major

Hey guys, I previously transferred into UPenn's College of Arts and Sciences from another uni and I hope to work on Wall Street and (most likely) in Sales & Trading in the future. This means Wharton's out of the picture but I can still take a few courses there. What is the best major within the College of Arts and Sciences to get recruited? I'm interested in the PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) major so far and I'm hoping to load a few STEM courses (ideally a minor). Any advice? Thanks!

10 Jun 2021

Hi monkeys. I have a pretty dumb question but have been struggling a good bit trying to figure this out, and I felt like you all would have some good perspective for me. I'm graduating next Spring and will join FT in MM IB. I had a good bit of AP credits going into college, so I will be done with all my graduation requirements at the end of this semester (majoring in business/finance at non-target). My question is if it's worth getting a minor before graduating to give me something to do in college. It would be a joint minor in literature/history so probably pretty useless for future

27 Oct 2021

I've heard that if you're at a target, it doesn't matter what you major in. However, at non-targets they prefer more quantitative majors. I'm a freshman at Emory and I'm wondering if a finance+ accounting/consulting major would suffice for IB and consulting or if I should do something more quantitative. Also outside of that I'm currently doing BBA+QSS(kinda like data science) however I feel like the QSS classes might have a negative impact on my GPA. However it does give me the ability to be quantitatively adept. So I'm wondering if I should major in QSS too and gain those quantitative skills

28 Nov 2021

Hello all. I am a first-year student majoring in Industrial Engineering (Concentration in Economic and Financial Systems) at a non-target school, which happens to be ranked very highly in IE. I am trying to figure out a solid degree plan for when I will be applying to finance jobs in the future. The goal is IB/PE/VC in a quant role, such as a Quantitative Researcher. I'm also open to the possibility of starting a career in Management Consulting or Tech, but I don't know much about those fields. I would like to ask for your help in choosing which degrees to best break into this quant field. I

24 Nov 2021

Hey everyone, I am new here. I have been reading WSO posts for a couple of months, but I just made an account. I am a senior in high school this year and still deciding on a college. I know for sure I want to be in non-retail finance; I have been exploring and researching this industry and world since I was 13. My questions are: Is it worth it to go to a non-target school that I want to go to and just work harder than everyone else (put lightly), or try and get into a target school? What majors are the best to study? Econ. or finance or even applied specific math degrees? What difference does

04 Sep 2021

If you declare a major in XXX, get the internship but then realize that it isn't feasible to major in it, then turn the major into a minor, do firms care about this switch? Don't want the firm to think I am lying or anything. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks.

09 Nov 2021

I can graduate this year with a 3.87 GPA and a degree in economics or spend another year pursuing a Finance degree at a top 10 undergraduate business program. My ambition is to work in Investment Management and get into Wharton or HBS for my MBA someday. I desperately need help with this decision. Here are the facts to consider: 1) I'd stay at the same University, but a higher ranked program (UNC-CH) 2) The Finance Program offers a specialization in Investment Management 3) Tuition is not a factor 4) I don't have work experience in Investment Management or Finance 5) I've only held two

22 Sep 2017

I graduate high school this year and I was thinking of pursuing an Economics major and a double minor in Psychology and Environmental Science/Agriculture in college. The reasoning behind it is that both the minors are interesting to me (at least right now) and are relatively easy to complete. I understand that college is college and nothing is really easy but I feel that my double minor combo is like a hard minor. Also, I think they are somewhat relevant to finance, since trading is a lot of psychology and I want to work in Agro PE/VC long-term. I don't know though, what do you guys think as

20 Nov 2021

Hi! I've really appreciated the feedback on this forum, so am reaching out again. I'm halfway through my undergrad and have the option of completing: 1. A BS in Mathematics and Computer Science or 2. A combined BS&MS in Statistics and Data Science The courses I would take would be virtually identical and both would be completed in the same time frame. Given this, it is mostly a question of which is better perceived. For some context, I am currently looking at roles at quantitatively oriented funds (but not systematic strategies).

