<p>Lets say someone wanted to start a biotech company, or a company that invests in startup biotech companies, what would you major in? There is a big business and bio component. I can also not doing one without the other. But, the problem is, if you double major, you will not use one of these majors for a few years. For example...if you focus on bio (with double major), you will go on to masters or PhD, and you will probably forget most of that business stuff. On the flip side, if you focus on the business portion, you will go for work experience, etc. and then MBA, and only then you could start getting into the biotech stuff (of course you have to get investors, raise capital, etc.).</p>
<p>However, you forget the other subject in both situations. So, how can something like this be handled?</p>
<p>Or you could focus on Bio, and then go get your MBA later!</p>
<p>Thats also a possibility. However, I get the feeling that business would be a much better "fall back." For example, starting a company is hard, and if that fails (lots of reasons failure happens, the top one is not enough funding). However, with a business major, you can do so many things (IBanking, HF, VC, PE, etc.). In case my goal of starting biotech company fails, business would give me another way to go.</p>
<p>Bio as in biology, an undergraduate major? Worthless. Unless you go on to grad school in biology, you're looking at employment as a lab assistant for all the hard work you put into it.</p>
<p>collegefreak12, you're not looking at this the right way. You shouldn't be asking "what do I major in if I want to start a biotech company." Rather, what you should be asking is "I have an interest in starting a biotech company someday but what if I don't, what's the best major." You need to keep your options open.</p>
<p>I would go into business and then learn the biotech stuff from experience.</p>
<p>EDIT: You didn't post the reply above when I started writing this. Sounds like you've got the right idea now; have a fall back.</p>
<p>Formidable, yeah I agree with your points, like it would be rather simple to learn the biotech business stuff as I go. Thats not the problem. I guess what I am curious about is, would I (if for argument's sake we say I own a biotech company) personally need to know any bio behind the stuff my company invests in?</p>
<p>Yes but you can read all of it out of books; you don't need to devote an entire degree to it. Focus on some sort of business degree so you can get the backing for the business later.</p>
<p>doesn't upenn offer some sort of science/business related degree? i'd look into that if i were you.</p>
<p>He might not be able to afford an Ivy.</p>
<p>If you want, you could just minor in biology and major in business.</p>
<p>Probably not...but...are there join PhD/MBA programs?</p>
<p>collegefreak12, do an undergrad in business and at later stages take a few courses related to the biotech/healthcare industry sector (or maybe even write about it in your final work) or do something related to it at Masters level.</p>
<p>I have very similar ambitions to yours... :)</p>
<p>In any case I don't think that I'll be able to start my own company right after my undergrad degree. I'm planning to spend some time gaining work experience (consultancy, strategy), while networking with key players in the industry I'm interested as well.
Last semester I also took a non-curricular module in "Industrial applications of Biotech". And I often try to read magazines like "Nature" or download related academic papers from our online library :P
The earlier you start getting acquainted with your field of interest, the easier it will be for you to locate the key players in the industry and maybe contact them, assist them in some projects, etc.</p>