You need certain accounting knowledge. As regards soft stuff like "management", "marketing", "information systems" or "operations management", I highly doubt the majority of non-target school will teach you anything beneficial you can't read in a book. As regards accounting, at least you'll go through and learn stuff you'll inevitably need. Either that or the actuarial with statistics - I taught a statistics-based course to undergrads two semesters at a non-target school, and I can't believe how uneducated the kids were on average. While "Intro to Statistics" was a prereq for the class, even after numerous in-class examples students were oh so often unable to calculate even a mean or a standard deviation as first step to solving the questions on the exams. Don't be like these kids.
Agree with Fredbird.
Accounting knowledge is the Holy Grail. Statistics is great too.
If you want to make up some ground due to not going to a target, I would suggest going hard for a CPA. There are few things that are more 'money in the bank' than that.
Wish I had one.......
1) I'd definitely supplement the finance major with a degree in accounting, IS, or both.
2) No. Despite everything you read here, operations is way more than just back office duties at a bank. Ops covers logistics, inventory turnover management, etc...basically the study of maximizing productivity and cost efficiency. It's actually pretty useful. In my grad program, all of the people that went on to management consulting at the Bains and McKinseys of the world concentrated on operations.
3) I know that the placement rate in IB isn't great, but it is doable. Your chances are as good there as any other non target. I know Terps that work/worked in IB and S&T. The thing is, you're not going to have the on campus recruiting events that the people at target schools have. You'll have to make it happen through your own networking efforts and by actually being aware of how to pursue those opportunities independent of school assistance.
4) If you get out of Math 220 or 140, great. Just make sure you actually remember your math. Math 140 is more for scientists and engineers, and is considered to be more difficult. If you decide to take the upper level stat courses, you may need more math than Math 140. Stat 400 had (or used to have) double integrals on the final. If you haven't taken calc 3, it'll be pretty difficult to answer correctly.
PM me if you have any other questions. Otherwise, good luck, don't forget to take advantage of the free basketball tickets, and have fun at Bentley's/Cornerstone.
Financial RepinConsulting
11y
Related Topic
(Accounting and Finance) Double Major Vs Finance & Economics from Non - Target (Originally Posted: 07/03/2015)
I am currently in between about pursuing a degree in Accounting and Finance vs Finance and Economics.
Is a degree in both Accounting and Finance actually worth it? I thoroughly enjoy both majors as I have taken a few of each courses, which is the reason for my consideration of both majors. In terms of career, is it likely that the double major in Accounting and Finance can help in landing a job in corporate finance/ I-Banking, considering that I go to a non-target? Also, would Accounting alone be sufficient in providing similar job opportunities as if I were to do the double major, since Accounting is way more detailed and specific when compared to Finance.
In terms of the double major combos, would Accounting and Finance be considered more valuable or Finance and Economics. I am in between about both combos of double major, because they both seem like they go well together and I have an interest in all three of these subjects. But at the same time, economics is one of those majors that are not useful in terms of finding a strong job opportunity, but when paired with finance it can be more useful.
Please share your experience and opinions on double majors in these fields!
Hopefully I can help you out here, as I have completed 3 years of my UG, and previously had a double concentration in Accounting & Finance, before changing it to Finance & Economics.
First off, I think you're uninformed, and need to do more research on different careers, because corporate finance is very different from the IB world, and they require different backgrounds. First, you should research these careers in depth and figure out which one appeals to you the most, and then tailor yourself to be a competitive candidate for entry-level positions and recruitment.
For careers in corporate finance, an accounting degree and CPA designation is by far the most popular and intuitive route, because they give you the knowledge you will need to do FP&A, and various ad hoc strategic projects. You don't need to know Macaulay's Duration, or Black-Scholes if you're going to be a financial analyst at some F500 company. Perhaps capital budgeting classes, or forecasting, and other finance classes of the non-capital markets nature could help you understand the importance of time value of money, but Finance and Economics aren't as prevalent for those who work in Corp Fin.
If you want to work in Capital Markets, or IB/PE, an accounting degree does not provide that much value since you don't require tax knowledge, or advanced financial accounting theory. If you lean towards this side of the career spectrum, I would suggest getting a double major in Finance and Economics, because the degrees will increase your understanding of global macroeconomics, and capital markets.
All included, completing two majors in the standard time frame will help you somewhat because it is proof you worked harder than otherwise. However, you have to realize that tax and financial accounting theory don't mean sh*t all to anyone in investment banking.
Early on, I was in both Accounting and Finance because I didn't want to pigeonhole myself, and I was unsure of which career I wanted to target. In reality, the two majors do not work that well with each other. If you don't want to get a CPA designation, drop your accounting major, and boost your GPA with economics classes. If you want a CPA designation, I wouldn't do a double major at all, just take accounting classes and boost your GPA with electives.
But then again, if you really enjoy them both, and are getting top grades, then there's no reason not to continue taking classes in all three streams.
I would say no..my undergrad is nontarget and my masters will be a target but having much of my work overlapping topics with undergrad. part of why I'm doing it is for the networks, but also I think the nontargets don't have as much rigor in classes as the targets. That's why firms get high-quality from target recruits
with that said I could have been much better off with a Computer Science or Engineering degree to be honest. STEM is also fine. And then I could just do the same MS program and cover all the business I need to know. Sociology/Psychology also can line up with management/strategy focused business topics.
computer science and finance double major or minor? (Originally Posted: 06/19/2012)
I am currently a rising senior at a non target in the southeast who has finally decided what he wants to do in life and that is trading. In the future i want to either get my MSF or MFE in chicago or ny and work at a prop shop. Right now i am a finance major and wanted to know if it was a good idea to double major in finance and computer science or just minor in it? Is it worth the extra year of school for the major/minor? Also will it help me get into a good msf/mfe program with the double major or minor? If anyone has had a similar path, please share your opinion.
In Chicago, a Comp Sci major is going to be what is most interesting to firms, especially since you are at a non-target. Even though non-target isn't as big an issue in some firms in Chicago, be aware that if you get the interview there is already a strike against you. Ace your classes.
There is an old saying in Chicago- 'Teaching a programmer how to trade is a lot easier than teaching a trader how to program.' And you could probably hear the same thing in NY.
And...technical undergrad and 2-3 years trading will get you into a top MS program. By that point, you should have enough experience and some solid alumni connections.
There is an old saying in Chicago- 'Teaching a programmer how to trade is a lot easier than teaching a trader how to program.' And you could probably hear the same thing in NY.
Ditto for NYC. Although we're less of an algo town. It's more "teaching a math major how to trade is easier than teaching a trader calculus."
CS is a smart major, especially if you're at a strong engineering school like Georgia Tech.
so pretty much a CS major is out of the question as i would have to extend my undergrad to at least 2 extra years. I am willing to do a minor though as it would only be 18 credits extra, just wondering if it is even worth it being a minor if i wanted to go along with trading? Also for trading would I be better off with a middle tier MSF at lets say UIUC (for location) or a MFE (baruch, etc...) ?
Best Response
The CS is totally worth it, even as a minor. Just ace your courses.