18 Aug 2020

Here's the situation; my school is highly ranked for math and mediocre (30s/40s on Business Week) for business, and I feel that the business degree might raise a few questions. There is a decent chance that I will have the chance to add a math major to dual along with business, but I'll have to decide by Monday. Also keep in mind that I am fairly certain that I'll do an MSF, and my end goal is banking or real estate finance. Math Major:

09 Sep 2011

Hi all, I'm currently an Econ grad with a low GPA (2.9-3.2) from a top public (UMich/UVa/Berkeley/UCLA). I have solid internship experience (F500 PWM, top F500 tech firm business analyst, small VC advisory firm, BB MO). I recently graduated this month, but was planning on taking extra classes this spring semester at a community college to finish up my 2nd major in math. Although I've already graduated with an econ major, I'm able to add another major to my degree by finishing up this class. Additionally, I have a job offer with a BB MO for full-time that starts in mid July. Obviously, I've been hoping to break into IB, but despite multiple interviews/final-rounds and extensive networking, nothing has come through for me yet.

03 May 2011

Hey everyone, I'm currently an undergrad at a Canadian target. My long term goal career goal is hedge funds although I'm not ruling out any other finance career, especially for the first few years (ER, S&T or IB). I want to graduate with some quantitative knowledge in order to be able to work in a more "quant" environment should I want to. I have heard nobody gives a shit about minors, and I'm also thinking it only lets you scratch the surface of the subject at hand. I can't double major finance / comp sci, so I have the following choices: 1) Major in Finance, minor in Statistics or

04 Mar 2016

I was wondering if consulting firms like McKinsey prefers certain undergrad majors over others, even if only by a little. Strong math/quantitative skills are obviously necessary, but would there be any preference between say operations research/financial engineering, mechanical engineering, and physics at a place like Princeton? What Should I Major in to Get A Consulting Job? Our users shared that the OP should major in any meaningful and somewhat relevant major that they are passionate about. Our users also emphasized the importance of majoring in something that you are passionate about as

09 Jun 2010

If you were giving advice to an undergrad, what double major or major/minor combination would you recommend for the following fields? Private Equity IBD HF VC What are Recommended Double Majors for Business Students? Double majoring or having a single major and a minor is quite a common choice most college students make. While choosing your major(s) can provide a quick snapshot of who you are to recruiters, it is also possible to strategically select majors to benefit you towards a certain field. While in today's ever expanding technological advancements, a common major/minor combination is

05 Feb 2015

I am a student attending Baruch College in NYC and am a little confused on choosing between the two below. I would appreciate any insight from those who are experienced or know of those who are experienced to help me visualize the reality and possibilities of each. How do they compare? I realize that accounting is in high demand in the following years and will most likely continue to be because everyone needs to spend some time with uncle Sam. However, I would appreciate to read upon your thoughts. Also what would the salary be with a masters degree in either? Also it's go hard or go home, I am terrible at math but I will dedicate 5-8hours of studying a day if it means to get into Columbia to pursue a masters finance.

07 Mar 2015

Hey all, I have been reading though a lot of discussions on here and finally am ready to ask for my own advice. So I know that I am in a bad situation but I am willing to make the best out of it.

01 Jun 2014

Hi fellow monkeys, I recently accepted SA position at a BB. I haven't gotten official paperwork yet, but on my resume it says I am a certain major. I am currently actually undeclared (long story) but in the process of declaring to that major on my resume and hopefully can do so before I have to send in my official transcripts so that things line up. But I am also in the process of thinking about switching to a different major and may instead declare that. How does this work with the internship process? Would the bank care if a) my transcript doesnt say same major or b) says undeclared when

12 Feb 2015

Hey guys I just had a quick question about dropping a major in order to graduate on time. I am currently planning on pursuing a dual degree: BBA (Concentration: Finance) and a BS in Mathematics of Finance and Risk Management, along with a computer science minor. However, doing this would take me 4.5 years and I'd rather graduate on time in four years with one degree (BBA) and minors in mathematics and computer science. Let's say I receive a full time offer for an IBD job, and decide after to drop my math major. Would that be a bad sign and would it cause my full time offer to get revoked? There's literally a difference of four classes to get my math major but I have to stay an extra semester to complete.

