Economics Major - Why do it? Where art thou Econ majors?

College Majors
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As of right now, I’m undeclared and I’m thinking about the Econ major. I’m actually undeclared / Pre-Physical Therapy. I’m not interested on doing Kinesiology/Physiology/a biology-focus major because of how impacted those programs can get. I’m doing pre-reqs for PT in the meantime.

Are there any Econ majors enjoying their undergrad ed right now? Where do you study?

Are there any practical reasons why Economics is a good undergrad degree? On a purely pragmatic standpoint, where does a graduated Econ undergrad stand in the job market?

Could Econ be good prep for getting into an MBA program, if I decide PT is not my path later on?

Let me know your thoughts CC.

LadyOrange

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Hi LadyOrange, I’ll speak up: I’m an economics (senior) student at a California State University (CSU).

I enjoy economics because it’s not just about leaning this specific concept or that this specific theory states this - it truly is about adapting the way you think about the world and how to critically analyze the problems within it, from the big problems of depressions and business cycles, public policy selection, and aggregate consumer behavior, to the smallest things like individual choice, traffic congestion, voting, going to bars, dating, crime, everything.

The most practical reason I chose to study economics wasn’t the “hard skills” a student traditionally learns, like mastering certain computer programs, or mathematical techniques to analyze and interpret huge amounts of data; although those skills certainly help and are TOOLS for using other economics skills. It’s more the “soft skills” of approaching complex issues in a critical way - learning to “think like an economist” is really the crux of being a student of the subject rather than learning how to “crunch data like an economist” or “apply this particular theory like an economist”.

Job market will vary wildly based on factors of location, other skills a job applicant brings, previous related experience, etc, too much to really offer a prediction. Traditionally, economics majors (I think in part because of those soft critical thinking skills picked up) are more versatile in terms of job prospects and can go into a variety of different fields. Business/Gov’t, macro-data, real estate, banking, sales, there’s lots of options depending again on location and other skills brought to the table, and applicant interests.

I’ve never taken any MBA courses, but from my personal thoughts, it appears that the greatest advantage that an economics degree has in preparation for an MBA is the quantitative side of things: a BS in econ would likely require as much if not more than the expected mathematics for entering MBA applicants since it should get you through statistics, economietrics, calculus, and a few other levels if desired.

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Hey @turtlerock! I really appreciate your response. This has given me a lot of food for thought. I’ll have to explore Econ departments at the schools I want to potentially transfer too.

I’m actually in California right now planning on doing some campus tours.

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Oh, nice! Do you have a preference for Northern CA or Southern CA?

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Don’t let it stress you our much, You can go into most CSUs undeclared and figure it out once you are there. Find a school that works for you - take a few classes and see what you think. Changing majors at most schools is a very simple process. My son was admitted to Chico State as an Econ major but, is not studying Bus/finance.

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Sorry! I think I may have given the impression that I don’t live in California. I actually am a California resident who’s lived in the Bay Area and in the San Diego area too. My preference is leaning towards Southern California because of the weather.

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@LadyOrange , you can also ask whichever departments you’re exploring what, if any, school the department specializes in or has a comparative advantage in. Meaning, some departments hire faculty that are from the same school of economics such as Neoclassical, Austrian, Socialist, and so their department courses are more focused from that particular school’s perspective. Of course, students, and even other faculty, can have differing opinions about the represented school of economic thought, but you might find it interesting to learn what perspective the department focuses on and determine if it’s something you’re willing to explore, or if you’d like to hear about other perspectives of economic analysis.

If SoCal is your thing, then you’ve got plenty of schools to look into.

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@NCalRent, to clarify - I’m currently a student at a community college that plans to apply for transfer next Fall. So I’m taking my time and exploring my options. =) I’m not too worried about switching majors within a specific school. That’s a bridge I’ll have to cross later.

Thanks, @turtlerock that’s good advice. I’m not shy of asking faculty questions, so I’ll be sure to do so. Thank you both for your thoughtful answers!