If you land in Chicago, U of Chicago Fin Math is the program that you will want. It is tops here. Northwestern has a very well-respected Master's program in Financial Engineering, it is in the engineering school and focuses a little more on corporate problems. U of Chicago's Fin Math program, which is through the Math department, and heavier on theory. But, I haven't been to either school, this is just what I hear about them. They can afford to be very, very picky and the acceptance rate is in the single digits in some years. Those are the 1st tier. Michigan is not exactly local, but it seems to get great press and is respected here too. I would take that over Urbana ( Sorry, if you are reading this IP)
UIUC is a good back- up, and DePaul has a new program that is gaining some respect, but they are definitely second tier.
But I wouldn't worry about it, right now. If you get into a firm and prove yourself, you will probably develop relationships with people from U of C, Northwestern, et al. A personal recommendation will go a long way, if you ace the GRE's...
Forgot to add.
Your school's program is in the bottom 10% of the top 100. There are something like 1100 engineering schools in the U.S., from Stanford to DeVry... So, your school is really not that bad.
yea ive decided im probably going to minor in CS, even though it will push back my graduation it wont be too pushed back. Besides school work i will start focusing on the GMAT because im going to need a high score to get into middle to upper programs..
A CS minor is worthless unless you have the data structures and algorithms courses to back it up.
For any sort of coding role- including quant development and algo trading, it is all about the interview. And then it's all about being able to produce. You need to be able to kick ass and take names against CS majors in a coding-heavy interview.
You need to know the rules of object oriented programming.
You need to know order of complexity like the back of your hand.
You need to know data structures like the back of your hand.
You need to understand some of the idiosyncracies of Java or C++.
You need to show insights that your interviewer hasn't even thought of.
You need to have a decent background in numerical methods.
So my recommendation to you is that if you do CS, don't do it halfway. A minor isn't bad, but you need to be able to demonstrate that you are a competent developer in your own right. That doesn't mean a major, but it means more than just doing the bare minimum.
Take Intro to Programming and OO, Data Structures, CS Theory I and II, and a numerical methods course. Then do a project.
IlliniProgrammer:
A CS minor is worthless unless you have the data structures and algorithms courses to back it up.For any sort of coding role- including quant development and algo trading, it is all about the interview. And then it's all about being able to produce. You need to be able to kick ass and take names against CS majors in a coding-heavy interview.
You need to know the rules of object oriented programming.
You need to know order of complexity like the back of your hand.
You need to know data structures like the back of your hand.
You need to understand some of the idiosyncracies of Java or C++.
You need to show insights that your interviewer hasn't even thought of.
You need to have a decent background in numerical methods.
So my recommendation to you is that if you do CS, don't do it halfway. A minor isn't bad, but you need to be able to demonstrate that you are a competent developer in your own right. That doesn't mean a major, but it means more than just doing the bare minimum.
Take Intro to Programming and OO, Data Structures, CS Theory I and II, and a numerical methods course. Then do a project.
Wish I had thought of saying this.....
Final thought- Grad school is a long way away, stop thinking about it for the time being. Just get your degree(s) and get the job. The opportunity for grad school will be waiting for you, don't worry about it.
i appreciate it a ton you guys are helping me out... I am one to definitely not do the bare minimum with a minor if i need to take more classes, im in it to learn and to better help me in interviews. I will probably be meeting with an advisor to talk to him about what specific classes i need to take for the minor along with the ones you can hopefully help me out with in the following question.
What are the necessary programs i need to learn that will best help me for what I want to do (C++ etc...) and that I will bring up in my meeting with an advisor so he can tell me what specific classes entertain these Thanks again
More than anything, you need to do some projects. Try building a bond analytics calculator using model/view/controller that spits out duration, convexity, and dv01 for a plain vanilla bond.
But don't cop out and do it in VBA for Excel. Do it in Java Swing using the design patterns and data structures they teach you in class.
Related Topic
Double Major in Math and Finance? (Originally Posted: 06/09/2011)
I'm currently majoring in finance. However, I have the option to add a math major and still finish on time. I know that it isn't extremely helpful for IB, but would having a math/finance double major be useful in trying to get into S&T or even HF out of undergrad? How about for consulting? (I go to a semi-target b-school. I'm not terrible with math, but the extra major would take a lot of time away from networking and whatnot)
11y
to be blunt, when people say "i'm not terrible with math" they are usually not good enough at math to excel in an undergraduate math program. there are many rewards to majoring in math, but the tradeoffs are huge. it will take you a whole lot of studying to beat the curve in math, much more so than finance. unless you're going to be some sort of a quant, i don't think it's much of an advantage (though it is more impressive), and may have a very negative impact on your GPA and free-time available to study for finance interviews.
most math majors i knew at my undergrad school (a top 50 non-target) graduated sub 3.0 and ended up pursuing careers as math teachers because they didn't have any other options. that being said, a math-finance double major is very impressive if you can keep your GPA up and will provide you with more opportunities than finance only, especially in fields that require more quant horsepower.
Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
11y
Thanks for this post I am currently at a non target majoring in Applied Math as well as Finance. I go to a state school non target. I am good at math but not insane 33 on ACT section (A in calc 1 in high school not BC or anything). I want to major in math to try and compete better with target students. There are 10,000s of thousands of Finance/econ major few math majors(This stands out). If you can get good grades 3.7 + its probably worth it. I will be a sophom*ore next semester. Also a great option if you can is take a couple of math classes work your ass of and do well. After that if you are doing well and its working continue and if not get a minor. Its better then nothing and Math always looks good bc its considered hard at the college level typically. Thats my view but once again that is the opinion I have gotten from older people I know please correct me if im wrong?? very interested to see what WSO has to say? I also feel like it is a big difference with S&T and HF and much smaller deal with IB? correct me if im wrong?
dwgreene14:Understand this: a 33 on the math section of ACT means nothing when it comes to being a math major. Sure, math majors take classes calc, multi calc, diff eq. But then they go into incredibly theoretical stuff like complex analysis, knot theory, number theory, differential geometry, etc. That sh*t is not on the ACT. I think you'd be good to stick with Applied Math and Finance.
OP:Bottom line, don't sacrifice your GPA for the sake of a math major. Yeah, if you take financial stats classes that are heavy in math (covering Black Scholes, etc.) or maybe a couple math classes that may be relevant, that could be beneficial for S&T, especially prop shops. As far as banking, it will look impressive if you have good grades, no doubt. But bankers don't use anything above arithmetic, so it's not like you'd use it on the job. It just depends on how risky you are. No one is going to hire you with a crappy GPA, no matter what your major is.
If you have a passion for math and want to be a quant (HF, Prop shop, S&T) go for it. Otherwise you are wasting your time and will kill your grades if you aren't committed to it.
I AP'ed out of my math reqs in college, but once you get into calc 3, diff eq, linear algebra, and beyond, sh*t gets haaaard. I had a bunch of engineering, CS, and pre-med buddies who complained about the math classes as much as orgo.
dwgreene14: Nothing wrong with math/finance. I would make sure you do well in your finance classes relative to your math classes though. The math skills aren't very useful by themselves if you can't apply them. A math major certainly won't hurt you for IB, but IB math is + - / * ^. It's much more beneficial for more quant-related roles.
