<p>I'm having a really hard time deciding what major I really want once I finally go to Berkeley (have been admitted for Spring). I planned on History or Anthropology and have a lot of pre-reqs completed for those majors, but I wonder if economics may not be more lucrative, despite it being boring to me. I'm more worried about having a decent job doing something that I like after I graduate (which is along the lines of research and community involvement). In short, does anyone have a list of majors at CAL that have had a high rate of success with students as far as job placement in occupations that provide a higher than average salary?</p>
<p>Picking a major based on salary is never worth it. One of my professors majored in business admin because his parents thought it would provide him good job security. However, he realized the industry was overly competitive and he did not want to pursue graduate studies because he did not even like the subject. He got by working as an analyst making around $50,000 and no real opportunity to grow in his firm. He then realized he should have just majored in anthro in the first place, so he entered college again in his mid 30’s. After he finished, he applied for a law degree and got into Harvard Law School. He made it big with some law firm and he was able to retire early.</p>
<p>If you think economics is boring, why would you spend your time and effort on it? You would be forcing yourself into a career path that you might just get “stuck” in. In all honesty, just a degree in economics won’t really get you anywhere. Also if you want a higher than average salary, go into some type of engineering or the “med route.” </p>
<p>I believe Cal’s career center website has a list of majors and what company they worked for after graduation.</p>
<p>Biz admin, Public Health, Econ, Engineering, Math, and Comp Sci.</p>
<p>In this economy, I suggest doing the more lucrative majors. You can always read books on the side that sparks you interest. No need to major in it.</p>
<p>I definitely second MidnightGolfer. Words of wisdom. </p>
<p>@iTransfer: I agree with your all of the fields you mentioned except one. Out of curiosity, how is Public Health lucrative?</p>
<p>I thought most public health majors went on to grad school or volunteered instead of making money…</p>
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<p>Getting an MPH (not undergrad) definitely has better job prospects than many majors. It might not be as lucrative the others but it is definitely better than many.</p>
<p>I don’t understand this whole concept of “lucrative majors.” Majors in and of themselves are rarely ever lucrative (except for engineering/comp sci in some cases). It’s the work experience/internships that can really lead to decent jobs. But simply majoring in economics won’t work. I know an economics major from UCLA who is now an assistant manager at a restaurant and who just got laid off. I guess pick a major you are genuinely interested in, do relatively well in your courses, and complement that with some valuable volunteer work/internship. Make connections and put yourself out there.</p>
<p>I’d argue that the majors with the best earnings potential would be Economics and Business. Econ usually shows a bit more promise though given that businesses have an affinity for people are capable of quantitative analysis. Business administration while solid focuses more on the qualitative side of things.</p>
<p>this is what I am doing for myself
going to a lesser UC in hopes of achieving a 4.0 GPA over there
majoring in quantitative economics minoring in statistics and picking up a few accounting certifications at my local CC
focusing on internships and volunteer work to help get myself into graduate school.</p>
<p>then in the future I’ll be doing either econ or bus admin(not sure which depends on where I get in, with what and with what financial aid) and I’m still debating whether I’ll stop at a Masters degree or if I’ll go for a pHD.</p>
<p>your major and your location both definitely matter. While I’m not a prestige whore(well for undergrad anyway lol at competing hard to get into an undergrad program which noone cares about) I will say there is definitely a tangible benefit to going to a top school(any of the public ivies, little ivies, hidden ivies, etc.) but if your intent is to do something like investment banking or corporate finance(where the $$$ is) know that unless you’re insanely well networked, you’ll want to shoot for the highest ranked colleges possible for your MBA, HBS, Wharton, Stern, Sloan, Haas should be considerations.</p>
<p>5 of my friends who majored in Econ at Berkeley are unemployed and I also have 1 who did her undergrad at Haas and she’s unemployed as well. Yet, 4 of my friends who majored in comp sci at Cal are all employed. </p>
