<p>Hi there everyone. You can call me A, and I'm starting at USC next year.</p>
<p>I was really curious as to the employability of USC students after completing their studies at Marshall Business School vs those students who study in the School of Arts and Sciences. I love economics, and was hoping to major in it in college. However, I am also interested in business and know that Marshall is a top ten business school in the nation. My dream after college would be to be a strategic management consultant for Mckinsey, Bain, or Boston Consulting Groups, and I definitely see myself working in the corporate world with eventual sights set on business school. Would it be inadvisable then, to major in economics simply because I prefer it when USC has an award-winning business school? Does the level of support and recruiting that come with a Marshall degree outweigh the support of a liberal arts degree to the point where I should major in business instead? I know that I would love both fields of study, but worry that studying business and going to business school later may be redundant. I also believe that economics would be a more intellectually rigorous form of study, and am a big fan of liberal arts majors in general. Other than that, I was planning on double majoring in either English or Philosophy, and was wondering if any students could attest to the strength of the two departments, point out good professors or classes, etc. I'm leaning more towards English.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, everybody! Nice to meet you.</p>
<p>I was also wondering about the difficulty of grading in Marshall vs The School of Arts and Sciences. Does the economics program grade on a curve like Marshall does? I understand that they grade with a B- average. If this is the case it might be more prudent regarding graduate school admissions strategy to major in a liberal arts subject one does not doubt one’s ability in, right? Considering that I’m sure Marshall is filled with strong students, so A’s are not as individual, but relative and not guaranteed; (not that any grades are guaranteed in any USC school-- its just that if you’re strong in a liberal arts subject and are not essentially competing for your grade, it might mean a higher GPA than the same effort in Marshall).</p>
<p>Hello I am faced with a similar choice as you right now. I got admitted to USC Dornsife for Economics/Math but now am considering whether to switch to business at Marshall. </p>
<p>Employment wise I feel like what will get you your first job will be networking, family connections, maybe a bit of luck. The real advantage of USC is the alumni network, Trojan Family, which is quite diverse and large. Marshall does not guarantee a job and Economics starting salaries are generally higher as a Econ major is a more versatile and challenging degree. That said, Marshall’s is among the top business schools in the country making it a very strong credential on any resume. </p>
<p>I am personally trying to get a double degree in Business-Finance and Econ/Math, covers all the pros of both well, but if your interests lie in a double major in english or philosophy that may not work for you. I think I will just settle with taking classes in both those subjects. </p>
<p>If I had to choose I would choose Econ/Math since it sets me up nicely for an MBA, as you are right you can get a higher GPA and MBA programs often try to recruit non-business majors. But, it works better for me since Finance is closer to Econ/Math than management or international business. And non-business majors can take a few business classes as well. </p>
<p>If you do not plan to go to an grad school to get an MBA than go for Marshalls. </p>
<p>Either Way congratz on getting into USC, I may see you next fall.</p>
<p>Econ and Marshall are two different things. If you are interested in opening a business and become an entrepreneurship, then Marshall is a better fit. I dont think majoring on Econ would get you a job at Mckinsey, or Bain. If you wanna work there, i think going to school in Northeast is a better fit . USC marshall program is great but it is more toward starting a company on your own.</p>
<p>I definitely plan on going to business school and have also heard it repeated that they do not necessarily like or want business majors, as it can be seen as redundant. I also think that the grading curve will be better in the liberal arts college, so, because I already prefer economics, I think that I’ll be there. Hopefully I see you next fall. Thanks for your feedback, Agars.</p>
<p>I believe that majoring in econ might set me up for a position. To say that one needs to go to school in the Northeast for a position at a strategic management or other finance firm is a bit foolish, considering that McKinsey, Bain, Boston, and many other top finance/management employers all have offices on the West Coast, in LA and San Fran. I don’t necessarily plan on starting a company on my own after college considering I wouldn’t know what sector I even want to work in. Thanks for your feedback.</p>
<p>I think you may be trying to answer too many questions before you get there. So I guess you were admitted to Dornsife versus Marshall? Either way, when you can, take the more rigorous math based business finance and econ courses and see where you passion finds you. You could major/minor in one or the other. Try to get into the bus finance and econ classes first (versus marketing or operations basic classes) so you can see what excites you. They have so many minors, it sounds like you are so intellectually curious that you are bound to discover great things once there. Get your high level math classes out of the way so you are positioned for the type of bus or econ classes that excite you. I believe bus finance requires math 118 where some upper level econ classes want 125 so take a look at that. Don’t try to figure out all that you are and want now, the beauty of USC is you have some flexibility to figure that out when you are there. Get to know your advisor and work out some of this with them. For now, you just have to get your schedule worked out at orientation for the first semester. Anything you are taking then will roll into any of your choices. Again, just watch the math requirements of each side.</p>