13 Jul 2014

I am to the point that I am going to need to declare my minor soon, and, instead of doing the usual finance, acct, econ minors, I was wondering what some of you thought about psych or polsci minor? These two subjects interest me, but not to the point that I would want a career in either ... I can't see myself asking some depressed person "And, how does that make you feel?" lol or some bs. Or making it up to Congress. So, a minor makes the most sense. My goals are to get into Man. Consulting. If I could choose the firm/division, it would be Deloitte s&o.

04 Jan 2013

Hi guys! I received a BB summer analyst offer in November and accepted, and we are now going through the background check process. Since I accepted the offer, I have changed my major from finance to economics. When I applied and interviewed, the major on my resume and application was finance. HR just sent out a survey for the background check and one of the questions asks about our major. I'm also sending in an official transcript, which doesn't contain information about majors. The question is this - can I have my offer rescinded for changing majors? And thus should I enter my major as finance or economics? Thanks in advance for your advice!

09 Apr 2013

Hello everyone, I presently attend a Community College and I will be transferring to a non-target soon (University of Connecticut). If I could get some input into what I should major in? I was thinking Finance/Accounting duel major, or maybe something like Finance/MIS. Granted my school is good, but not the best I figure I should ask you guys what would make me more competitive and more likely to earn more, whether it be in IB or corporate. I am presently taking all my core classes as well as some accounting classes at CC, my GPA is 3.77 if that matters. Also, I'm new here, where should I go to ask where I should apply for internships in CT?

25 Sep 2012

Alright so currently I am thinking about either majoring in finance or accounting, possibly a double major if I can do so. My goal right now is to try and get into Big Four TS/TAS valuations or similar. Would just an accounting major be enough to have a shot at this or would it limit me to tax/audit there? Should I try to double major or minor in finance or economics? I've heard minors aren't so worthwhile but would like to get some more input on that topic as well. On another note, if I do get placed directly into FT TS or the like then I am wondering, do most people still go for their CPA at

13 Jul 2012

Yes, I know this topic has been beaten to death already. My situation is slightly different than other schools. Finance and economics are both in the business school. I got to a top 50 non target (One or two kids make BB each year, and some make local IBD). A lot of kids go into top corp fin. These kids are typically finance majors, but not all. There are three possible degrees which would work - accounting, finance, or economics. Accounting is arguably the best, but the classes are significantly harder. Most accounting students have GPA's below 3.5. I eliminated this degree after learning of

15 Nov 2011

I've seen way too many threads on the finance major being useless and that engineers are smarter. But we all know major doesn't mean shit so lets focus on classes. What were the most useful classes you've taken in regards to banking/ trading/ finance? And then what were the most useful classes you took in general? I'll start off. for finance, financial accounting was the most important. The stuff is way too boring to learn on your own but too fundamental to skip. No need to study the intermediate / advanced ones imo. In general, the most important class was a chinese etiquette seminar ( I want to work in China ). That class saved my life. so far: Finance: Financial Accounting corporate finance General:

02 Oct 2011

As a major, which one is harder? Econ seems to apply calculus and other types of math. I've never taken a Finance course so I dont have an idea. is economics a hard major relative to finance? The answer to this question depends on the school that you attend and the difficulty of the programs at these respective schools. That being said, from a conceptual standpoint - finance is more technically focused (learning formulas and processes to solve problems) and economics is focused more on theory and critical thinking. With this in mind, most people can memorize their way through a finance class

09 Jun 2011

Hi! I'm an undergraduate at a target about to declare major/minor My candidates are Econ, Math, Computer Science, and History Well I guess majoring in econ and math is the most relevant to my goal of eventually making into IB, but I am very passionate about comp sci as well as history to give them up. Would it be okay to not declare econ and double major in math/comp sci with minor in history? We do have a prestigious certificate in finance. So.. What should I choose? op1. econ/math major comp sci minor+certificate op2. econ/math major history minor+certificate op3. math/compsci (or history)

