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How will an undergraduate business degree in finance compare with a degree in economics from schools that do not offer undergraduate business majors like top ranked ivies?

As a senior in high school I've applied primarily to business schools interested in pursuing a degree in finance and/or information systems. However, at many "elite" universities like the Ivy Leagues, undergraduate business degrees are not offered. The closest equivalent seems to be economics, econometrics, or something of the kind. How does this effect career paths and competitiveness? Would I be better off attending a undergraduate business school even if I was accepted to schools like these? Any insight on the matter would be great! #finance #financial-services #degree-selection #business

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Ann’s Answer

Hi Alexander,

Some schools, such as Harvard or Yale, will offer economics degrees that they consider to be business degrees and are typically a prerequisite to their Masters in Business Administrations. I will say that economics is more theoretical and applies to the studies of how businesses operate within the economy. If you want to learn how to manage business operations, you will want to know how to run the business. You'll need to understand marketing, accounting, finance, human resources and management. You will not typically get all of this knowledge in an economics or accounting degree.


With that being said, I can't answer your question with any certainty. The right answer ultimately comes down to what type of career you want.

Ann recommends the following next steps:

I recommend going to onetonline.org to research the types of jobs you are interested in. From there you can learn the type of education you need to get into those positions. Once you know that, then you can research the courses you will complete in the degrees at each school on your list to see if it aligns.
Check out niche.com. Once you've narrowed down which major you want, this site provides rankings for schools based on different schools. For example, you can search "top schools in the US for business administration", and it will give you the ranking and scoring of each school ranked.
Good luck!
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W Elliot’s Answer

I have worked in the finance industry during my entire career. I will say that there are many people that work in this industry who have different backgrounds and have not studied business. I know current and former colleagues that have economics or other liberal arts majors. For an entry level position, there is a lot of learning that is done on the job. Having an business degree with certainly help give you an advantage. Non-business majors can gain experience in finance through work or volunteer opportunities, or programs like investment clubs. From my experience interviewing during my last year of university, it seems how well you performed in school was one of the more important things. Smart, hard working and personable candidates who studied other subjects did equally well in the interview process. Recruiters sometimes focus on your analytical or research skills, which are develop across many disciplines. I think one of the most important things is study what interests you. If you feel passionate about a subject, you may find your coursework more rewarding and successful.
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Yanfei’s Answer

On my freshman year, I tried economics major and didn’t enjoy it much. Economics focuses more on theories so in my opinion it is boring. Many other business majors like accounting and finance have tighter connections to real life. I switched to accounting and finance and enjoyed them much more. And career fair I found that there are more jobs available for those majors compared with economics as well. But if you treat studying in ivies as your dream, go for it.

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