Economics vs Philosophy - which one? Should I double major?

I am a sophomore at a small but highly ranked Liberal Arts school. I’ve kind of gone all over the board with what I wanted to study, as I don’t have to declare a major until February. I decided to go along the path of an Econ major and then wanted to do an Econ/Math double, but I’ve since dropped the math (in Multivariable now) because I just didn’t want to spend my time in math classes that weren’t really interesting me. I like Econ, don’t get me wrong, but I got a B+ in both intro Micro and Macro and it’s not like I have a burning passion for the subject.

Anyway, I am in a Philosophy of Politics class now and I can’t believe I never took any philosophy before, because I find it really captivating - maybe it’s in part because my professor is awesome, but he said I am good at connecting the different concepts across the thinkers we’ve studied. I find I like the philosophy part of the class more than the politics part so I’d definitely go in that direction.

I am trying to decide if I want to do an Econ-Philosophy double major or not. I could definitely pull it off but I would probably have very little room to take anything else elective-wise, since I took up philosophy late. I am definitely considering getting an MBA down the road in a couple years, although I don’t know exactly what field in business I’d like to go into. For some reason being solely an Economics major is unappealing to me. I feel like having Philosophy in there would make me stand out in the future. My career counselor also said that being even a sole Philosophy major would make me stand out to employers, although I’d have to work harder to get my foot in the door for that first job.

The idea of being just a philosophy major is becoming a bit more appealing, especially because I found a guy who works with my dad who was a Geography major and has been very successful. But I realize many people would laugh in my face upon hearing that I was just a philosophy major.

Another note: There is a philosophy minor at my school, but no economics minor.

You could minor in philosophy, or you could just continue to take elective courses that you are interested in it. Or, if you don’t want to major in economics, you can change to philosophy. Nobody is going to laugh in your face because you majored in philosophy. The economics classes you have taken won’t cease to matter. Develop the skills that employers want and they won’t care as much about what you majored in.

I don’t see how a philosophy major would make you “stand out.” It’s a pretty common major. There’s nothing wrong with it and philosophy majors do get jobs, but it’s not especially unique or anything. You should major in philosophy because you want to, not because you think it’ll have any special pull.

Fair, thanks for the advice!

My advice is to major in what you love and fill in your schedule with classes that are more “practical” like stats, applied econ, etc. MajorING in something that is less than fulfilling isn’t going to lead you to a place you want to be without exceptional luck. You can also explain why something interested you, and you can search for those elements in a job.