Accounting compared with finance

<p>I want to major in accounting at the moment. I really enjoy finance and accounting.</p>

<p>From my perspective it seems accounting is generally deemed more rigorous, but also more job-attracting.</p>

<p>Does anyone hold experience with these majors that could tell me a little bit more about each one? I mean I know I what each major is about; I would like to know more about specifics - tips, pet peeves, pros, cons of each major.</p>

<p>Also, a completely unrelated question - How hard is it to get into the combined degree MSF program (Hough)?</p>

<p>I know I am asking a lot, but I am looking for fresh, candid advice.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>the MSF program is actually very competitive. thats all i can really say about that. get a really high score on your GMAT and do some schmoozing and you can probably get in. but they really do look for the best and brightest in the business college.</p>

<p>finance is a more theoretical course of study that teaches a broader skill set and is more flexible. its similar to economics in that you have to learn a lot about markets and decision making, but places much more emphasis on learning how financial markets work, and stuff about various financial products. accounting is more about learning rules and how to run a business. there isn’t much ‘theory’ behind it. its a slightly more technical degree.</p>

<p>theres a huge amount of overlap between the two. i would recommend looking over their list of courses and seeing which one sounds more interesting to you. in therms of job opportunities, they both do very well. accountants are in slightly higher demand because they are more specialized and there are fewer of them, but i haven’t really heard that accounting majors do all that much better than finance majors right after graduation.</p>

<p>don’t let the likeliness of getting a job afterwards effect which path you go down. if you are successful at either one, you’ll probably do just fine. if you aren’t successful, neither of them will be your savior.</p>

<p>I have another question now: How hard is it to get a job at a big 4 accounting firm from UF? How many students get in each year?</p>