<p>Alright, so this is what I have planned for my future thus far, and I’d really appreciate any advice/critique/comments:</p>
<ul>
<li>UCSD for undergraduate school</li>
<li>Joint B.A. in Economics/Applied Mathematics</li>
<li>Concurrently enroll in certificate program(s) at extension program in finance and/or accounting</li>
<li>Research/internship over the summers</li>
<li>Graduate in 3 years with Honors for major and on degree</li>
<li>Apply to b-school, hopefully get into Kellogg/Wharton/Harvard/Sloan</li>
</ul>
<p>Also, question: will the certificate programs be of any use? I want to take them because while other students heading into the business field are probably taking business/finance/accounting courses at their undergrad school, I don’t have this kind of option (UCSD doesn’t have those courses). (Ideally, I would’ve liked to double-major in finance and accounting.) Will these certificate programs be able to help me out/make me more marketable to future employers and/or make up for the fact that I don’t have a degree in accounting/finance? (As well as making me more knowledgeable about business, of course.)</p>
<p>Right, but the marketability of a Econ/Math degree worries me a bit. I won’t actually know anything about business coming out of school, so then what kind of job could I get?</p>
<p>And say if I plan on becoming an accountant or a finance analyst down the road, should I take those programs for the knowledge and/or proof of knowledge (better than spending extra years in b-school trying to learn it, right)?</p>
<p>If you want to be an accountant, you should chose a school with an accounting major. Financial analysts, depending upon where, probably don’t need finance in college.
You need to look at where SD places econ and math majors, this will vary greatly from school to school.</p>
<p>As someone who hires at a investment bank, I hire as many English and phil majors as math and econ majors.</p>
<p>In most of the country with most busiensses it certainly helps to have a finance or accounting degree or certificate. One exception is Wall Street and we have seen how well that works out–major debacle every 10 years or so due to total lack of business sense and ethics. So if you want a good job with 98% of US companies a degree in finance or accounting will be the best way.</p>
<p>Well that’s the thing–I can’t get a degree in accounting or finance. It seems none of the top-tier UCs offer them. (I’m not changing schools.) So that’s why I’m trying to do what’s supposedly the next best thing–get certificates in accounting/finance. Can this somehow sub for a degree? Haha… or at least, it’s better than not having any knowledge in accounting/finance, right?</p>
<p>If I can’t get a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, that means I should just give up accounting?</p>
<p>No, but you’ll have to get the accounting education somewhere to be able to pass the CPA exam. Look ito whether the certificate proram aims to train you for that. Some cc classes may actually be your best first step.</p>
<p>OP, the accounting certificat program is targeted for the people already in the field or those considering career changes. In another words, those who already has some working experience related or unrelated. So I’m not sure if it’s a good fit for you. </p>
<p>Although you can sit for the CPA exam without an accounting degree, the lack of a real accounting program would put you in a disavantage comparing those with such a program when comes job oppotunities. For those colleges have an accounting program, they normally also come with a very active student accounting association (even lower-tier schools), which hosts career seminar/lectures, have faculty supports, contact with the firms, etc. Don’t even mention the internship opportunities. I doubt you can have these access from the UC extention program.</p>
<p>AX3K, it sounds like you’re trying to fit a square peg through a round hole. If you want to study in these areas, why did you choose a school that doesn’t offer them? The name of them game for top jobs is to be thoroughly versed in your areas and have great internships, as A_Mom points out, no certificate program is going to do that for you.</p>
<p>Why do you want to get a CPA if you are going on that route?
Are you even set on accounting as your future career considering the fact that you are doing economics/applied math and just a certificate in accounting?
Why did you choose a program that doesn’t offer a bachelors in accounting if you want to be an accountant?
This does not make much sense to me.
I agree 100% with A_mom.</p>
<p>The idea of being an accountant was attractive to me, well, because everyone recommended it as something that would guarantee you a job and have decent pay and decent work hours. And I know that I want to do something business-related. However, my demand to attend UCSD is inelastic, so I guess I will have to search for a career elsewhere.</p>
<p>Thanks for enlightening me before I got myself in too deep.</p>
<p>With all due respect, this is about the craziest post I can recall. You’re going to choose a career based on what the one school in the Country you are willing to attend offers? You get 4 years at the school and 60 plus of the career.</p>