Thanks for the responses. By the look of things, it doesn't seem like the benefits of a math major is worth all the effort. However, I'm looking towards a financial math major rather than pure math, which would be considerably lighter in workload. Also, I have gotten perfect scores on math sections in ACT, SAT I and II, and a 5 on Calc BC. Would that have any correlation to success in a college math program? My gpa right now is 3.9+. I'm not sure if that should encourage me to try harder courses or the other way around. I'm thinking about pursuing math to potentially try for a HF or top trading position out of undergrad, and maybe it'll help for a getting into a consulting firm?
11y
Buy And Hold:
Thanks for the responses. By the look of things, it doesn't seem like the benefits of a math major is worth all the effort. However, I'm looking towards a financial math major rather than pure math, which would be considerably lighter in workload. Also, I have gotten perfect scores on math sections in ACT, SAT I and II, and a 5 on Calc BC. Would that have any correlation to success in a college math program? My gpa right now is 3.9+. I'm not sure if that should encourage me to try harder courses or the other way around. I'm thinking about pursuing math to potentially try for a HF or top trading position out of undergrad, and maybe it'll help for a getting into a consulting firm?
math major for consulting? not so much.
you should have been more clear when you said you were "not terrible with math". with a 3.9 and perfect standardized test scores, i think it's safe to say that you wont be failing any of your math classes. plus, your high GPA gives you a lot of leeway... if you start doing poorly in upper-division classes your GPA will still be acceptable for ibanking.
with this new information, i say give it a shot. if classes start getting too hard, you can always drop the major with only a slight hit to your very high GPA. personally, i had high (not perfect) standardized test and AP scores. i got all A's in multivariate and vector calculus, but started feeling the hurt in differential equations and a mathematical proofs class. the more theoretical things got, the more difficult and frustrating they became for me.
so anyhow, go for it but remember your first priorities for finance careers (high GPA and top notch interview skills).
Money Never Sleeps? More like Money Never SUCKS amirite?!?!?!?
11y
thanks for the quick response and confirming what I assumed people would say. Im going to stay with it and if it get hard (meaning it would drop my GPA) just minor Im only two classes away from a minor and have done well so far.
MSc in Financial Mathematics will be more impressive than a Double Degree in Finance and Math
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/maths/Degrees/MSc_Financial_Mathematics.aspxhttp://finmath.stanford.edu/
http://www.madhedgefundtrader.com/http://www.tradersmagazine.com/
11y
I won't tell you whether or not you should enrol in the math major. I will say, however, that the hard work required to succeed in a math major is very front loaded. You need to bust your ass to build as strong a foundation as possible, and once you do, learning the more advanced courses becomes easier. In fact, getting very high grades in math is not that difficult once you have a strong foundation (which you can build by excelling in 2 introductory level courses). Whether or not it's useful for your career, I strongly advocate studying math (at least enough for a minor).
-MBP
RexAlpha: a msc in fin mathematics would take an extra year, which i can't really afford.
I know that a math major would be a lot of work, but I also want to learn something a bit more challenging in school than just some basic finance and accounting coursework. The only thing that worries me is that if i do screw up with this, then my chances for ib or consulting would go down the drain.
Buy And Hold:
RexAlpha: a msc in fin mathematics would take an extra year, which i can't really afford.I know that a math major would be a lot of work, but I also want to learn something a bit more challenging in school than just some basic finance and accounting coursework. The only thing that worries me is that if i do screw up with this, then my chances for ib or consulting would go down the drain.
I knew that, now it´s too late...
But for consulting you don´t need that math skills, you expect. I have a friend which is partner at BCG, he studied literature and history.
http://www.madhedgefundtrader.com/http://www.tradersmagazine.com/
Zekai:If you think Black Scholes is the basics of basics. Tell me how you derive Black Scholes? Are you familiar with stochastic process? Brownian motion? equivalent martingale measure? stochastic integral representations? Girsanov Theorem? Ito's formula? Feynman Kac? forward and backward SDE? Probably not...Black Scholes is deeper than you think.
OP:If you are going to do IB, then Math is a waste of time. If you are going to do S&T, then it probably will help if your GPA is 3.5+. The thing about Math majors: there are ppl who don't study at all and get 'A's, there are people who study all the time and get 'B's. Sometimes you just get the stuff... like you speak the language. If you are gonna do it, I recommend you to take easy part of math undergrad course such as combinatorics, number theory, probabilities, stats for the sake of your GPA. Btw, calculus, linear algebra, or ODE are not really math, since they are not really proof based classes.
GekkotheGreat:
Zekai:If you think Black Scholes is the basics of basics. Tell me how you derive Black Scholes? Are you familiar with stochastic process? Brownian motion? equivalent martingale measure? stochastic integral representations? Girsanov Theorem? Ito's formula? Feynman Kac? forward and backward SDE? Probably not...Black Scholes is deeper than you think.OP:If you are going to do IB, then Math is a waste of time. If you are going to do S&T, then it probably will help if your GPA is 3.5+. The thing about Math majors: there are ppl who don't study at all and get 'A's, there are people who study all the time and get 'B's. Sometimes you just get the stuff... like you speak the language. If you are gonna do it, I recommend you to take easy part of math undergrad course such as combinatorics, number theory, probabilities, stats for the sake of your GPA. Btw, calculus, linear algebra, or ODE are not really math, since they are not really proof based classes.
Right, the people who get As don't study..........are you an idiot? Math is just like any other subject you have to study and realize there are more than one way to solve a problem.
Real math can't be tested in 10 minutes on a quiz. Real math requires you to sit down for 2 hours and work out a solution to a problem that solves what ever value of what ever you can think of (formulas).
Furthermore real mathematics isn't a thing where grades matter. If you are in your math classes just because you want an A to boost your GPA and it will look good on your transcript good luck! You'll be competing with people who actually like math for the beauty of it and don't waste there time with the amateurishness cook book questions and more about analyzing how the proof was derived and what steps are missing in it.
Also, these people you are "competing" with don't give a sh*t they are probably studying some other topics on there own that interest them, but they will still "beat" you.
For example I doubt any of the math elites in this thread even remember what the hyperbolic functions represent and how to draw or the function of a logarithmic spiral.
Why? Because even the best of the best have to go back and look in there calculus books for properties of random sh*t they forgot in order to prove a theorem proved 200+ years ago.
ALSOOOOOOO
Let's be honest, we all know how grades in mathematics work. In early math classes Cal 1 - linear algebra, Diff Q, you only have X amount of time to solve a problem set. How does this show your math skills, and ability to do upper level maths? YEA SO YOU GET A -1 HERE AND THERE A -2 THERE FOR PUTTING + SIGNS WHEN IT SHOULD BE - ...lol. This tests math ability? Give me a break.
Again, I'm confident many of us know the chain rule, but I'm also very sure many of you don't UNDERSTAND why we we need to do it.
