Which degree is better to get at a no name state uni?
Finance in some ways is really a subfield of Economics. If you look at the Econ major, it may indicate whether you could do a concentration or at least take a lot of Finance courses, which would cover you either way.
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The one you want to study.
One is a sub discipline of business. The other is a social science.
Remove no-name school from your question - and the answer is the same.
If you’re thinking about the role the name plays in employment, big organizations with professional recruiting teams care more about rigor than the name. And although many kids assume the degrees are interchangeable- they aren’t in many situations.
You want to study the link between gender and household income? There are roles at the World Bank, UN, think tanks, congressional policy roles, etc. that will be excited about your senior research thesis on that topic-- as an econ major. You want to understand if early adoption of a digital purchasing platform for consumer products companies increased the companies valuation over the last decade? Economists (and the people who hire them) likely won’t care… but companies in the Fortune 500 hiring for their Investor Relations or corporate finance teams will find that very interesting.
Figure out what you are interested in studying.
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More realistically, OP won’t be hired by the UN or World Bank as a US citizen, at least not without a phd and even then Americans are less than 15% of the staff. IME Congressional staffs are not hiring based on any kid’s supposed expertise in a bachelor’s degree.
A finance degree will help for commercial firms with those online applications with a pulldown menu for specified majors ( more than you might think).
? They are two different disciplines.
Study econ if you are interested in econ. Study finance if you are interested in finance. I’m pointing out that the “fungibility” of the two degrees is a lot less (particularly from the alleged no-name college) than most students think.
Are you asking for yourself, or a child? If yourself, did you finish your degree you were pursuing at that time, and did you finish your military service.
If you were career military, what training did you do while serving.
Asking for my kid.
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Your student should choose something they want to study. Remember, very often jobs don’t align with college major at all.
When does this student need to choose a major, and can they easily switch majors (many students switch).
Perhaps this student needs to see what actually piques their interest before choosing a specific major.
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He has a ways to pick a major. He’s a HS sophomore doing dual enrollment classes and likely won’t need to declare for another two years.
His interests are broad, ranging from sociology to Econ to finance. I just want him to pick a major that allows freedom and choices after graduation.
He is a sophomore in high school? Then I wouldn’t think twice about this major thing in college.
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You don’t even know where he will be attending college…yet.
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His interests could morph into something completely different.
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He does know where he will attend school. He’s guaranteed admission to our local uni. He’s interested in social justice regarding LGBTQ communities and women’s rights.
That doesnt sound like an econ or finance major to me.
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History, sociology, urban planning, poli sci… many options for a kid with these interests!
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Thanks for the advice!
I was just floating those majors (and con and finance)to see if there were any prospects in those fields. As a parent I want to make sure he has a well paying career.
He also needs to be happy with his career choice. Do what you love, love what you do.
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He could also work as a grant writer, or researcher for a think tank or lobbying organization, a journalist focusing on those areas, a counselor focusing on those populations, etc. Lots of possibilities. Also, it may be that he finds a career of interest that doesn’t deal with those populations, but that in his free time he continues his interest and support of those themes.
He would be wise to minimize any college debts and pusue a low cost option, as those interests are not necessarily well paid
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So just as a warning, people who do social justice sorts of careers usually get paid a lot less than comparably-qualified professionals working in for-profit sectors. They can be very rewarding in other ways, but there are usually just too many highly qualified people willing to take less pay, and a general lack of funding.
But I personally would not discourage exploring them, precisely because that can be a good life even if it is not the most financially lucrative life. And often you can make it at least comfortable as long as you are smart about things like avoiding unnecessary debt, housing costs, and so on.
As far as majors are concerned, it is way too early for that, as others are noting. And in the spirit of being strategic, often if you go into a field where you need a graduate or professional degree, you might be able to get merit or other funding with good enough grades, and then the smartest major is often the one where you will do the best. That sort of thing.
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