<p>I have noticed that many colleges offer two economics majors: One through the college of arts/sciences, and if the school has it, there is often another economics major through the business school.</p>
<p>I do not want to major in something technical/pre-professional (finance, marketing, operations management, etc), however, I would like to major in economics. What would the core differences be between the two programs? I appreciate the broader education that would come from majoring in CAS economics, but I think having a degree from the business school would be more marketable to employers.</p>
<p>Some schools in which I have observed this are Villanova and Boston College.</p>
<p>Please give me advice as to which major you think would suit my wants/needs, and your personal opinion on the pros/cons of each.</p>
<p>One of the main differences at most colleges is that an economic degree though arts and sciences is the classic economics degree (very conceptual and lays the foundation for graduate school thinking) while in the business college you will take the business core classes (accounting, finance, marketing, etc.) along with about 4-7 economics classes. </p>
<p>It is important to remember that at a lot of colleges all business majors have a bachelors of science in business administration as their actual degree with a specialization in finance, accounting, etc. Therefore, you will not get a BS or BA in economics from the business school; instead you will get a BSBA with a specialization in economics. This will provide you with the job skills for a career in business straight out of undergrad that is related to economics.</p>
<p>The degree thought the arts and sciences department will require far more economics courses and will provide a stronger foundation for grad school. Also, it is important to note that a BS program in economics will feature a stronger quantitative component than a BA program in economics. Lastly, it is possible to enter the job industry straight from undergrad with an economics degree and work in something like banking or the insurance industry. </p>
<p>In my personal opinion I would take the arts and sciences degree and then minor in general business. Employers love economics majors and your business minor will be enough to help you understand the non-economics related aspects of your job (as you will likely work in business or for the government). I would take the business administration degree only if you have a really strong interest in business and in that case I would suggest changing ,major to something like finance or accounting.</p>
<p>I thought I answered this before, but maybe it was for someone else? Anyway, here is my opinion…</p>
<p>It depends on where your interests lie. If you take economics in a business school you will have to take a business core curriculum which will include classes like accounting, finance, management, information technology business law, etc. In addition, if you are in a business school you would be able to easily move into another business major such as accounting, finance, marketing etc. if you find that more to your interest and abilities. Going through a business school could make you a bit more marketable as you will have some basics of a business education and you should be able to interview through the business school. For me personally, I’d choose this path.</p>
<p>That said, if your interests and talents lie more in the liberal arts arena then you would likely have a better college experience going that route.</p>