Finance major confusion

College Majors Business Major
21

<p>@brussels‌ - my belief and understanding is that if your UG degree is not from Wharton then you will still need to attend an upper tier MBA program to join the club & compete with the big boys on Wall Street. I’m generalizing because I haven’t done it myself but I do work for a very large firm on Wall Street so I know what I see happening there all the time. There are doors I can’t open because I don’t have the pedigree. Fortunately, I’m not at a point where I’m trying to open those doors.</p>

<p>As far as the major you go for, it’s up to you. Getting a degree in computer science could get you into Google or. Microsoft or Facebook or Apple. You could get the experience then go for a Stanford or Harvard or Wharton MBA and enter the upper tiers of your corporation so my answer is that you don’t need a business degree to get the job. You could major in something else and take business classes to help you on the GMAT but if you want to do finance then you go finance or business UG. If you want to be a management executive, you don’t have to get your UG in business.</p>

<p>There are many paths. The key to getting what you want is to have a clear goal and a written plan. You will need help from people who know to develop a really workable plan and you should find a mentor in professors and others currently in the field that can tell you what you need to do and what credentials you must have.</p>

<p>Culture matters in an industry and a company - target a few and take time to learn them. For example, my company, as one leader recently stated, only recruits for its future executives from Wharton and Harvard and Stanford. They won’t promote internally for certain positions unless someone truly stands out in a big way which has happened but those guys aren’t part of the Harvard Club, feel alienated and usually move to another company.</p>

<p>Some oil companies recruit heavily from University of Texas and have little use for a northeast liberal, Ivy League bred manager. </p>

<p>Wall Street wants people who know how to make money. That’s it!</p>

<p>Culture counts. </p>

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<p>Wharton is in a class by itself. My kid went to Cornell. I don’t have the regard for AEM (Cornell’s UG business).</p>

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<p>^ but why is that? What makes Wharton superior to other schools? Why is Cornell inferior?</p>

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<p>You would need to look into school’s curriculum and calibre of students they admit. AEM students do very well after graduation, but not as far as rigor of curriculum.</p>

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<p>Thanks to all of you for your insightful opinions. This definitely helped me understand the us university system. However I am still unsure about pursuing an undegraduate degree in the us. For me an education in america would only be worth its money if i d be able to stay and work in the us after university. From what i’ve heard employers arent too keen on hiring non us residents so that’s definitely holding me back. </p>

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<p>They aren’t as keen to hire non us residents with no specific expertise. Come here and get a degree in petroleum engineering or computer science and work really hard. You will be recruited by companies.</p>

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<p>Yes i know those majors are really valuable. However stock markets, the way the economy works, inflation, the way businesses make money, those are things that i am really interested in. Petroleum engineering and comp science are both great majors but I wouldnt want to major in something I m not passionate about.</p>