<p>There really is no key to a “lucrative” undergrad major. Just walking out with an econ degree means nothing in the real world. Yes, you might land some marketing position at a start-up company, but anyone can get those jobs.</p>
<p>“In this economy, I suggest doing the more lucrative majors. You can always read books on the side that sparks you interest. No need to major in it.” I strongly disagree with that. Why would you force yourself to major in something just for the money? In that scenario, why do we have degrees for arts, social workers, education, literature, and etc.? Isn’t it possible that people actually GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN WHAT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT? </p>
<p>Also you can’t really take our current economic state as a factor here because we won’t be in this state forever. If everyone has this mindset and just jumps into the economics field (which most universities have currently been witnessing), that’s just going to drive competition and eventually lower salaries.</p>
<p>Get a major in something you like, get experience through work/internships, and then apply for a graduate degree at a top university. You will be fine in terms of money and wellbeing.</p>
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<p>Possible but not likely. When bachelors became required for jobs that is when going college just to “learn” went out the door. College used to be an optional thing where people would spend 4 years of their lives to learn what they are passionate about. Nowadays it is just treated as an expensive gateway to a successful career. Imagine if a college education wasn’t a pre-req for many jobs. How many people would still go to college? They should make it being like the old days when college ed just wasn’t a pre-req. It would make more ppl go to college for the right reasons. Which is to learn.</p>
<p>college is coming closer and closer to being a more expensive and more prestigious version of a trade school.</p>
<p>your specialty(that would be major in layman’s terms) should be related to something you plan to pursue professionally.</p>
<p>the pursuit of enlightenment and self discovery is a crock of ****. Have fun philosophizing what your philosophy degree is truly worth while you’re working in lower management at Target or Walmart.</p>
<p>I agree that college is now seen as a requirement for basically maintaining a standard life. It’s a sad sight when you see people who used to make a decent living with just a HS diploma and after they got laid off 10-20 years later, they basically had nowhere to go because they are seen as useless by employers.</p>
<p>What about those who are so interested in their subject that they decide to become a teacher/professor? If they just followed their major into a career, who would be teaching us at this moment? That person “having fun philosophizing” could actually be your Intro to Philosophy teacher and maybe an easy A to get rid of one of your GE’s. </p>
<p>Face it, our education system would be in shambles (if you don’t consider it already is) if people just took the highest paying major. I would at least hope that my lecturers/professors actually have significant knowledge in their subject matter instead of having the university find some hobo on the street because 20 years earlier everyone in the world graduated with a degree in business, econ, engineering, and math. Who else is supposed to teach courses in sociology, anthro, literature, and etc?</p>
<p>if everyone took the highest paying major, there would be a lot more competition and the pay for it would go down…</p>
<p>econ 101 man.</p>
<p>that said, maybe more people SHOULD take the higher paying majors, America has a deficit of engineers and scientists and we’re importing them from oversees. Beats having all those phil majors jacking around.</p>
<p>Wait… im an EE major so bear with me. I thought increase in competition gives firms more bargaining power -> lower salaries?</p>
<p>Major in anthro. My father majored in anthro at Berkeley and then got his MBA & MPP at Harvard. He has never been unemployed and is making 200k. He gets stressed and close to 100 hr work weeks but hes going to retire after this year or next. Cool thing is he might go into teaching (anthro or microecon) after so he wont be idle.</p>
<p>If that’s not your thing… CS isnt that difficult. Great job prospects right out of college</p>
<p>I think I kind of said that, did I misarticulate?</p>
<p>more competition(supply of workers) results in the pay of said workers going down.</p>
<p>Lol my bad bro. I was just wondering cause it seemed like you were being sarcastic towards Midnite when he wrote: “If everyone has this mindset and just jumps into the economics field (which most universities have currently been witnessing), that’s just going to drive competition and eventually lower salaries.” </p>
<p>Then I saw you basically wrote what he wrote and then wrote “econ 101 man” But nvm Im ust slow LOL.</p>