I will be a freshman attending a liberal arts school in the fall. After finding a college that fits my interest in economics (BA) and is affordable, I am trying to figure out what I should double major in. My parent’s concern is that I need to find a second major that will help me become marketable. Here’s a little bit about my academic life to put things into context:
In high school, my best grades always came in Math (I took BC Calculus this past year and was a A/B student). However, I struggled with Biology and some of the Physics was tough for me to visualize. I liked Chemistry a lot, but I am not sure how applicable it is. During my college search, one field that interested me in particular was oil engineering. The oil and natural gas industry seem to have implications in many aspects of our lives, and you could say they have a connection to economics (prices charged, supply and demand, etc). I looked into schools that have oil engineering and economics as majors but the quality of their economics department wasn’t optimal for me. I settled with my current school and they don’t have oil/natural gas engineering.
So I guess my question is: what other majors should I look into for my skill set that are marketable and well-paying?
It may be a good idea to wait till your first couple of semesters before thinking about another major. College courses vary from high school courses, and you may find a class/subject interesting that you didn’t like in high school.
You could try sampling computer science or stats courses in college, and see how they fit. They will most likely count for general ed courses (but check your college’s guidesheet first). Many liberal arts colleges also have minors you can take.
Once you get settled in at your college, you can check out the career services center and ask to see a list of recruiters who come to visit the college. That can give you an idea of what’s in demand. Some LAC"s have a business program. At any rate, getting used to the first semester of college classes and college life should be your priority at first.
^^very true. Don’t fret about the word major: start with what you know you want & build out. An economics degree with three summers interning in the oil + gas field >> double major econ / oil&gas with summers working at the ice cream shop.
Given your math aptitude I suggest engineering (one of the engineering disciplines that has a good job outlook - see http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm) or computer science. I would discourage doing economics to the extent of a major, as there aren’t many opportunities to work as an economist. Is it worth it just for personal interest?
CS, math, stats sound good. It depends on what school you’ll be attending, though. A LAC might be stronger in certain majors, with more course offerings. It depends, too, on what your plans are after graduation. Work or grad school? If grad school, you can afford to follow a more foundational/theoretical academic path in undergrad.
Yes, I’ve been fascinated with economics since I was in middle school and studying it is one of my favorite hobbies. My school offers double major so I could combine it with engineering of some sorts.
I haven’t figured that out yet, but right now I’d rather go into work when I graduate. If possible, I would like to have my main job in the marketable major I choose and then in my free time publish articles or even books on economics. Maybe work for an economic think tank.
Thanks for all the advice guys. I’ll have to do some more research (interns).