<p>So I was recently admitted to UCLA as a transfer for fall 2011. I was a 3.85 TAP applicant which BizEcon and Philosophy as my alternate. I got into philosophy but most likely going to be switching into Math/Econ because I'm good at math and think it would be more marketable in the financial sector (ibank, pwm, pe).</p>
<p>I have a couple choices right now that I'm weighing, and it's all causing me a lot of anxiety. I know I for sure want to work in finance, I'm just unsure which route will help me get there most efficiently. For instance, I spoke to a Econ counselor there recently and she told me I could plead my case to switch back into BizEcon once there since I'm highly competitive . So my choices are:</p>
<p>(1)- try my best to switch from Philosophy to Business Econ and passionately plead my case.
(2)- switch into Math/Econ (which I still have many prereqs for math left to complete at UCLA)
(3)- complete a major in Philosophy with a minor in Accounting and hope I can land a job</p>
<p>Advice?</p>
<p>Well assuming you didn’t get into Berkeley,</p>
<p>Do anything BUT the Phil/Acct route and you should be ok.</p>
<p>I’m a business major myself and I would do whatever it took to get switched to a bizecon major. Even if they told me no I would go ahead and register for all of the required classes for bizecon and not take a single phil major required course. All the while doing whatever I could to get on a first name basis with my biz professors. Unless there is something I’m not aware of of course.</p>
<p>Really after 120units and my courses mirroring bizecon and not a single phil class done how can they deny me?</p>
<p>Has anyone taken this stubborn approach to forcing their way into an impacted major?</p>
<p>Billionaire, know of any students doing what you advised?</p>
<p>If you are like math and are good at it, consider doing math/economics since the financial industry is always looking for people good at math (they recruit engineering and physics majors, as well as math and statistics majors, for finance jobs).</p>
<p>The finance type courses at [UCLA</a> economics](<a href=“http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/catalog/catalog10-11-288.htm#221250368_pgfId-1001263]UCLA”>http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/catalog/catalog10-11-288.htm#221250368_pgfId-1001263) are:</p>
<p>106F Finance
106V Investments
122 International Finance
141A Mathematical Finance</p>
<p>@Me Study: What do you mean? Avoiding doing phil/acct? A friend of mine wants to do the same thing as OP… but the difference is that my friend only wants to do accounting and the whole CPA thing.</p>
<p>This guy (OP) wants to do finance. He wont get anywhere near a hedge fund with that combo.</p>
<p>I’ll be doing Econ at SD…I know it’s not exactly an Ivy but is there any chance I could make it to a hedge fund after grad school or something?</p>
<p>Billionaire- Sorry I thought you were advising doing something similar to what I wrote.</p>
<p>I also think Phil/acc is a lost cause imo if the whole idea is to make it into an ib. Well I wouldn’t say lost cause because we never know how well people can network or their ability to land incredible internships, but it’s just not the most logical choice.</p>
<p>I say just take all biz courses and force your way in. Basically make it very hard for the school to deny your desire to switch to bizecon. I know someone in UCB and he did something similar. He is on his 5th semester finishing up is bachelors. They have policy against students taking a 5th semester and not finishing within 4years especially people who are not double majoring. But the fact that he had only a couple more classes made it difficult for the school to cut him off.</p>
<p>I’m thinking of doing Math/Econ, but in order to complete the prereqs AND major, I’ll have to complete 2 math courses a quarter at UCLA, which I’m afraid will take a toll on my GPA. That is probably what I will end up doing, though. Unless I decided to stay 3 years and do Math/Econ and an Accounting minor. </p>
<p>I’ll most likely do everything I can do get BizEcon, but if not Math/Econ will likely be my second choice. Do firms (other than big4) recruit UCLA, or will I have to just network like a ninja.</p>
<p>@mestudystuff that sounds like a major gamble to try to brute force your way into a major that states specifically transfers cannot switch to… aren’t degree progress reports for this very reason? I’d fear UCLA would put you on some sort of probation for not taking classes that progress your major. And in a worst case scenario, you max out your allotted units completing courses that don’t fit your major and end up being dismissed from the university…</p>
<p>Economics/BizEcon/MathEcon</p>
<p>You can try to finish it in three summers. Regular econ only requires 41, 11 and nine upper division econ classes (2 can from management classes).</p>
<p>That only 11 courses. So that is 4 classes for 2 summers and 3 classes in the last.</p>
<p>So it is even possible to graduate in 2 years if you start this summer and graduate in your third summer.</p>
<p>Oh on a random note. Looking the catalog, I just noticed you can avoid econometrics all together as an econ major at UCLA. Which is pretty ridiculous.</p>
<p>@isus39: Not out of undergrad. You’d need to somehow get into a top 10 MBA program before you could make an attempt.</p>
<p>belkster - Yeah it’s a big gamble but really it’s just a thought. I wonder if anyone actually done this and curious to hear about the results.</p>
<p>@ Swagger</p>
<p>funny, I too was admitted under my second choice major which happens to be philosophy. My first choice major was psychology, but at least I got into UCLA. I’m gonna try to change my major as well.</p>
<p>@Billionaire</p>
<p>Ah, that’s what I thought. Guess I will have to do some impressive things in 2 years, I’m up for it.</p>
<p>We’ll see, I have to plead my case for BizEcon, but if not, then I suppose Math/Econ is my best bet for finance work. </p>
<p>I’ve read so many things about liberal arts majors getting work in finance, and majors don’t really matter for most analyst positions…I guess I have to research more.</p>
<p>“Liberal arts” includes math and science, right?</p>
<p>Anyway, not all finance jobs are heavily quantitative, so those in less mathematical majors can still go into them. However, for those jobs that are heavily quantitative, majoring in something heavily mathematical (e.g. math or statistics; those jobs even recruit physics and engineering students) is desired.</p>
<p>I’m not planning on becoming a quant anyways, that’s why I’m worried that majoring in math econ will force me to go the quant route. I plan on doing the 2-3 year analyst thing then getting an MBA. I fear all the math might hurt my GPA for grad-school possibilities, but I also worry that not doing something in the field of economics or accounting will make it extremely difficult to find the requisite work experience needed for a top MBA program. Decisions, decisions…</p>
<p>Just so you know UCLA will kick you out after taking the unit max, which means that if you end up taking classes in another department, and later find out during your last year that you won’t be admitted into the department(business econ), you may find yourself with out a degree, regardless of the major you’re listed under.</p>
<p>Also, what you receive your education in is just one part of the employment process. You could major in philosophy and minor in accounting, and still have a career in finance. There are other aspects to the employment process, such as internship/work experience, that can trump a desired “specific” major. Even if you don’t minor in accounting, taking electives in econ, accounting, math and listing you can still market yourself by referring to those courses taken during the application process for a job/career. UCLA is well connected, and from experience, I can tell you that you don’t need to have X major to do Finance. There will be a lot of students like you who will be looking to get into finance, what distinguishes every other business, business econ, econ, accounting, finance majors who are applying for the same job as you is their work experience, internships, and interest. Just because you get your degree in business econ does not mean that you will be handed a job, you still have to put effort into selling and marketing your self.</p>