The kid with a C in Cal 1, 2, 3 , Diff Q, Linear Algebra etc who UNDERSTANDS it will get higher grades in upper level classes than the kid with an A in all 5 classes, but only knows HOW to do it.
My 2c
OP, if you want to do mathematics major than do it! There is this handy thing in life called dropping classes.....if it gets to hard you can either give up and learn how to deal with defeat or say f*ck that sh*t and steam roll that bitch over with a mathematics degree handed to you when you graduate.
Also, remember some the greatest mathematicians didn't study maths till there mid twenties(Euler and Fermat come to mind).
But, again great mathematicians do not to math for popularity/Wall Street, but for knowledge.
I'm very confident mathematicians that are on Wall Street are still studying maths on there own time.
So, I think you should do the math major and ignore these idiots that are saying you will fail.
Yeah exagerations are great.Obviously when I say "there are ppl who don't study at all and get 'A's, there are people who study all the time and get 'B's. ", I mean there are people can quickly grasp mathematical concepts than others, and ace the undergrad math classes with much less effort than others.
Major in what interests you. If you love math, major in math. I started out in engineering and was miserable because there wasn't enough math. Switching to applied math was a great choice. I love having multiple math classes every semester. I really enjoy going to math classes every day. I almost always leave class knowing something I didn't know before. You can't say that for most majors. But the best thing is having a proof to write and sitting for an hour thinking it through until I figure it out. That's extremely satisfying. After taking elementary analysis, you'll laugh at ever thinking Calc I and II were challenging.
Thurnis Haley:
Major in what interests you. If you love math, major in math. I started out in engineering and was miserable because there wasn't enough math. Switching to applied math was a great choice. I love having multiple math classes every semester. I really enjoy going to math classes every day. I almost always leave class knowing something I didn't know before. You can't say that for most majors. But the best thing is having a proof to write and sitting for an hour thinking it through until I figure it out. That's extremely satisfying. After taking elementary analysis, you'll laugh at ever thinking Calc I and II were challenging.
This.
Baby Rudin was fun. I wouldn't say the same about measure theory for grad lvl real analysis.
11y
I have a degree in both. What I was left with was the ability to learn different approaches to problem solving. On the other hand, I hated things that didn't have any practical usage in my everyday (linear algebra, knot theory etc.). Which means you need to have a passion for this, the drive to sit up late at the library going over problems untill you get it. Do you have the drive at 10pm? 1am? 7am?. Math is a bitch, unless you're Asian.
Contrary to most believes, college is a place of learning. Not just drinking, banging hot/ugly chicks and waking up late. Make the most of it (learning experience), you wont go back. I would beat the living daylight out of my future kids if I found out they were wasting my money in college and majoring in art (I'm sure your parents would too).
CNBC sucks"This financial crisis is worse than a divorce. I've lost all my money, but the wife is still here." - Client after getting blown up
Working9-5:
I have a degree in both. What I was left with was the ability to learn different approaches to problem solving. On the other hand, I hated things that didn't have any practical usage in my everyday (linear algebra, knot theory etc.). Which means you need to have a passion for this, the drive to sit up late at the library going over problems untill you get it. Do you have the drive at 10pm? 1am? 7am?. Math is a bitch, unless you're Asian.Contrary to most believes, college is a place of learning. Not just drinking, banging hot/ugly chicks and waking up late. Make the most of it (learning experience), you wont go back. I would beat the living daylight out of my future kids if I found out they were wasting my money in college and majoring in art (I'm sure your parents would too).
LOL... I think everyone has that stage of "heavy partying, clubbing, bar hopping, drinking, banging hot/ugly chicks and waking up late.", no? At least for me, I was over that after like a year. (Btw I also have both degree.) That being said, I do agree math requires some passion, otherwise your life is gonna be pretty misable, unless you are f*cking smart. Contrary to Working9-5 believes, linear algebra is extremely useful in real life, along with statistics, and probability theory. You use linear algebra in econometrics, computer programming, numerical methods, and optimization problems etc. which are frequently used in almost every analytic and quantitative field... just my 2 cents
11y
Working9-5:
I hated things that didn't have any practical usage in my everyday (linear algebra, knot theory etc.).
How can you put knot theory and linear algebra in the same sentence? Knot theory (along with most of algebraic topology) probably doesn't show up in practical problems very often, but linear algebra? I use linear algebra all the time...
Working9-5:
Math is a bitch, unless you're Asian.
I've found that eastern europeans have been the strongest mathematicians during my studies. If by asian, you mean chinese, then I strongly disagree. I find that the chinese are excellent test/exam writers but lack the depth and creativity to do high quality mathematics. There are obviously exceptions (the great terry tao of course).
-MBP
Working9-5:
Contrary to most believes, college is a place of learning. Not just drinking, banging hot/ugly chicks and waking up late. Make the most of it (learning experience), you wont go back. I would beat the living daylight out of my future kids if I found out they were wasting my money in college and majoring in art (I'm sure your parents would too).
You can learn, have a serious major, AND do all the aforementioned things of course. People just have to stop wasting their lives playing CoD and they'll soon realize they have plenty of time during the day to get their work done and then drink themselves silly.
11y
Haha, I see the Asian joke didn't go down with you.
Fair enough, regarding linear algebra, but I can't say I use matrices (decompositions), vectors or affine/projected space in my everyday calculations in S&T. Of course there are exceptions like least squares, but then again... who cares? The math skills you need is addition, subtraction, division and multiplication and mix them up for good measure.
CNBC sucks"This financial crisis is worse than a divorce. I've lost all my money, but the wife is still here." - Client after getting blown up
Related Topic
Finance/Computer Science v. Finance/Economics Double Major (Originally Posted: 04/26/2012)
For a while now I have been wanting to broaden my horizons and pick up a double a major. Two areas I was thinking about was Computer Science and Economics two subjects that have I have been highly interested in. I hope to do Quantitative/Computational finance in the future and I feel that these two major can serve the purpose for my specialized finance Finance track. I have taken a year of computer science in high school (it was nothing; and I know comp. sci is notorious for being very difficult) on the other hand I enjoyed learning about economics for a while now. I feel that finance/economics are two in the same considering they fall in the same category somewhat so I am worried that picking up the Economics major might be useless in the future but I don't know if this is true. Which combination do you recommend and please take into account these factors: Will help in quantitative/computational finance, marketability, job opportunities in each type of combination, what will recruiters think?
Thanks
If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.
If not, CS is a tough degree and it gives you a bit of a put against another bank recession.
But yes, you have to do the engineering math sequence. And you have to do Systems programming (C and threading) and you have to do data structures (C++ and pointer hell) and you have to do algorithms/theory (I thought it was fun brain teasers but most people found it impossible.)
The good news is that C++ has gotten easier. Back when I was your age (2004), we had to code everything up in PICO on a black and white screen. Then we had to compile. And the compiler would tell us we had made five spelling mistakes. And you'd spend about 1/2 the time it took for you to write the code inserting semicolons, fixing typos, and looking up documentation and man. pages on which functions took which parameters.
Oh well, it beat coding by punchcard and assembly.
