<p>Hey guys, I'm a UC Irvine student, and I'm new to this forum. I've used these threads before in my college planning, and I look foward to contributing to it.</p>
<p>Perhaps as a product of the current job market, I've been agonizing over how to alter my economics degree in marketable way. I've already decided that my current Economics B.A. isn't enough, and I've been exploring a few options. My goal immediately following graduation is to attend the Global MBA program at Yonsei University in South Korea. If I'm unable to be accepted right off the bat, I'm content with working a few years in the US to beef up my application.</p>
<p>Currently, my major is Economics with a Specialization in International Issues. My plan is to change this to Business Economics with the same specialization, and also focus on completing all the Korean language coursework available at my school.</p>
<p>Is this marketable? Ultimately, I'm afraid that I won't be accepted to the MBA, and that as a result of not having a marketable minor to supplement my Bus. Econ. degree will be unable to find a decent job.</p>
<p>My other options were Business Econ. with a minor in math, statistics, or accounting (however, I wouldn't be able to complete the Korean language coursework if I took this route).</p>
<p>1) Whether or not your degree is marketable depends more on the internships and work experience you have when you apply to a job. There is only marginal difference between a normal econ major and a “business econ” major. So you should really be obsessing over getting a good internship, not what your major is going to be.</p>
<p>2) It is very unlikely you will get into a good MBA program (I don’t know if Yonsei is considered a “good program”) without work experience. Those who do tend to have lots of work experience and leadership. Also, consider the fact that you will “get more” out of your MBA education if you go into the MBA program knowing how the real-world works so you can apply what you learn in-class. Furthermore, many people find that an MBA is unnecessary for their career advancement, so again you need to spend time working to find out if it is necessary for you. Also, many companies may be reluctant to hire an MBA with no work experience.</p>
<p>I personally think a minor in math/stat/accounting is very useful, but then again, so is a second language. However, if you are Korean, and already fluent, I don’t see why you’re even taking coursework in the first place.</p>
<p>Economics degrees are very marketable with some internships/experience which also happen to be the prerequisite for reputable MBA programs, just like terenc posted.</p>
<p>You can get a job in finance (entry-level analyst) with an undergraduate economics degree and either work your way up to a high paying position by putting in the hours or take a gamble on the MBA. There’s also the CPA/CFA route depending on which classes you’ve taken. I would rather have a CPA/CFA than an MBA, but everyone has their own opinion about that. CPA/CFA are specific licensing qualifications (=$$$) and an MBA is often a status symbol.</p>
<p>I think you’re worrying a little too much. Economics is a great major.</p>
<p>I’m not Korean, I just have an interest in working overseas. I admit that I’m being a bit of a worry wart about this, but everyone I know is picking up a minor, a double major, etc. Do I need to pair my econ major up with a hard science in order to be competitive in the job market?</p>
<p>I enjoy my specialization, but I’m kind of worried about it being a detriment to getting a job in the future.</p>
<p>In the most blunt terms, I would do whatever makes you the most technically confident that you could actually excel at your job. If that’s blitzing through your Economics degree then amassing real-world experience, so be it. Changing to Bus. Econ + Accounting to ground your theoretical knowledge with technical skills? So be it.</p>
<p>Getting an MBA in a foreign country could be a once in a life time chance, but from a career standpoint I’m not big on MBAs. I would not feel any more confident walking into a job application with an MBA than without one. Certifications/licensing like CPA/CFA on the other hand are cast in iron the same way you have to be a pharmacist to practice pharmacy. That’s confidence.</p>
<p>From what other people have told me, if you want an MBA, you’re going to want to get it from a top 10 MBA school. Why? Because you don’t actually learn much from an MBA. All you get is 1) alumni network (very powerful, though) and 2) brand name on resume.</p>
<p>I would say you should continue with Korean and becoming fluent (hopefully you have studied abroad?). That will be a skill that many others won’t have. Since you’re so worried about getting a minor, you should basically consider that as you “minor.” (you don’t actually need to get a minor in Korean, though)</p>
<p>I think you need to figure out what you want to do first, and then start worrying about how to achieve that. You’re jumping from minor in math to ‘coupled with a hard science’ to Korean MBA - for what purpose? An econ degree coupled with a hard science will be beneficial in primary sector jobs, but it won’t help you in finance. A Korean MBA will help you on the Korean business market, but so will a HBS degree and from what I hear from my roommate, a foreigner (even ethnically Korean) getting a good job in Korean business is unheard of for a whole host of difficult socio-historical reasons.</p>
<p>I’ve already decided that I’m ultimately going to be pursuing the MBA and peninsula-related work, so that’s not really an issue. I’ve researched the topic very heavily, and I’m actually writing this from Yonsei University (studying abroad, going home in two days).</p>
<p>It’s just that if I have to stay in the United States, I want to supplement my major in a way that would provide the best basis for employment here. If I would somehow hurt my prospects by specializing in international issues, I would really rather not.</p>
<p>Well there you go. You have a direction, experience with what is hopefully the end outcome of that direction, and presumably a network of people who are closer to the realities of ‘peninsula related work’ to answer all your questions.</p>
<p>Whatcha hoping to hear from a high school students advice board?</p>