<p>I'm currently at a crossroads regarding the two different degrees. It's something I haven't really thought about- after all, I just assumed people with business degrees get jobs in business and people with economics degrees get jobs in academics. I've been doing some research and apparently there are a lot of people who pursue MBAs and other jobs with economics degrees and they're apparently preferred over those with undergrad business degrees! I'm quite confused, to say the least.</p>
<p>I'm not 100% done with my application so there are a few schools that I think will swing out of my list/into my list depending on which I decide to pursue. </p>
<p>So, what are the benefits of each degree, and what will help me more if I'm dead set on a career in business (finance, international business, etc)?</p>
<p>I'm still not 100% on whether I want to pursue further education after undergrad, so if anyone could give some pointers regarding what to pursue (I am leaning towards higher education if I don't get into my reach schools), I'd really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Recently, I surveyed educational backgrounds of Fortune 100 Chief Executive Officers. About 95% earned undergraduate degrees in either the liberal arts, business, or engineering. Nearly 50% of these individuals pursued graduate degrees in either business (and MBA or Master of Science) or law. Among liberal arts graduates the most popular major was economics. So, if you aspire to move up an organization and, perhaps, lead one some day either of these degrees is a great place to start. </p>
<p>If you are not certain of your career interests an undergraduate business program might be the right choice. There you will find from 6-10 majors and many sub-fields, as well. You should also consider a double major in economics and a field of business or a minor in either of these fields. </p>
<p>The most important thing to keep in mind is you have numerous options regarding a major, so do not panic. Many undergraduate students change majors 4-5 times before their junior year, so you uncertainty is not unusual. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’ll agree with rimfc701 on this one. Going with business will give you a wider range of options to choose from. Also, if you change your mind, it’s much easier to switch from business to economics than from economics to business (due to recent popularity of business schools, etc.).</p>
<p>Another good thing about going business is that many programs actually offer economics as a major within the business program, so you’d really be able to take advantage of both. Plus, I prefer taking the business core classes to the liberal arts core that most economics majors have to go through (reading books for school and writing papers is not my idea of a great weekend activity).</p>