Now with eclipse, visual studio, and completion lines, you don't have to put up with that BS. You also get to run stuff in debug mode. They've taken out a lot of the drudgery, but you need to think like an engineer or a mathematician more than ever.
IlliniProgrammer:
If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.
Agree.
UChicago is one of some very traditional (read: backward, inflexible) colleges that don't offer the option of majoring in Finance. (These include my school) => Major in Economics at UChicago and Finance at NYU Stern.
Also, computer Science in Investment Banking is pretty useless. You're actually better off majoring in English, despite the sarcastic post above, as it would allow you to maintain a higher GPA.
IlliniProgrammer:
If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.If not, CS is a tough degree and it gives you a bit of a put against another bank recession.
But yes, you have to do the engineering math sequence. And you have to do Systems programming (C and threading) and you have to do data structures (C++ and pointer hell) and you have to do algorithms/theory (I thought it was fun brain teasers but most people found it impossible.)
The good news is that C++ has gotten easier. Back when I was your age (2004), we had to code everything up in PICO on a black and white screen. Then we had to compile. And the compiler would tell us we had made five spelling mistakes. And you'd spend about 1/2 the time it took for you to write the code inserting semicolons, fixing typos, and looking up documentation and man. pages on which functions took which parameters.
Oh well, it beat coding by punchcard and assembly.
Now with eclipse, visual studio, and completion lines, you don't have to put up with that BS. You also get to run stuff in debug mode. They've taken out a lot of the drudgery, but you need to think like an engineer or a mathematician more than ever.
pico...ahhh, wow. i've heard stories like this, blows my mind. so old school compiling on the remote server..."javac program.java && java program"
My drinkin' problem left today, she packed up all her bags and walked away.
There is no way you are doing quantitative/computational finance without some sort of mathematics or computer science degree. I am doing a financial economics and mathematics double major at a non target. I chose this combination because I want to do derivative structuring in the future. Also, coming from a non target, the mathematics really sets me apart from all the economics ba's from targets.
Do not use CS in high school to compare to university if you want to major in computer science. I think you would be better off in software engineering if you want to code. CS in university is more math than programming in my opinion.
Also, you will impress just with a nice GPA as a CS major. You don't need the double major, this isn't liberal arts.
Best Double Major to Complement a Finance Degree? (Originally Posted: 03/10/2014)
I want to keep this somewhat brief because I'm sure this topic has been beaten to death. I'm currently a freshman at a regional target school in Texas (I guess you could call it that). I plan to major in Finance and minor in Geology due to the large chance that I will end up in a career in oil and gas. My goal is to one day work at a hedge fund or at an Asset Management firm, but I'm aware that that may change as I become more familiar with the field. I'm currently trying to get into a program at my school that would greatly increase my chances of working at a BB investment bank or other jobs of that prestige, for lack of a better word. However, my problem is that this program will require me to double major, and I'm very undecided on what my double major should be.It allows me to major across colleges so I can essentially double finance with any other major whatsoever. So, what do you guys think would be the best major to take with finance?
11y
Applied Math sould be a great combo
Anything quantitative should work fairly well. Assuming you're at A&M because of the geology aspect, I'd focus on networking in Houston. Many BB's have Energy and Natural Gas offices there. And if you're lucky enough to have gone to Memorial or Highland Park, just have your dad make a couple calls for you. There's a lot of Asset Management in Texas as well, so just try to land an internship one Summer before your senior year.
I'm actually at Baylor, but, yeah, Houston is where I assume I will be getting a job. Unfortunately, I'm from out of state so my parents don't have those kinds of connections, but it's all good. Thanks for the info though. Asset Management will definitely be more on my radar since it's so prevalent.
Don't do some something quantitative if it is going to wreck your GPA. It sounds like you are pretty uncertain as to your post college career aspirations - keep your options open by getting solid grades.
"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among co*cktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
Related Topic
Should I focus on Finance or double major in Statistics? (Originally Posted: 07/14/2013)
Hi all.I'm currently a junior student majoring in Finance,and contemplating whether or not to double major in Statistics.
The pros and cons I have came up with are :
(Pros)1. Majoring in Statistics as well may indicate that I have quantitative skills.2. Double major is better than just having one major.3. Will be helpful when I apply for S&T later.(I haven't decided which positions to apply yet)
(Cons)1. My life in school will be a way tougher because I have to start from the bottom of Statistics2. Heard that maintaining high GPA with Statistics is really hard3. And most importantly, I've heard that knowledge on Statistics learned in the college are not used in the actual job.
although I was good at math in the high school, I've forgotten most of what I'd learned and is kind of afraid of math-related-things in Statistics.
But apparently, double majoring seems to be better than just majoring in Finance; there are a number of people outside who are sort of the latter. In other words, I think majoring also in Statistics may make (a bit of) competitive advantages over the competitors.
I would be glad to listen to your invaluable advices.Thanks.
If you think that double majoring in statistics will lower your GPA then don't do it. GPA>Double Major
With that being said, statistics are boring. If possible, get an internship during the school year. Taking classes and working part-time is more impressive than having 2 majors. I also think it would be more beneficial to spend your extra time taking online Wall Street Prep classes. They teach real job skills and you can put it on your resume.
just get a minor
Double majors, and majors in general, are overrated. After your first job, most people don't care what your major was. After your second job, most people don't care about what school you attended. (Sure, might be an overstatement, but you get the point.)
A second major is a pain for scheduling, course load, and really won't add much. An internship, extracurriculars, and a higher GPA are all far better uses of your time. Finance is plenty 'flexible' of a major and would be welcome in almost any industry.
Related Topic
Undergrad Double Major? (Originally Posted: 03/26/2011)
Hey everybody!
I'm new to WSO and currently a freshman at NYU Stern. As with many on this forum, I am interested in I-banking after graduation.
Currently I'm looking into a double major, just not sure what to major in with Finance.
The two I am looking deeply into are:
Finance+AccountingorFinance+Economics.
Right now, finance+economics is looking to be the best to me.
Any thoughts?Is it worth it to double major(I can boost GPA by taking non-business courses)?
Thanks in advance!
What value will a double major bring to you? If you pair history with finance that's one thing....but too many business classes will take away from the college experience imo. As a side note: I'm a junior and I wish I majored in 'math', knew about the Khan Academy, bought MetLab for my laptop, got more trials to Capital IQ and just got out more. One thing I am proud of is my single major. Just my $.02.
I'm a junior at Stern with a finance and economics major so my opinion will be biased. However, I dealt with the same issue as you when I was a freshman (for me it was between econ, marketing, and accounting).
Personally, I agree with others that you should pick a major that interests you and for that reason only. I find that if you want it for getting internships, than an accounting major won't be terribly beneficial anyway. Much of the accounting knowledge you'll need can be picked up easily through guides (but so can relevant finance info). So just pick something that you'll enjoy.
I'm taking economics because of the available classes at both Stern and CAS. You'll have the opportunity to take classes like Economics of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll, Sports Economics, Game Theory, Gender Choices, Urban Economics, Behavioral Finance, etc. (you get the idea). Those classes had awesome names and the ones I've taken have been extremely enjoyable so far.
