4 answers
Bahara
Student
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2
Questions
Asked
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MINOR RECOMMENDATION WITH ACCOUNTING MAJOR
Hello,
I am majoring in Accounting and wanted to a major on the side as well. My University offers a variety of minors and I have listed down the ones I am most interested in:
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- International Business
Any recommendations on which minor would be best with a major in Accounting.
It would be a huge help. Thank you.
#minor #academicadvice
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4 answers
Elizabeth Schaffer
VP of Operations
5
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Elizabeth’s Answer
It all depends on what you're interested in with regards to your career aspirations. Innovation minor would be good if you're interested in starting a business, or working at a start-up company. Finance compliments Accounting very well, and would give you a holistic financial perspective for any number of careers. International Business is great for understanding other cultures, global business model, etc. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the ones you mentioned!
I graduated with Finance & Marketing majors and International Business minor, and found that it took a few internships during college to help define what I really wanted to do with the degree, so I highly recommend hands-on experience and exposure to different industries and career options. I took these degrees and went into Sales at first before transitioning to Customer Success and eventually Operations. Keep in mind no matter what you pick, you can always explore your own path after college and learn on the job! Hope that helps.
I graduated with Finance & Marketing majors and International Business minor, and found that it took a few internships during college to help define what I really wanted to do with the degree, so I highly recommend hands-on experience and exposure to different industries and career options. I took these degrees and went into Sales at first before transitioning to Customer Success and eventually Operations. Keep in mind no matter what you pick, you can always explore your own path after college and learn on the job! Hope that helps.
PwC Impact
575
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Hi! Great question! If you are pursuing accounting, some good minors are: Information systems and a foreign language. The most important thing is that you do what you interest you and that passion will certainly expand beyond academic fields. I hope this helps!
David Hulme
Director of Sales Engineers
19
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
David’s Answer
Hi Bahara! You've asked a really interesting - and tough - question. I'll give you the answer that any paid consultant would give you - it depends. There are two things that I'd suggest you consider when you choose:
The best minor to compliment your accounting degree will be the one that best aligns with what you want to do once you graduate. Which is tough to answer, because you've probably never worked any of those roles before. I have colleagues that aspired to work in international business and then discovered that they hated the travel. But there are things you can do to get an idea....if you haven't already, check out the job postings for the jobs that appeal to you to get a sense of what employers are looking for for new graduates, and then go to someplace like Glassdoor to get feedback from folks that actually do those roles. Every minute you spend doing that research will pay off ten-fold later on, and that information more than anything else will help you narrow down what is best for you.
The second aspect I'd recommend you consider when you pick your minor is the quality of the courses in each of the minors you're considering. I used to teach college courses, and I'm sure you know this too, not every college instructor is Richard Feynman; the quality of the courses in each of those minors is going to vary. Note that I'm big believer in "Quality doesn't mean Easy". Talk with your advisor and find out who tends to teach the courses you'd need for you minor, and if it turns out to be a close call between two choices of minor, go with the one that will be taught by the better professor.
Last thing I'll suggest you consider....some minors are more flexible than others. If you are like most of us, you'll start your professional career in one direction, and then you'll discover an opportunity that is slightly different what you originally aspired to. A minor that will give you some flexibility will be an asset in these situations. I wouldn't recommend that flexibility be your primary criteria for choosing, but again, if two options are equally interesting and valuable, but one is a little more flexible for other careers, go with the flexibility. My standard suggestion for a major for folks that don't know exactly what they want to do is to get a degree in math for that very reason.....you can do just about anything with a degree in math - be an FBI agent, I know a doctor with a BS in math, countless bankers, engineers, programmers, and sales people, etc. etc. with. Your degree in accounting is pretty close to that, it's a great career with lots and lots choices in what you'll end up doing.
Wish you the very best of luck!
Research LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor and other job-oriented websites to get a solid picture of what potential jobs would entail for each of the major/minor combinations you're considering
Speak with your advisor and former students of the courses in your potential minors to get a sense of the quality of the coursework
The best minor to compliment your accounting degree will be the one that best aligns with what you want to do once you graduate. Which is tough to answer, because you've probably never worked any of those roles before. I have colleagues that aspired to work in international business and then discovered that they hated the travel. But there are things you can do to get an idea....if you haven't already, check out the job postings for the jobs that appeal to you to get a sense of what employers are looking for for new graduates, and then go to someplace like Glassdoor to get feedback from folks that actually do those roles. Every minute you spend doing that research will pay off ten-fold later on, and that information more than anything else will help you narrow down what is best for you.
The second aspect I'd recommend you consider when you pick your minor is the quality of the courses in each of the minors you're considering. I used to teach college courses, and I'm sure you know this too, not every college instructor is Richard Feynman; the quality of the courses in each of those minors is going to vary. Note that I'm big believer in "Quality doesn't mean Easy". Talk with your advisor and find out who tends to teach the courses you'd need for you minor, and if it turns out to be a close call between two choices of minor, go with the one that will be taught by the better professor.
Last thing I'll suggest you consider....some minors are more flexible than others. If you are like most of us, you'll start your professional career in one direction, and then you'll discover an opportunity that is slightly different what you originally aspired to. A minor that will give you some flexibility will be an asset in these situations. I wouldn't recommend that flexibility be your primary criteria for choosing, but again, if two options are equally interesting and valuable, but one is a little more flexible for other careers, go with the flexibility. My standard suggestion for a major for folks that don't know exactly what they want to do is to get a degree in math for that very reason.....you can do just about anything with a degree in math - be an FBI agent, I know a doctor with a BS in math, countless bankers, engineers, programmers, and sales people, etc. etc. with. Your degree in accounting is pretty close to that, it's a great career with lots and lots choices in what you'll end up doing.
Wish you the very best of luck!
David recommends the following next steps:
Rich Gunn
Partner, CPA, CEPA: accounting, tax, exit planner
2
Answers
Updated
Rich’s Answer
Hi Bahara,
If you think you may want to work in start-up companies, then the Innovation & Entrepreneurship would be a good choice.
If working in a large international company is your goal, then International Business may be appropriate.
If you want to pursue finance after spending a few years in accounting, then the Finance option would be fine.
You did not mention Information Systems but that would be a nice compliment to accounting.
Another option is that you can take a second major or a minor in something you enjoy. While pursuing my accounting degree, I took a minor in film studies and enjoyed it immensely. For your entry level career job, you will be hired based on your primary major. The second major or minor will not play a significant role in a hiring decisions for entry level jobs in accounting, so go with your highest interest.
Also, having one major can be challenging. If you can add a second major or minor, without putting your grades in jeopardy by taking on touch much, that's fine, but if your grades may suffer because of the additional work load, having higher grades without the additional major or minor would be a better option.
If you think you may want to work in start-up companies, then the Innovation & Entrepreneurship would be a good choice.
If working in a large international company is your goal, then International Business may be appropriate.
If you want to pursue finance after spending a few years in accounting, then the Finance option would be fine.
You did not mention Information Systems but that would be a nice compliment to accounting.
Another option is that you can take a second major or a minor in something you enjoy. While pursuing my accounting degree, I took a minor in film studies and enjoyed it immensely. For your entry level career job, you will be hired based on your primary major. The second major or minor will not play a significant role in a hiring decisions for entry level jobs in accounting, so go with your highest interest.
Also, having one major can be challenging. If you can add a second major or minor, without putting your grades in jeopardy by taking on touch much, that's fine, but if your grades may suffer because of the additional work load, having higher grades without the additional major or minor would be a better option.