<p>I am going to be a Wharton student a la fall 2009, but I'm unsure if my plans for the future are marketable. I really want to go in BB or a top shelf accounting firm like pricewaterhouse coopers straight from UG, however I'm trying to make a degree plan that will make it easier for me. So my questions are. 1. Is comp sci + finance and accounting concentration extremely difficult to manage? 2. will these degrees give me avenues in either field which wouldn't exist to a normal finance student with good GPAs?</p>
<p>bump 10 char</p>
<p>I’m not sure if it’s possible to major in comp sci if you’re in the Wharton school. You can apply for a degree in SEAS but that would take a fifth year with a lot of required coursework in math, physics, and chemistry that isn’t required at Wharton. So, not much of an overlap unfortunately. That said, computer science and accounting are the two most in-demand skills in the labor market right now (not together, the vast majority have one or the other). Both require a lot of work but Comp Sci is conceptually far more difficult, and coding in C++, C#, Java etc. is a skill that takes several years of intensive study to master.</p>
<p>If you are in Wharton, you can do a concentration in OPIM which can be quite difficult at the advanced undergrad and PhD levels, and a university minor in computer science. That should give you training on par with a CS major for the job market.</p>
<p>Finance is very interesting material, but a finance degree doesn’t prepare you much, in terms of functional skills, for the kind of work employers are offering post-credit crunch.</p>
<p>once you can get on pennintouch, you should try to do some planning and make a worksheet for the required classes for wharton (and engineering). to do a compsci major, you would need to get another degree in engineering, which is undoubtedly the most difficult combination (wharton + engineering dual degree without being in M&T) since there is not a lot of overlap, and some things that would double count in M+T don’t in just regular dual (i think). it is not uncommon to stay past 4 years doing just regular dual, unless you take like 6+ classes a semester and come in with a LOT of useful APs. im in single degree wharton, and to give you an idea, i came in with about 5 APs that actually counted, and i can pursue probably at most a minor and 3 concentrations</p>
<p>DH did a double concentration in accounting and decision sciences in Wharton. Graduated in 3.5 years. Had no prior programming experience. Had plenty of interviews upon graduation, too.</p>
<p>He was able to take some of his decision science courses through the engineering school. </p>
<p>I would beg to differ about C++, Java, etc. taking years to master. I have a S who is self-taught and he has done rather well for himself.</p>
<p>For a comp sci minor it says…
" * Please Note: CIS 110 may be included ONLY if it was taken before taking CIS 120."</p>
<p>Does that mean if we get AP credit, we can count it towards the minor?</p>
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<p>I would beg to differ with this then. I started to program when I was 12 and could honestly say I was any good when I was maybe 20. It takes lots of time and practice to be a good programmer. With this I mean someone who can solve difficult algorithmic problems quickly and produce code that is both efficient and readable. Further, I don’t know anyone who would have evolved into a good programmer only by taking classes in college without having any prior experience i.e. having programmed as a hobby since at least high school. However, most programming jobs out there are from a CS point of view extremely trivial. The difficulty lies solely in tight deadlines, conflicting and changing requirements and general project management issues.</p>
<p>Regarding the original question, I think that CS + accounting would make a very good combination. Anything that involves going through lots of data is going to benefit from at least a solid understanding of basic CS principles. In most cases the programming involved in such jobs is going to be basic scripting for different applications i.e. toy programs, so the programming experience gained would probably be sufficient.</p>
<p>For some people learning to program is a huge obstacle. That is going to be pretty evident when taking a first course that requires implementing some more complex stuff. I think that is something that the OP needs to be taken into account. Another thing is what the OP would like to do as a job. There are lots of pure programming jobs in the finance business, but these do not tend to pay as much as some of the more traditional jobs…</p>
<p>“a la fall 2009”</p>
<p>Have you ever stepped inside a French class in your life??</p>
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<p>I forgot how many courses in AP that Wharton would accept since my S graduated some years ago. But 5 seems high. Some AP classes would only waive intro classes and not counted as credits.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s helpful to spread yourself into taking multiple majors unless you are sure you can handle the work. At recruiting, GPA is extremely important, majors not as much. Having accounting+ finance is overkill, as the classes overlap quite a bit. Recruiters may think you don’t know what you want.</p>
<p>^Lots of students at Wharton concentrate in both. Double concentrating means taking 4 courses beyond that necessary to graduate and many Wharton students do it. It’s supposed to be a good combo for investment banking. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about your concentrations till junior year at Wharton. You have to focus on your core requirements anyway, and they’ll give you an idea about what you want to study. A minor in CS would be pretty good, but if you get lazy, you can find courses in the OPIM department that use programming. You need to fulfill Wharton breadth anyway,</p>
<p>Sorry. I know I asked this but nobody answered and I didn’t want my question to get lost.</p>
<p>For a comp sci minor it says…
" * Please Note: CIS 110 may be included ONLY if it was taken before taking CIS 120."</p>
<p>Does that mean if we get AP credit, we can count it towards the minor?</p>
<p>I think AP credit counts towards the minor, but you can double check easily by emailing the undergrad chair.</p>