Also, I took Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) hoping I'd get some advantage during recruiting, but it wasn't particularly mindblowing. Main lesson: read 10-Ks because they're awesome. There you go, 3 credits worth of knowledge right there. Talking about this makes me regret taking the class...my teacher was good and it wasn't her fault, but I definitely could have used my elective credits on something I found more interesting.
Anyway, I'd personally recommend being a double major because its so easy to get a second business major at Stern with a minor as you'll still have the opportunity to travel abroad easily / take a few random classes along the way.
There's my $0.02 too.
11y
If you want to do IB, pick accounting over finance. Almost everything you do (for building models) entails looking through company financials. The more you know about accounting they better you will be. I majored in econ and finance and if I had to do it again I would do accounting and econ. Econ is fun and strengthens your thinking and problem solving ability and accounting got you ready for the job.
Major in something outside of your business program if you can get your adviser to help you arrange the credits. It can be harder to declare a second because of the credit requirements in your own program, but if you have something that you're interested in, that's better for you in the end than pairing a second major that's redundant to finance.
I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
Double Major Question (Originally Posted: 04/24/2011)
Hey,I'm going to be a freshman next year, and I'm thinking about double majoring in Finance and Computer Science.Is this a good idea? I've heard it is because it might set me apart from a more standard major (assuming I perform well), and it would be very helpful to break into S&T (something I'm very interested in).If anyone has any knowledge about this combination who would be willing to share their opinions, that would be great (anything from job prospects, to workload, to actual enjoyment of the subjects).I will be going to a non-ivy top 20 school.Thank you.
honestly, drop the double major and play the field of new women you'll be meeting.
but really, obviously that's probably a good/ambitious idea, however:
1)consider the work load(I was a double major in busniess econ and CS but found the workload insane and am doing a CS minor instead)2)consider what this will do to your GPA (you're not an engineering major so a lowish 3.2 or so GPA won't look good)3)consider going into college and doing a major or minor you find enjoyable. buddy of mine dropped his double major (finance and math) and did a finance major and history minor instead. he actually enjoyed 8:30 class and got a great offer. so stay open minded
dt18:
honestly, drop the double major and play the field of new women you'll be meeting.but really, obviously that's probably a good/ambitious idea, however:
1)consider the work load(I was a double major in busniess econ and CS but found the workload insane and am doing a CS minor instead)2)consider what this will do to your GPA (you're not an engineering major so a lowish 3.2 or so GPA won't look good)3)consider going into college and doing a major or minor you find enjoyable. buddy of mine dropped his double major (finance and math) and did a finance major and history minor instead. he actually enjoyed 8:30 class and got a great offer. so stay open minded
Hm, okay, thank you for the response. Would I still be able to break into BB S&T with a minor in CS?
You could do it with no CS, from a worse school....
in entry level S&T, the majority of your programming will be done in VBA - something you don't need to major/minor in CS for. If you want the more quantitative desks, you will be needing more MATH/STATISTICS than CS.
Again, this is referring to S&T at an investment bank; if you are looking for a prop desk (leaning on algorithmic trading), then it's a entirely different story - you will need to master C++ for that.
11y
crucifix.:
in entry level S&T, the majority of your programming will be done in VBA - something you don't need to major/minor in CS for. If you want the more quantitative desks, you will be needing more MATH/STATISTICS than CS.Again, this is referring to S&T at an investment bank; if you are looking for a prop desk (leaning on algorithmic trading), then it's a entirely different story - you will need to master C++ for that.
THIS
Get busy living
Nemo, a science major does give you a good quant background, but I'd say computer science is better. Programming is extremely useful for S&T.To the OP - Check out this thread I made:wallstreetoasis.com/forums/engineering-or-finance-degree-for-stIt seems that engineering degrees are more useful for S&T than finance degrees. Engineering degrees are the most versatile degrees and pay off the most. There was a thread on WSO about quants taking over the world.I'm doing a computer science and finance double degree, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Then again, I work my ass off and the double degree doesn't lower my GPA.
"The code of competence is the only system of morality that's on a gold standard." - Francisco d'Anconia
tobywashere:
Nemo, a science major does give you a good quant background, but I'd say computer science is better. Programming is extremely useful for S&T.To the OP - Check out this thread I made:wallstreetoasis.com/forums/engineering-or-finance-degree-for-stIt seems that engineering degrees are more useful for S&T than finance degrees. Engineering degrees are the most versatile degrees and pay off the most. There was a thread on WSO about quants taking over the world.I'm doing a computer science and finance double degree, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Then again, I work my ass off and the double degree doesn't lower my GPA.
Thanks for the link, it was very interesting. I definitely agree with the general sentiment that quant degrees are insanely useful (not just for S&T), and that it would be ideal to have more than just finance.I take it you would recommend doing Finance/CS double major, but how would a Finance major with CS minor compare for S&T?And, if I end up majoring in both, how does the workload stack up?Thanks!
A finance major with a CS minor works too. However, employers don't really take minors seriously.A high GPA is of the utmost importance, so don't do a double major if you think it is going to lower your GPA. Depending on your desk, trading can range from plain vanilla to super quant. A CS minor will give you adequate skills for most types of trading. However, you don't want to be in a situation where you're limited to plain vanilla because your programming skills aren't up to par, and you have to jealously watch the more mathematical people handle the more exotic stuff.Me personally, I just double major, work my ass off, take it in and don't complain. The workload is pretty heavy (6 courses a semester). But that's just me. I manage my time pretty well, so I have time for extracurriculars, going out, and exercising. It's obviously better to double major, but if you're worried about the workload, I would do a minor. It's up to you to consider how much you're willing to work, and your work-life balance.Keep in mind that recruiters like to see kids who "did a double major, worked a campus job, and didn't seem to need any sleep." (Words of a bank recruiter)
"The code of competence is the only system of morality that's on a gold standard." - Francisco d'Anconia
tobywashere:
A finance major with a CS minor works too. However, employers don't really take minors seriously.A high GPA is of the utmost importance, so don't do a double major if you think it is going to lower your GPA. Depending on your desk, trading can range from plain vanilla to super quant. A CS minor will give you adequate skills for most types of trading. However, you don't want to be in a situation where you're limited to plain vanilla because your programming skills aren't up to par, and you have to jealously watch the more mathematical people handle the more exotic stuff.Me personally, I just double major, work my ass off, take it in and don't complain. The workload is pretty heavy (6 courses a semester). But that's just me. I manage my time pretty well, so I have time for extracurriculars, going out, and exercising. It's obviously better to double major, but if you're worried about the workload, I would do a minor. It's up to you to consider how much you're willing to work, and your work-life balance.Keep in mind that recruiters like to see kids who "did a double major, worked a campus job, and didn't seem to need any sleep." (Words of a bank recruiter)
toby, aren't you still in high school?
