As a current freshman, I am unsure whether to pursue a Business (Haas) major or Econ+Stats major at Berkeley.
I am an international student (from Canada) who is looking to settle and find work in California upon graduation. I am currently interested in pursuing a career in accounting (audit) or finance. I know that the Haas brand name would make it easier for me to find a job, and that would be especially helpful because of my work restrictions as an international student.
Math 53 and Math 54 are pre-requisite courses for a statistics major. If I want Econ+Stats as a future option, I would have to take both of these in my first two years, which would inevitably bring down my GPA and hurt my Haas application. However, if I do not take these courses, then I can only settle for an Econ major if I don’t get into Haas.
Course registration is coming up, and I need to decide whether I’m going to take Math 53/54 or not. On a larger scale, I feel like this is forcing me to decide whether to pursue a major in Business or Econ+Stats.
What should I do? Any advice or feedback is appreciated
If you want to go into quantitative finance, you probably want to take Math 53 and 54, as well as choose the more quantitative intermediate economics courses (Economics 101A, 101B) and take additional math, statistics, and math-heavy economics courses.
Why do you think that Math 53 and 54 will bring down your GPA?
@ucbalumnus thank you for the links! They seem to illustrate that people who major in Business at Berkeley have an easier time finding jobs upon graduation (only 10% seeking a job, compared to 23% and 28% from Stats and Econ respectively).
I would actually prefer a more quantitative job in the future. But at the same time I think Math 53/54 will bring down my GPA because they are “weeder” courses with unforgiving curves. I’m currently taking Math 1B and it’s manageable but not as easy as I thought. And nearly every Haas applicant I’ve talked to is taking the easiest possible math route (16 series).
It really seems like taking Math 53/54 would mean committing to Econ+Stats. Maybe that’s the better choice for me?
You may find some others of interest, like applied math and IEOR/ORMS (ORMS is an L&S major with some similarity to the IEOR major in the College of Engineering).
I would consider the quantitative econ track an entirely separate major from the “policy” track. Econ+Stats would be far better for your future prospects, whether it be in finance, actuarial accounting (why on earth anyone would want to do straight up accounting baffles me), or graduate study. I do not, to this day, know an econ+math or econ+stats major who had trouble finding employment in a relevant industry.
Please don’t take business, it’s not a core skill and much more fluffy than econ+stat, which in my opinion, is a very solid base for any future endeavors in business.
@“light shining” and @gabla6 I really want to believe you guys, but it’s hard not to overlook the advantages of the “Haas” brand name and employment opportunities upon graduation. If it is truly the case that Econ+Stats is better, then why are so many students applying for Haas but not for Econ+Stats here at Berkeley? Do they all know something that I don’t?
You already have the relevant data above to see that Haas is more highly prized by employers – that’s all you need to know if your goal is to get a job upon graduation. The business degree is not “fluffy” if you choose the harder courses for yourself, and you’ll have plenty of elective options where you can do just that.
As for the “inevitable” drop in GPA for taking the harder math classes, consider what the great Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” You will work to a level to fulfill your expectations for yourself, whether those expectations are low or high. I suggest you start convincing yourself that you can and will make an A in those classes, and then figure out just how to do that – with summer preparation, tutoring, etc.
