S27 is debating whether to apply to the Carroll School of Management vs Morrissey School of Arts and Science at Boston College. He is interested in majoring in economics but is considering a double major in finance as well. Knowing that it is virtually impossible to transfer into Carroll School, but relatively easy to transfer from Carroll to Morrissey, he is wondering if he should consider applying initially to CSOM. Can anyone share any insight into the differences in student experiences in the two schools and opportunities for students in terms of jobs/internships? Thank you!
The only way to do this double major at BC is as a student in Carroll School of Management. Students in A&S can not do a double major with one from the business school. Keep in mind that a Finance “major” at BC is actually a management major with a concentration in Finance.
2 Likes
I didn’t realize that the degree would be in management, that’s good to know!
I think he needs to do a deep dive on the actual courses he’d be taking.
Kids like to assume that the two disciplines are interchangeable but they’re not.
2 Likes
Yes, only 4-6 courses in Finance. And if he does the double major with Econ, more likely to be 4 - although 6 is still possible. It might be worth considering doing a minor in Econ.
These are two demanding majors. A lot of hard work.
1 Like
Completely agree! That’s what he’s been researching. He’s determining if 1. He wants a business degree in addition to an economics degree and 2. if being in CSOM will provide more opportunities than just doing an Econ degree.
The Carroll School core include Fundamental of Finance and Financial Accounting, so you can add these two to the 4-6 courses for the Finance concentration.
How’s his math? If it’s his strong suit, the econ major at BC will provide plenty of opportunities. If it’s not, and he ends up gravitating towards a less analytically heavy course load in econ, the management degree with finance concentration may be a better fit for him.
1 Like
Math is a strength for him— he got a 5 on Calc BC and will be taking Advanced Calculus next year.
Terrific. If he sees the course catalogue for econ and thinks econometrics and the other analytically oriented classes are exciting- there’s your answer! Econ is usually viewed as more rigorous than the plain vanilla Management major but only if he can handle it!
2 Likes
Although BC does not report acceptance rate by school, many believe CSOM’s acceptance rate is lower than Morrissey’s. Your S might ask this in a admissions session. If he wants to double major in Econ and finance he must apply to CSOM as others noted.
I would start with the career outcomes that BC posts. What type of career is he targeting?
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/bcirpa/viz/shared/G7F2R8H3N
IMO this is a distinction without a difference. Carroll offers a BS with concentrations (I will note they are inconsistent on their website and in materials, sometimes using the word major instead of concentration, major example here).
I agree with blossom he should be looking at course listings (and core/major requirements) to decide what schools and majors most appeal. Generally Finance and Econ will both be quantitative in nature but offer quite different content with Econ being more theoretical.
1 Like
IMO, the degree in management vs a major in Finance is an important distinction because the concentration is only 4-6 courses, not the normal 10-12 courses in a college major. Of course he can always elect additional courses in Finance, but that then doesn’t leave much room for a second major in Econ. Maybe a minor. Or just do the concentration of 4-6 courses in Finance.
I’m not sure I follow. To earn a BS degree from Carroll, students complete 12 or so CSOM core courses, plus 4-6 classes in a Carroll concentration (which they also call majors in some materials.) In addition to that, BSM students must complete 12 Morrissey electives.
It sounds like you might be thinking a concentration in finance is like a minor? But, it’s not. Finance minors for Morrissey students, for example, only require 6 courses, but not the CSOM core.
OP’s S should talk with someone at BC about potentially double majoring in econ, assuming admission to CSOM. Double majors will have to complete all the CSOM credits ~17 (core+concentration), plus econ major requirements, plus required gen eds. My understanding is that BC’s main constraint is that double majors must complete at least 27 credit hours in each major/concentration that do not double count. I am sure it can be done, it just will require strategic planning.
I’m not thinking that it’s a minor but I am thinking that a concentration is not like what people would think of as a major at other universities. It is in fact a major in management, as BC says it is, with a concentration in . . .
If this student wants to get 10-12 courses in Finance as would be the case with a “major” most of the time, the only way to do that is to use your electives to add more Finance courses
Sorry, I’m just not tracking. I see this list of Carroll majors and degrees, linked below.
No need to respond to me, OP will just have to figure things out, and talking with BC is the next step.
1 Like
Yea, I see the list. I see that BC on this list is calling them majors on this list. I also see that BC is also requiring only 4-6 courses beyond the Carroll core, one of which, for example, is Fundamentals of Finance and another is Financial Accounting. So, that’s another Finance course and another that is Finance related.
We’re looking at the same information. I don’t understand the disconnect. Does 4-6 courses strike you as a “major”?
What I think isn’t relevant to helping OP. You can PM me if you want to discuss further. Meanwhile you might research other college finance major requirements…Notre Dame is a good peer of BC, for one example.
Folks, in my experience employers DO NOT CARE what it’s called. Concentration, minor, doubling down…. employers who will ask to see a transcript do so because they understand specific college’s requirements and want to see what a student has taken IN CONTEXT of those requirements.
Kid professes an interest in “International Business” but has no foreign language fluency– or even taken a single class – other than English? Red flag. Kid professes an interest in understanding the links between income and political leanings/voting behavior but has not taken a statistics class with programming/regressions? Red flag. Kid wants a job as a quant but has taken no math past Calc 1? Kid wants a job in Asset Management but has never taken Valuation or Portfolio Theory– just has the intro required courses in Accounting and Finance 1? Flag, flag, flag.
Doesn’t matter what it’s called. Rigor matters, and employers understand how to evaluate it. This is one of the reasons why geology majors get hired at hedge funds, and physicists get hired to trade options or develop high speed trading techniques. Don’t waste time arguing about whether it’s a concentration or a minor when you could be helping your kid understand the course catalogue and see why the “harder” classes in statistical analysis will likely pay off more than “Buyer Behavior 101”.
2 Likes