Single vs. Double Major (Accounting/Finance) (Originally Posted: 02/05/2007)
Hey guys,
I am a student at the University of Illinois. I was planning to get a double major in Finance and Accounting. Recently, however, I have been thinking of dropping my Finance major and majoring only in Accounting. To supplement this, I will be taking several (4 or 5) Finance classes and will basically complete all of the requirement of my Finance degree, besides having 154 hours. The reason I want to do this is so that I have time to study abroad.
My question is, will being only an accounting major hurt me at all when applying to banks? I am a sophom*ore right now so I have another year. I have good extracurricular activities/leadership and an above average gpa (3.85). I hear that having accounting skills is extremely important, and I will be taking all the finance classes anyways so I am hoping having only an Accounting degree as opposed to a dual degree in Accounting/Finance won't hurt too much. How much do people take a double major into account?
Any advice is appreciated...thank you!
My friend just got a job with Goldman Sachs and he was an accounting major from u of i.
Related Topic
Double Majoring In Accounting and Finance? (Originally Posted: 06/11/2011)
Okay, Im currently a Finance major. Recently have had thoughts to become a double major, in Accounting and Finance.
My thought process was that having the dual degree would allow me to understand finance in every level from the numbers and business aspect starting from the accting tools/statements to the business savy of finance minds. Also, versatility in finding a job.
Any advice and recommendations on the usefulness of a double major in Finance/Accounting?
" 'Cause when ya meals appear; ya errybodys silverware" L.B.
Most schools it is not really a double major, just a double concentration within business. My school you only have to take 4 extra classes to get the dual-concentration listed.
Either way, you should definitely do it. Sitting through SA training the other week and now spreading comps all day I would say the accounting concentration is just as if not more relevant than the finance concentration. You will understand how to work around financial statements a lot better. Definitely recommend picking up accounting.
Related Topic
What do Investment Banking Interns Major/Double Major in nowadays? (Originally Posted: 06/04/2014)
Is it even worth having a technical major over a finance major on your diploma? Or does it hurt more than help for Wall Street?
What about double majoring in both Finance and lets say, computer science?
11y
It's not worth getting a significantly lower GPA by taking on a harder major if you know you want to work in finance (generally much better to have a 3.9 in finance than a 3.2 in comp sci, for example). A double major in finance and comp sci could be helpful if you want to go into a trading-type role post graduation, if you can keep your GPA up, but for ibanking it's unnecessary.
I think it's worth having a technical major if you want to join a specific coverage group or a specific area of ER, i.e. chemical engineering for midstream O&G, computer science for software companies, etc...
This is just my subjective view, not sure what the actual, evidence-based trend is.
For investment banking, there are all kinds of majors that break into investment banking, but the most common majors are probably finance and economics. Although an imperfect indicator, being a finance or economics major is nevertheless an indicator that demonstrates the candidate has an interest in finance/economics/business/etc. and thus creates a logical entry point for investment banking.
With regards to technical majors (I'm assuming you mean quantitative or hard sciences), I think it doesn't hurt as long as you keep the GPA up. Plenty of engineering majors, math majors, etc. break into analyst programs at investment banks each year. It could also give you more flexibility if you decide to pursue an area other than investment banking.
There are some areas of finance that are very quantitative (some types of trading, hedge funds, etc.), so having a computer science or other type of quantitative background may potentially open up those areas. A finance major with solid but not world-class quant skills would have investment banking open to them, but the door might be closed on the more quantitative areas of finance.
Finance and Accounting
Let me just put it this way: The CS degree implies you can code which in turn implies you should have the mental ability to do financial modeling. I went straight to a buy-side shop out of undergrad and I am pretty sure I got a GPA "allowance" for doing a difficult engineering major.
You also don't just stroll into VC - well you can - but I think some operating experience will be very beneficial. If you do the CS degree and you end up applying to a Facebook etc - You can point to the projects you did in college/projects you did for fun to address a need (they are really big on the "hacker" culture). You also get a feel for the industry by doing the major - why are people moving toward a Git workflow? f*cking Clouds, how do they work?
If you did finance undergrad with finance internships then TMT analyst and now you want to be a product manager? It usually doesn't sit very well.
Also, no one cares about GPA after your first job.
What should my double major be? (Originally Posted: 12/08/2014)
I was thinking of either double majoring in finance and accounting or finance and math. The only issue with doing finance and math is that they are in separate colleges at my school so I will have to take an extra 30 credits.
So would the finance/accounting or finance/math be more beneficial in the long run?
11y
I PM'ed you. Check your inbox.
11y
I have the same question, can you PM me too? But don't bother if doing such a thing wouldn't increase my chances by at least 30%, because then it isn't worth it.
debater96:
I was thinking of either double majoring in finance and accounting or finance and math. The only issue with doing finance and math is that they are in separate colleges at my school so I will have to take an extra 30 credits.
So would the finance/accounting or finance/math be more beneficial in the long run?
You
My two cents:What do you want to do? This will have a bigger impact on your decision than anything else. So, I would recommend figuring out what you truly want to do and if Accounting or Math as a second major would make more sense. As Anonymoose mentioned, the two provide very different knowledge to you. Or toss Computer Science in there for the aforementioned.
Doing finance and accounting uses the same amount of credits as just doing finance. I would just use my elective credits on the necessary accounting classes instead of on whatever else they have to offer. So only the finance/math would use extra credits and require more work than one major.
11y
I completely disagree. Unless you're at a true target, having a double major is one of the few things you can do to differentiate yourself. Additionally, it's really no more difficult to do an extra major unless your second major is just much harder than your first. Math would certainly require more effort and time than Finance and might hurt your GPA a bit (it brought mine down ~0.15 pts in total) but, at least in trading, I would take a Math&Finance double major with a 3.6 over a pure Finance major with a 3.9 any day of the week. It's not even a contest.
@"debater96"As for Accounting, it's not much more difficult than Finance. Most undergraduate Finance programs are a f*cking joke because they shy away from Math so much, and you really can't do large parts of Finance without some basic Calculus/Linear Algebra. Accounting is a lot of rules and arithmetic and definitely is more of a time commitment than Finance but if it's intuitive for you it should be easy to do well.
I would say do the Finance/Accounting and then try to pick up a more technical minor such as math/CS/statistics. Accounting is extremely important for understanding how businesses operate (much, much more so than Finance) and is something you can always fall back on because you're actually learning a hard skill set. It's boring as f*ck though.
What are you looking to do specifically?
I'm going to assume that since you posted this in the trading section, you are interested in S&T or trading somewhere at some point in time.
If this is the case, a finance degree, unless it's a 4.0 from an Ivy League school, isn't very useful. Nor should it be, the things you learn in most university finance undergrad degrees are not very useful for trading. They are at best a basic foundation upon which you can lay everything else.
Everyone saying not to do a double major - very silly. Honestly if you're really that interested in trading, you could get away with doing math all by itself. The finance is of course helpful for understanding some things, but as I've said before, it's nothing you can't teach yourself in a few hours a week over the course of a month or two in the library. Or even just in your spare time, when you're bored.
Math is far more important than any other subject unless you really want to be in a sales position. Of course, if you're not interested in trading at all, then finance is ok, but the second major (especially math) would really help you stand out, and show intelligence. Networking doesn't help if you don't actually set yourself apart once you get to the interview. Networking only gets you that far.
