<p>Hi all, I'm a sophomore at USC's Marshall School of Business (undergrad) working my way through the core curriculum trying to decide between finance and accounting. At the moment, the finance classes seem more interesting to me, but I am also aware that accounting is often credited as the more marketable degree. Would it be a reasonable/smart educational plan to pursue my undergraduate degree in finance and then my master's in accounting as there is some overlap in the two (and I would imagine the transition would be not TOO difficult)? Or would it be best to just suck it up and pursue the undergrad accounting degree. Thanks for any advice. </p>
<p>Also, keep in mind - as of now, I'm not a huge fan of USC and will probably want to go elsewhere for my Master's Degree, so assuming I keep my grades, etc. up, would an BS in finance qualify for a M.Acc at a good school elsewhere? I really have no idea how grad school works at this point so I apologize if I come across as pitifully uninformed.</p>
<p>If you really feel like you can stick it out for graduate school, get that finance degree. Be warned however that the market for finance majors is dismal at best with where our current economy is. I myself took finance classes during my undergraduate, but did ultimately graduate with a BS in Accounting. I decided to go on to get my MS in Accounting and that is where I am now. To get accepted into MS in Accounting program, you generally can have any degree, but you won't have to take as many classes if you had a BS in Finance and even less usually if you have a BS in Accounting. Good luck with your search. Furthermore, good luck finding many schools on the west coast that have a MS in Accounting program except for USC as well as some CSU schools. CSU Fullerton's program looked intriguing, but is in it's infancy still.</p>
<p>Go for the finance major, and take as many accounting classes as possible (perhaps even a dual degree?). An MS in accounting would be great, but is not completely necessary. </p>
<p>Also, schor is right about the finance job market being **** right now. That said, if you're a sophomore, the markets (hopefully) will have come back up by then.</p>
<p>Schor - FYI - I'm from the east coast and would likely look to get back there or maybe elsewhere (but most likely NOT the west coast), so the lack of schools shouldn't be an issue. I'll probably look back into UT McCombs, as I was accepted into the BHP as a freshman and may never forgive myself for not doing that for undergrad. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. I appreciate the insight you two.</p>