer science is very sound. Nowadays if you're not from a top target, but have enough credits from AP classes and can handle the coursework, it's generally a good idea to supplement business with something else.

Also, you see a lot of TMT bankers with coursework experience in EE/CS. The same could be said for energy banking -- you see a few energy bankers with petroleum/mechanical engineering backgrounds.

I would shoot for that if I were you. If a specific university offers an integrated dual degree plan in the two majors, I'd highly consider it.

 

Econ and finance double is always reliable but the work load can be stressful. Start off with one and see if you can manage a second.

"...Okay you know what? I'll do one!"
 

Double Major - Business(Econ)/Comp Sci

by elephonky

(Chimp, 2 Points) on 2/13/12 at 12:20am Credits I've been lurking on this site for a while and finally decided to make an account. I'm still in high school (aka the good life) and I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do for the next portion of my existence. Obviously i-banking is on my radar, but it's not the only thing (and that's probably for the best considering the current job market).

Anyway, I want to double major in Business/Economics and Computer Science wherever I end up (waiting to hear back from semi-targets and targets). Most offer dual degrees with their respective Business/LSA and Engineering schools, which is ideal.

So my question is: what opportunities, if any, would this double major open up as I search for internships and full-time offers throughout college?

Obviously Goldman TMT is a pipe dream, but it'd be nice if a dual-degree in these two subjects improved my chances. I also wouldn't rule out quant work if that's applicable, but I'm more interested in the i-banking at this point.

Thanks everyone.

No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well.
 

I am glad that i am not the only high schooler here. You got me thinking about double majoring now.

The Four E's of investment "The greatest Enemies of the Equity investor are Expenses and Emotions."- Warren Buffet
 
tlynch5:
High school and you know what Goldman TMT is? Damn. Remember there is a life outside of i-banking. Make sure to enjoy college and not simply slave away trying to become an excel monkey.

To answer your question though, an Econ/CS degree would likely open doors up in quant and S&T, where you will actually utilize your CS skills. Bankers do not need a degree in CS. If it's IB you're set on, you'd probably be better off sticking w/ one major, keeping the GPA up and spending the additional time that you save networking. Solid networking will always trump an extra degree or a tenth of a GPA point. Remember that.

Ha I guess I shouldn't have made myself sound so antisocial and boring in the initial post. For the record (so everyone doesn't think I'm some sort of IB-crazed teenager), I only know what Goldman TMT is from this site. It's been glorified time and again by tons of users. Also, I'm not sure if I'm the right fit for an S&T position. I'm fairly quick, as that type of job demands, but there's a lot of money riding on the decisions that are made, and that worries me a bit.

Definitely agree with you on having a life outside of school - working hard is rewarded by partying. From what I gather, that concept is pretty prominent in IB (models and bottles?).

Networking. Got it. Honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, I'm pursuing these two degrees because I can't decide between them. I wish I could just say fuck it and put all my eggs in one basket, but instead I'm sitting here diversifying due to indecision. If I could pursue JUST business, I definitely would. But I would regret not learning Comp Sci (and vice versa).

Thanks for the help.

neanderthal:
Although some people may tell you to calm down and chillax, entering college a little more information about career trajectories always doesn't hurt. I applaud your proactiveness.

In short, yes, a dual degree in business/econ with computer science is very sound. Nowadays if you're not from a top target, but have enough credits from AP classes and can handle the coursework, it's generally a good idea to supplement business with something else.

Also, you see a lot of TMT bankers with coursework experience in EE/CS. The same could be said for energy banking -- you see a few energy bankers with petroleum/mechanical engineering backgrounds.

I would shoot for that if I were you. If a specific university offers an integrated dual degree plan in the two majors, I'd highly consider it.

I appreciate the help. Depending on which schools I get accepted to, AP credits may not even transfer. I have dual-enrollment credits but those might end up being just General Elective credit. In short, I may get royally fucked when it comes to any work I did in high school. The Dual Degree programs are pretty much my only shot unless I wanted to overload myself with classes each semester (as appealing as that is...) or stay an extra year or two to finish.

It's definitely reassuring that many TMT divisions have that background. I don't know anything about energy banking so I'll have to investigate that a bit more.

kmess and Alex: It's great to know that I'm not the only one here. I assume you're both seniors as well?

 
elephonky:
Networking. Got it. Honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, I'm pursuing these two degrees because I can't decide between them. I wish I could just say fuck it and put all my eggs in one basket, but instead I'm sitting here diversifying due to indecision. If I could pursue JUST business, I definitely would. But I would regret not learning Comp Sci (and vice versa).

Thanks for the help.

Great. More power to you then. Learning about what you have a genuine interest in is what college is all about. I was just informing you that it wasn't crucial to get a position in IB. Best of luck to you

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
 
elephonky:
I appreciate the help. Depending on which schools I get accepted to, AP credits may not even transfer. I have dual-enrollment credits but those might end up being just General Elective credit. In short, I may get royally fucked when it comes to any work I did in high school. The Dual Degree programs are pretty much my only shot unless I wanted to overload myself with classes each semester (as appealing as that is...) or stay an extra year or two to finish.

Try not to stay an extra year. If you really cannot graduate in 4 years with the dual degrees without hurting your GPA too much from taking too many classes, I'd recommend strictly doing a CS degree. You can always spend your internships doing finance-related jobs and this "CS major + finance internship package" will be just as appealing to the recruiter, if not more, than a regular finance guy. Also, you give yourself another skillset that would be invaluable for your life.

 

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