"When you stop striving for perfection, you might as well be dead."
Hi everyone here,
I also have the same problem. I will transfer to do econ at a target next semester. And I was wondering what should I complement with my econ major. Will something like history/polisci help standing out? I could switch to do a joint major in econ-math or econ-stat. There wouldn't be big changes to my gpa if I do econ-stat. Though my gpa would be 0.1-0.2 lower if I decided to do econ-math. As far as I know stat in undergrad is softer than math (analysis/algebra). Is a stat major much less attractive than a math major?
Also, if you can choose again, will you do a major/minor in CS? I guess a CS degree is really marketable for tech jobs at google/fb but it is a really tough and time consuming major.
Thank you so much for the advice!
11y
It depends on what kind of math and stat program you're doing. My statistics minor is actually called Probability & Statistics and it's certainly more tangible than other fields of math but I don't think it's that much easier. We use a lot of stuff you learn in other branches of math in probability and it's incredibly theoretical (more so than I expected). If it's just statistics then yeah, it's probably significantly easier than pure mathematics. But if it includes probability where you're studying Markov Chains, Brownian Motion, Moment Generating Functions, etc. you incorporate a ton of different elements of pure math if your program is good. Lots of proofs.
On the other hand, I think something like a Philosophy major looks great if you have a good Philosophy program. It's more rigorous than people think and shows that you have interests/abilities outside of Finance/Math/Econ/etc. CS is great if you really like CS. I took a few CS classes and chose not to complete the minor. You can honestly teach yourself anything CS related that you would need to know in trading. Everyone mostly uses VBA anyway (at least on the sell-side).
Internship for sure
11y
A good internship will count for more than the second major: if you get a job offer you're going to feel a whole lot better than if you had just added a second line to the education section of your resume. If you don't get an internship THEN take classes.
Run this by other people, as the details of your situation make an exact answer hard to say, but for the most part experience > academic credentials for entry level jobs.
Get busy living
Not even a question, internship by a mile. Like UFO was saying, think in terms of how your resume will look after. Would you hire a guy that's done the job before or taken a few more classes? More majors = diminishing returns.
Ill have to go with internships. However, if you can pull off double majoring + internships.. which would be incredibly hard for almost everyone, it would look a lot better. Factor in that you would probably have no time to study and no sleep if you were to do that though..
Related Topic
Best major to complement finance? (Originally Posted: 04/06/2014)
Hi, I am a freshman at a semi-target. As of now, I am a finance major but I am thinking of adding a second major. I am interested in investment banking, so with that said which of the following majors would be most beneficial?-accounting-information systems-marketing-management-business analytics (minor)
Thank you in advance!
Also, Econ, but its not in the business school
Either info system or accounting. If you can learn accounting on your own, take info system.
Don't add a second major. Instead, spend that time enjoying college, developing hobbies, reading, networking, etc. If you feel like you need to add a second major or are strongly compelled to, add accounting.
rpc:
Don't add a second major. Instead, spend that time enjoying college, developing hobbies, reading, networking, etc. If you feel like you need to add a second major or are strongly compelled to, add accounting.
agreed
11y
Monkey Bizness:
Hi, I am a freshman at a semi-target. As of now, I am a finance major but I am thinking of adding a second major. I am interested in investment banking, so with that said which of the following majors would be most beneficial?
-accounting
-information systems
-marketing
-management
-business analytics (minor)Thank you in advance!
I would say accounting might be most relevant to banking, but personally would choose information systems. If you ultimately decide to not pursue investment banking, there are a lot of good and in-demand jobs for someone with a technology background and understanding.
Also if you can tack on that analytics minor that would be fantastic. There is a serious demand for analytics positions these days.
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"Everybody needs money. That's why they call it money." - Mickey Bergman - Heist (2001)
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heister:Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad.https://arthuxtable.com/
11y
Tenetur repellat aut esse tempore. Autem id voluptas error aut dolores accusamus sint unde. Qui eum voluptatum et. Aliquid cum voluptas nihil nesciunt est reiciendis sequi. Qui ea labore voluptas deserunt. Ut atque possimus placeat quia.
Modi sunt dolorem quidem quibusdam quia. Deleniti placeat et tempore error tenetur itaque facilis. Eum in eligendi facere ut nesciunt iste quos. Et in non illo et officia iure dolorem. Repudiandae eaque sint nihil sint ad.
Ea dicta ipsam voluptas vel quas. Sit voluptates sunt rem minima corporis. Vero et ipsum velit quis possimus reiciendis.
Qui facilis eaque et ut dolore veniam. Vel accusantium saepe labore fuga. Praesentium iure amet et reiciendis qui veritatis accusamus. Ducimus impedit ipsam numquam quos nisi est. Nihil dolores error aut facilis quaerat assumenda temporibus.
Assumenda qui quibusdam rerum et nihil reprehenderit. Ipsam est doloribus id qui id iusto. Consequatur laudantium veritatis et velit corporis.
Saepe totam dolor rerum sint. Optio deleniti nam enim sunt omnis ea esse magni. Est autem pariatur harum odio sint voluptas. Beatae expedita placeat repellendus voluptatibus quaerat tempore qui.
Ab et alias quia delectus quaerat commodi nulla et. Quis est cumque quos vitae. Ipsum exercitationem et excepturi harum esse. Adipisci eum quod officia et. Consequatur velit dolores distinctio deleniti ratione quia enim. Explicabo et voluptatem consequuntur asperiores ullam.
Incidunt libero sit placeat quia modi. Sit eos ut nostrum exercitationem. Sapiente enim et consequatur dolore.
"Everybody needs money. That's why they call it money." - Mickey Bergman - Heist (2001)
Non quia nam officia velit provident aut. Odio nemo qui nesciunt et nihil nam. Exercitationem veniam at odit laborum eveniet id voluptatem. Exercitationem explicabo possimus cumque exercitationem sit enim dolore consequatur.
Ut rem distinctio ea minima et. Nemo illum quia facere nesciunt aut. Dolorem sed nobis facilis sit. Sunt est nisi aliquam quia voluptatum. In repellendus neque minima iste mollitia quo.
Quisquam veritatis sed iure repudiandae quos. Dolorem officiis eaque voluptas debitis et quis. Modi ut fugit recusandae et et dolorum.
Ducimus inventore vero voluptate expedita provident sed quis. Sapiente et et dolores porro.
Animi et excepturi veniam. Est natus earum et est facilis repellat culpa. Ea facere assumenda debitis quia est laudantium. Accusamus eveniet ut consequatur ea laboriosam repellat mollitia quis. Tempore quae tempore culpa doloremque. Nemo sunt eligendi rerum.
11y
Omnis dicta impedit nisi ex expedita. Voluptas alias voluptatum est quam et. Explicabo quod incidunt temporibus rerum facilis laudantium rerum omnis.
Ut quasi dolorem dignissimos. Enim nisi occaecati vero aut accusantium sed et. Distinctio esse distinctio praesentium atque. Officiis placeat molestias adipisci dolorem.