16 Feb 2012

Hi, I was just a reader in this website but I finally came to sign in to ask few questions that are extremely important for me. I have never known any website or any source that is filled with knowledgeable people so I am just posting this question. I certainly felt that this might be a stupid question or a redundant question but I thought I should post this and get an answer since my case is quite unique. Currently, I am a junior in university. I decided to major in Economics and I think I can graduate in a year (so that would be totally 3 years). However, since I really wanted to go to graduate school and attend financial engineering programs, I felt that I have to show that I am highly adept (or, at least, interested) in mathematical, and computational study.

28 Feb 2012

Hey, If I go to Amherst College and major in psychology will that hurt my chances at a BB/MBB job out of college (just thinking ahead, may not even go down that road, pretty sure I will though). The "catch" if you will is that I've already interned at MS and plan on getting it again next summer. Judging by some of the other kids that have gotten this internship from my prep school I am assuming I'll continue to internship for them into my freshman and sophomore summer. So lets say I'm a psych major at Amherst with very good internship experience over the summers (lots of the guys are now interning at other BB, Im guessing they got because of their previous internship) does that put me at the same level as the econ majors? Or maybe I should just suck it up and do econ?

12 Aug 2011

over Michigan's College of Engineering I've heard that recruiting has gone from almost all Ross to half-Ross, half-LSA/CoE... and that MBB/s&t will probably look at engineering moreso than IB would. I would be going for computer sciences in CoE and would've tried to double major in CS/finance if it didn't take an extra year. I've also heard that minoring in something like CS tends to not give you some leniency regarding the GPA. So does anybody know how recruiting for CoE is? Which one would YOU pick if you were trying to get on Wall Street but still wanted to leave your options for a masters (possibly in cs/engineering) open? Is Ross really that much more valuable than an engineering degree?

03 Apr 2011

I go to a school that is not a target or a low target for finance (JHU) and I'm wondering what course of action will give me the best chance of getting a position at an IBank (preferably in Sales and Trading). Right now I've accumulated enough credits to graduate with a degree in either CS, applied math, or (pure) math. They're all about equally interesting to me. While math is definitely the hardest major of those three, Applied Math has a lot of coursework directly related to finance. Would that sort of coursework help when looking for a front office position?

24 Mar 2011

I am an engineering major in Florida planning to eventually get an MBA at a top school. Everyone keeps telling me that without work experience at GS or a similar place, I won't get in. This just does not make sense to me that an entire MBA class would be investment bankers. If I work in Florida at a place like Raytheon or Harris, get a few minor promotions or so in the 3-4 years of work experience time, could I reasonably get in? Now I know engineers can get into banking, but, especially from Florida, it would be a challenge. What would be the best kind of job to shoot for with an engineering

31 Dec 2010

Which of Masters in Stats or Masters in Econometrics applies better to the hedge fund industry? Are there investment or trading strategies used by money management firms that would make HR prefer someone with a Stats background over an Econometrics background (or vice versa)? If so, which strategy type (stat arb, HFT, macro, credit event, options writing, etc.)? I am trying to decide which of the two choices has the better application to trading, investment/money management, and would appreciate any and all insight (especially from people currently in the industry). Thanks a mil! G.

13 Apr 2011

Hey everyone. Quick question: I'm a junior at a target school, double major in poli-sci/history. I want to go into consulting; I have a 3.4 GPA. however, I have a resume full of public service paid work experience (US Senate, Worked for the mayor, worked for the school board, worked for a non-profit. this is all while in college - I've consistently worked about 25 hrs/wk on top of 2 leadership positions in extracurriculars (VP of fraternity, VP of a student club) and a full college courseload. Now, you might be thinking, "why go into consulting, why not work for the government?", well my last government internship (US Senate) absolutely sucked (sorted mail for 40 hrs/wk for three months) and totally turned me off of working for the gov't.

