Would double majoring in maths and business be a good idea?

harri
Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:50:13 +0000

Well, there’s a trade off. Double majoring in mathematics and business would definitely give you an advantage when looking for a job that requires quantitative skills; however, a second major in mathematics may hurt your GPA if you don’t do so well in the mathematics classes. I think many employers related to the field of finance would give preference to job applicants who can demonstrate that they have strong skills in mathematics. This is actually why some physicists and mathematicians can find high-paying jobs on Wall Street.

If you think that you’re well prepared for advanced mathematics, then I would recommend that you just get a minor in mathematics. I say this because when you major in mathematics you generally have to take fairly theoretical and abstract mathematics classes that aren’t really useful if you plan to go into business or finance.

Here’s a list of the sort of classes that generally have more business applications:

Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, Statistics, and Linear Programming