Hey all!
So I’m a current sophomore at FSU in the school of business. I have already decided I would like to double major, with one of those majors being finance. What I’m having trouble with is the second major. Marketing is what I know I’d enjoy more, but I think MIS would help a lot more later when applying for jobs.
Any advice on future job potential for each pairing is appreciated! TIA
If you think there is a very good chance you’d end up in marketing, then choose it. If you’d rather be more employable for finance, then MIS.
MIS deals more with system design, though, and it’s kind of a managerial/people track. It’s unlikely that you’d be designing/overseeing systems within finance; you’d need more of a technical background for that. Plus MIS is still a business major, so a lot of the core stuff that you’d learn in finance is going to overlap.
For those reasons, you might want to look at giving yourself more “individualistic” technical skills (outside of business) if you want to have an advantage for a finance job. A minor in math (applied math) or stats or compsci is useful. If you can swing a major in one of those alongside finance, even better, but you don’t need to overburden yourself. Whether you have the inclination for one of those subjects is an issue, as is the timing, being you’re a sophomore.
Thanks for the advice. I am 100% more interested in Finance than Marketing, and definitely see myself wanting to go into the Finance field. This is actually my second year in the business school, so after this semester I will be finished will ever core COB class. I could probably swing another major in a different school. Would a second mathematics major look better than MIS?
Additional question: what is the job market like for a Finance/MIS (or Math) major with around a 3.5 GPA at the moment?
If you wanted to add a math major, it would be granted from the College of Arts & Sciences, so it would probably be considered a “dual degree”, even if they’re both a B.S. The College of Arts & Sciences might require a minor, too. I’m guessing that your B.S. Finance does not require a minor? So you’d end up with a pile of reqs to fulfill: dual degree (2 majors and a minor). You’d have to be absolutely clear whether it’s doable in 4 years.
If you can do it comfortably without a sizeable hit to your sanity and your GPA, then sure, in my opinion, adding a math major will improve your resume for finance, over MIS. An applied math track is very good, too.
Then there’s the minor to deal with. Compsci is useful, but that might be an overly heavy program of study. You’re also heading into your junior year, so in the interest of time, you might choose to build a minor from courses you’ve already taken. You could minor in anything, really, to round out your program. Communication skills are important (English, another language) but your options might be limited at this point in your program.
If you can’t fit another major + minor into your program, look into the math minor. Double minors are available at many universities, too, so a math/compsci double minor would give you plenty of marketable skills. Or math + ‘subject with a lot of writing/speaking’. All of this depends on your aptitudes, of course, and whether your business college would allow a minor or two from another college. Minors aren’t listed on a diploma, but what counts is what is listed on your resume and what knowledge/skills you have crammed into your head.
The job market will be there, don’t worry, assuming you’re willing to relocate and build a network of contacts. Keep your GPA up. Improve your quantitative skills and don’t neglect communication/writing/leadership skills.