21 Dec 2010

Hi, guys: I've been on WSO for a while and I am now pretty interested in investment banking. Currently I am a Chemical Engineering major, I like this major and I am pretty gifted at Math and Chemistry. I am a freshman but I am taking advanced classes and getting As if not A+. However, I am not sure if I can get a job in IB from where I am now. The first problem is the major since Chem E really has a tight schedule and we don't have room to pick that much finance or econ classes. Should I switch into the B-School and secondly is the school. UIUC produce excellent engineers. But I don't see that much opportunity for IB. The business school's career center or career fair closed their door to other majors. and the banks are mostly gathered in the East coast I guess.

15 Nov 2011

I'm a sophomore Economics major at a relatively unknown non-target with a 3.95 GPA and 2200+ SAT scores. I'll also be studying abroad at one of (Oxford, Cambridge) next semester (would rather not give too much outable info). I need to decide on a minor (I will be taking 2 minor classes while abroad) relatively soon. I'm interested in Political Science or Philosophy but I feel as though Finance may be more marketable for Finance jobs. Obviously, if I were at Harvard, I would be able to major in English with a minor in History and still be able to get Goldman Sachs. However, I'm at a pretty unknown college. Will a Finance minor give me enough of a boost for post-college employment (not necessarily I-banking) to make it worthwhile? Thanks.

10 Apr 2011

A finance degree is better, right, but the bsba-fin is at a 50 school with the given information what is the best choice? want to get into investing after school, not sure what specifically yet, and I also want to go to law school and/or graduate finance or business degree with finance concentration. Are business administration degrees just as good as finance degrees, for banking and investment hopefuls? I have two options School A (University of state x) : Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Finance (BSBA-FIN). Distance learning. Or School B: Finance degree. Other information:

31 May 2011

Hi, I'm attending UCLA and hope to eventually work in finance or consulting. I've heard people tell me that its a target, while others say it's barely a semi-target. It's at least clear that it's not as much of a target as the ivies, so I'm assuming my major will matter more. I'm thinking of majoring in Economics or Business Economics, since they do not have a formal business major like UC Berkeley. Would it be worthwhile for me to double major in something like Applied Math, or should I focus my efforts on networking. Or perhaps should I just go for a minor in Math. Thanks in advance.

26 Nov 2013

Hello all! So I'll keep this short and to the point: I've done a good deal of searching through these forums and others, and have spoken to a number of friends in the consulting world, but have yet to get a definitive answer on the question of college majors. I'm a sophomore at a target/semi-target (depending on who you ask, I guess, but think Duke, Georgetown, etc), and am a language major with double minors in humanities areas and a 4.0. I have pretty stellar ECs in terms of leadership, research experience, business work, and internships (though none in the world of consulting...nonprofit and education work is where I've mostly focused, with some informal business experience, as well); I also have loads of international experience and speak 4 language, for what it's worth.

07 Apr 2014

Have been searching around but cannot find too much information on the web about this. What are the differences between data science and computer science, if any? Would it be worth it to major in data science (my school doesn't have a computer science program) alongside either a major in finance or Applied Economics major or to just do data science by itself?

12 Aug 2017

I'm currently applying for universities, and I was wondering how I could go about writing a convincing "Why Finance?" essay without sounding greedy and only interested in having a lucrative career. Any insights and experiences to share?

