<p>I am an international student going to Linfield College this fall. I'm really interested in Political Science and International Relations. But everyone (including my parents) keep telling me that Political Science = No job. If I really want to make a living with that major, I must at least have a Masters Degree. Is it true?</p>
<p>So, basically, I am reconsidering which major to take. All my seniors in US suggest me to take Finance or Econ since these are hot at the moment. I am really good at Mathematics: I have always enjoyed working on maths problems, and only taken a little time at that. I also got 740 in SAT Maths Section and did up to some calculus honors courses in high school. However, I think Maths is definitely different with Finance, although the major is heavily math oriented. Whenever I imagine myself working with piles of spreadsheets everyday and doing the same calculations over and over again, I feel sick. Does Finance include anything more interesting than working with the boring spreadsheets? Will it be okay to minor in International Relations if I take a Finance major? My college suggests me to double major in Econ and Finance or Maths and Finance or otherwise, minor in Econ or Maths. I have been thinking about this for a week and have been sleepless for days. Please help! Thank you so much!</p>
<p>While Investment Banking involves a lot repetitive spreadsheet work, Finance != Investment Banking. If you really enjoy math, become a derivatives (or exotics) trader, a trader at a quantitative HF, a risk analyst, a quant, or a high-frequency trader. All of these positions in the finance industry are highly mathematical and suited to your interests.</p>
<p>@barrk I don’t know if I can spend my whole life dealing with numbers even though I love maths. Plus, I don’t know which careers are available for Maths graduates. Can you please tell me some?</p>
<p>@Fate Maybe. Do you know if I can get a job which includes working internationally by majoring in Finance? I’d really love to work in the UN but I guess their finance staff may require graduate or higher degrees. :(</p>
<p>I’ve heard you could get into econ, finance, engineering, and computer software jobs with a math degree, you just need to take some classes in these fields.</p>
<p>Most investment banks have offices outside the US (in London and Hong-Kong or Shanghai) and every country has regional HF’s and trading firms. Btw, you should consider joining in the IMF if you’re interested in working in places like the UN.</p>
It really depends on what career you’re looking to go into. If you’re planning to work at the IMF or do int’l development work, an econ degree is actually more relevant than a finance degree. Economics teaches you about politics and economic policy, both of which are extremely important for the IMF and int’l development. If you want to go into a pure finance role (trading, i-banking, hedge fund analyst), a finance degree is the best option.</p>
<p>As for the math minor, I’d actually suggest going for a 2nd major if possible. Recruiters won’t pay much attention to your minors so a math minor wouldn’t really “prove” your quantitative ability. If you’re interested in any of the mathematically-oriented finance roles I listed, a 2nd major in math, or CS is the best option.</p>
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<p>You don’t need a MA in Poitical Science to do most political jobs. Many people do MA’s in Political Science, however, to gain access to better alumni networks and acquire new connections. Political jobs are all about connections so a Masters can often “upgrade” you resume significantly. tl;dr - A Masters isn’t required, but it can prove quite useful.</p>
<p>Hello @Fate,
Thanks again for your help.
So, I have a new idea. How about double majoring in econ and international relations? I love maths, I love politics and I want to work for international organizations like the UN. So, I think a double major in Economics and IR will help me.
And can you tell me more about Econ? I know it’s more theoratical and more heavily maths oriented. But most seniors say that econ majors have less job opportunities than finance majors. What do you think?</p>
<p>The mathematical rigor of an Econ major is highly dependent on your school. Just check your college’s Econ program to see how many math courses are required. If the major isn’t very math-intensive, you can always take some extra math courses for fun. Also, Econ won’t limit your job opportunities, in the financial industry or elsewhere. Only 2 of the top 10 colleges offer undergrad business programs so there are plenty of Econ majors on Wall Street. In addition, Econ allows your to work for Economic research facilities and international organizations like the UN.</p>
<p>Anyway, I think Econ + IR is the best combination if you want to work in the UN or the IMF.</p>
I have never considered it before.</p>