MBA vs PhD

<p>Oh, hi!</p>

<p>I am sure you came across this question multiple times, however, I do believe the answer is different for everyone, so I will go ahead and ask!</p>

<p>First things first, I am an international applicant to HYPS & MIT and I am 99% sure that I want to study Applied mathematics with minor in CS. After poking around on these forums for a while, I have seen many posts saying that it is too soon for these questions at this stage, but it keeps bothering me. </p>

<p>I have my undergraduate stuff sorted out, however, I do not know exactly what to do afterwards. </p>

<p>With AM degree, I guess I could work in many fields, but field that interests me the most is IB and Finance. With that being said, a degree in Finance or Econ could serve better than AM. But to be honest, I have NO idea which one is "better". What I am worried about in Finance or Economics is that these degrees may not "cure" my hunger for Mathematics knowledge. </p>

<p>Another question arises; do I want to follow an academic path or a business one? I am not sure. If I wanted to follow an academic path, the answer to my original question (MBA or PhD) would be obvious. But I am somewhere in between. I would like to hold a PhD, as it basically says that you are an expert in a certain area, in this case, AM, but I do not know if it is necessary to land a job in high finance. </p>

<p>For that job, MBA could serve better. But then again, I do not know much about a MBA. It says "Master of Business administration", so I am worried that I might not work with mathematics at all in the end.</p>

<p>So what I am looking for is a path, that would get me a job that would require lots of maths knowledge and usage. I am not looking for an academic career in a research, I would like to apply my knowledge in Finance or a similar field. </p>

<p>If anyone could give me a little guidance, I would be grateful. </p>

<p>Thank you.</p>