10 Aug 2017

Say you're a MBB recruiter. You're looking at candidates from a target school for interviews. What are your initial thoughts at each one? I just want to see all of your thoughts, all feedback is appreciated. 1. International Relations major with a 3.8 2. Comparative Literature major, Economics minor with a 3.45 3. PPE major with a 3.7 4. Biology Major with a 3.55 5. Middle Eastern Studies major with a 3.85

29 Mar 2011

I was told by my dean that employers don't really know the difference between "major" in finance vs "concentration' in finance. The different is in major, you're required to take 10 classes relating to finance. In concentration, you're only required to take 4 class ( senior levels) relating to finance. So my question is, does these employers even care? Would it look better on my resume if my concentration is Finance and my 2nd concentration is Math / Information system / Accounting. Anybody familiar with this debate? I was recommended to study two concentrations since it will make my resume

31 Aug 2010

Hi, I'm a freshman of a liberal arts college, so it doesn't offer finance courses. I don't think it's a target although several graduates get into Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley. I've just started to know finance service industry and considering what major to take. I'm really not interested in computer science or math or statistics...I want to double major in economics and another one, such as political science,philosophy or biochemistry. Does a second major like above undermine my copetitiveness in finance? If so, should I transfer to a school which provides finance courses? Thanks!

23 Dec 2012

Hey I was wondering what type of major would be most helpful for someone looking to break into trading. I know this is a ridiculously general question but I know very little about specific types of trading and what they require, and if this question is absurdly general feel free not to respond. But for arguments sake lets say I have the choice between math/comp sci/finance/econ (if there is a 5th major that would be more helpful please let me know) or any combination of the 4 (double major, major minor...etc.) Thanks

04 Feb 2010

*As a forward, I already posted in a similar topic but no one was answering my question. Hi, I'm entering my freshmen year at Cal/UCLA/Michigan (one of those schools) working towards a history major. I'm majoring in history because I find it more interesting than other fields, but I'm concerned that I won't have good job opportunities in business (finance especially). I can fairly painlessly go for an econ or business major and I have done pretty well in my math classes as well as standardized tests. Should I, or can I still major in History?

16 Jul 2009

Which classes should I use to calculate my Statistics major GPA? 1. All classes taken in the statistics department (10 stat courses) 2. Courses I chose to use to satisfy the statistics major requirements (4 math prereqs, 3 stat core, 3 stat electives, 3 courses in other technical departments) 3. Something else? I'd prefer number 2 because I specifically chose courses I did well in to use to satisfy major requirements. My school does not list major GPA on my transcript. I'm aiming for an internship at a quantitative prop trading firm. Thanks for the help

16 Oct 2010

Hey people Its me again I need your brains to start running again Im going to be a sophmore this fall and I am stuck on which major to do. Now I started off studying Business but I have come to the conclusion that a business degree is not worth four years of college it just seems so basic. The future jobs look like they are going to be in medical or science related. Im still trying my hardest to become the next John Thain. I can see my self working on wall street. What options do I have? Should I study law? Should study electrical engineering then get an mba? Damm im fucked....

24 Jul 2010

I'm currently a freshman at Duke and would like to go into investment banking after school. My advisor is beginning to ask what I am thinking about majoring in. I would like to do econ but from what I hear from my classmates, playing a varsity sport and majoring in econ will be rough here. Is it worth it to major in econ and put my gpa at risk or should I major in something a little easier that will not affect my gpa in a negative way. Some other majors I am considering are history or sociology. If you all could help me out that would be great. Thank you.

31 Mar 2010

Hey guys! I have a few questions: For context, right now, I'm doing a double degree in Mathematics (Data Analysis and Operations Research) and Science (Computer Science). I just finished my first semester in a university ranked in the top 50 globally. I finished in the top 5% of all my classes, and I'm about to choose a major. My end goal is to do a Masters in Financial Mathematics at Oxford, and then onto a career as a quantitative trader. Oxford requires the equivalent of an honors degree. For me to do an honors with a double degree will take 5 years. I could simply double major in

06 Dec 2015

I was wondering...can a Harvard student major in something besides economics....like Political Science (well, Government there) and still suceed in getting into investment banking? What about something more far out like History & Literature (1 concentration) or Art? If so, do I need to make sure I take specific classes outside of my concentration. This semester I can take 4 classes. One class will be my language requirement, another will me Expos 20 (a mandatory writing tutorial). That means I have two classes left. I was thinking about doing EC10, intro econ...is this the right choice

20 Jul 2010