BS in Economics through Fisher or Arts & Sciences?

I at the stage where I need to apply to either major. Deadlines are in June so I have plenty of time to decide.

I have two options, 1.) BS in Business Administration with Specialization in Economics, and 2.) BS in Economics from Arts & Sciences.

I have a few worries here…

I.) Choosing option 1 would give me a Business Administration degree, something I’ve been warned against. People have warned me of going the classic business administration/management route in undergrad, instead they recommend getting a specialization.

II.) Choosing option 1 would give me access to Fisher recruitment, Fisher job placement services, and Fisher connections. I am not sure if I would receive the level of services through the Arts & Sciences option.

III.) I intend to get an MBA. Most MBA’s require or recommend a few years of work experience before accepting you into a program. Which of these two options would give me the best chance at employment and a reasonable salary for these three years or if I decide not to go the MBA route? The MBA program I choose may or may not be through Fisher.

If you look carefully at the wording for option 1, you will see that everyone in Fisher earns a BS in Business Administration with a Specialization in (Economics, Finance, Accounting, etc). It’s just the way OSU words those degrees - it’s not a general Business Administration degree like you might see at other schools.

That being said, I have only glowing reviews of Fisher - you’re correct in that their recruitment, job placement, etc. are wonderful. My oldest son graduated with a specialization in Logistics and Operations Management - had a great internship and had job offers months before he graduated. He worked for 2 years and applied to grad school at Fisher - he’ll earn a Masters in Business Logistics Engineering - and is continuing to work full time while he does this. He has friends who specialized in Finance who were making six figures only one year after graduating.

My youngest son is in his second year and is trying to decide on a specialization within Fisher. He’s leaning toward Info Systems, yet there are so many options. He has also applied to do an “Industry Cluster”, which is another amazing program offered by Fisher.

I can’t speak for the Economics degree through Arts & Sciences, but I think you’d have the most success through Fisher. HTH

You might see if you can determine which program is more mathematically rigorous. The best predictor of success in an MBA program is proficiency in math.

Fisher is an outstanding business school. If it turns out that it is not as rigorous mathematically as the A&S program, then just try to beef up the number of math courses you take. Take as much statistics as you can. If possible, take calculus based statistics (and thus at least a year of calculus).