<p>What are the most lucrative majors at Berkeley, post-graduation? I originally wanted to do a foreign language double major (Chinese and Japanese), but seeing how there are absolutely no profitable jobs for it, I must do something else.</p>
<p><a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/Major.stm</a></p>
<p>Be aware that economic and industry cycles can affect which majors have good job prospects. So what is good now may not be good four years from now and vice-versa.</p>
<p>Your most stereotypical “lucrative” majors are business, econ, some engineering (esp. EECS and CS at this point), pre-med stuff…there are a couple more, but those are what I can think of off the top of my head.</p>
<p>“Pre-med stuff” if you mean the stereotypical MCB major is not particularly lucrative if you do not get into medical school (and only a small percentage of MCB majors get into medical school).</p>
<p><a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/MCB.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/Major/MCB.stm</a></p>
<p>Also, there is no requirement to major in MCB or any other biology or any other specific major to do pre-med.</p>
<p>Yup - I mean doing pre-med and actually getting into med school (which is why I didn’t say MCB or IB or something in specific, but just “pre-med stuff”)</p>
<p>Thanks! I think I’m going to do CS, just because there’s so much money involved!</p>
<p>If you choose your major based on money, especially CS at Berkeley, there’s a good chance your username will be MsUnhappy a couple of years from now when you are down in the second floor of Soda with no sunlight working on something you don’t enjoy 24/7, while at the same time getting Hilfingered and Babakued in tests… just saying. Choose your major carefully, don’t just go for it because the Career Center reports folks in that major make 80k out of school…</p>
<p>+1 on sparky’s post</p>
<p>Don’t pick a major just because you think it’ll make you a lot of money. Especially not something like engineering. Start off by thinking of what you’d like the spend the rest of your life doing, and base your decision on that. (Now, if you were considering engineering/CS before this thread, go for it, but otherwise you’ll probably be eaten alive. And miserable.)</p>
<p>Selecting a major based solely on prospect of money can lead to problems that others have indicated. But, I want to point out that selecting a major and expecting living wages (the bare minimum) automatically because you graduated from Cal or other prestigious schools is equally foolhardy. You will see posts from non-professional degree holders stating their hardship in finding jobs. Engineering is the SHORTEST professional degree and of one can survive the rigour for 4 years (some finishe in 2-3 years) without fooling around, you will have a much more fun filled career. Being a doctor is much more rewarding from the satisfaction of treating illness, but it needs the stamina of a marathoner. Choose carefully.</p>
<p>Try it and challenge yourself. If you don’t like it, try something else. That’s the fun part of college.</p>
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<p>LOL 1 0 c h a r</p>
<p>Agree with sparkyboy.</p>
<p>I’ve learned that $$$ buys you happiness only if:</p>
<p>1) you spend it on experiences, not products
2) you spend it on friends and family</p>
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<p>While I’d agree that MCB majors who don’t make it to med school / other professional schools make very little money (avg 40k, as the website says), I think that number underestimates MCB potential earnings. Why? Because it is very, very common for people applying to med school to take a gap year during which they work on their applications, and during which they often work/volunteer. Thus the average is weighted down by these kinds of people.</p>
<p>That being said, CS/EECS/Business majors most likely have better average earnings than MCB majors.</p>
<p>Well, I like solving problems, and being mentally challenged. I also have an interest in doing stuff in the financial sector.</p>
<p>CS is good for my first two interests, but there’s a fairly large amount of grunt work involved - spending so much time finding that teeny tiny error that messed up your whole program is a pain in the buttocks. Plus, I hear the workload for a CS/EECS major gets exponentially harder later on. Ideally, I would want a major that has a sane workload (where you don’t have to pull allnighters if you manage yourtime correctly), and is mentally challenging. And of course, decent pay.</p>
<p>I’ve also been considering Applied Math: can anyone here attest to the workload and pay?</p>
<p>Pay is well, inaccurate to describe since almost nobody would do Applied Math alone, and most people I know have AM doubled with Haas, Econ (most popular double as far as I can tell), CS, Stats, etc., so the Career Center report are mostly for folks who double. Workload ranges from easy to insane. Math and CS are two of those majors that if you don’t get it, you can’t really get it… I swear I have known too many people who go to all the office hours in the week and still fail both 61A midterms… The same can be said for math. </p>
<p>Why don’t you just get into Cal first, take a couple of classes in the majors you are interested in and choose later? People change their directions every now and then. </p>
<p>Also, there’s no major with sane workload but mentally challenging at Berkeley. You either do something that is mentally challenging and pull all nighters, or you pull some “… Studies” major and doesn’t feel really challenged. Such combinations don’t exist here muahahaha</p>
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<p>High workload can be due to one or both of the following things:</p>
<p>A. The course may have time consuming features like labs, term projects, or computer programming assignments, even if the course material is not all that mentally challenging.</p>
<p>B. Mentally challenging courses can take a lot of time doing reading, assignments, studying, etc…</p>
<p>EE and CS courses can have A, B, or both. Math courses (and CS theory courses) generally can have B (although some of the top math students won’t find them that challenging), but usually not A.</p>
<p>^^ I am already at UCB, which is why I ask. I am currently undeclared in L&S, taking cs61as and 1B, but don’t find them to be too challenging.</p>
<p>^ Good. I’m assuming that 1B is Math 1B. It’s pretty common for students to find 61A/B to be easy than the rest of the CS classes here, especially those with programming experience. I would suggest keep going (ie take 61B, C, Math 53 (not required)/54, 70) and if you still do well in those classes, I don’t see any reason why you should not major in CS. Remember, if you enjoy doing something and are good at it, then pay doesn’t matter, because employers WANT you.</p>
<p>I agree though definitely find something you enjoy. Are you Asian by chance? I entered school with that same mentality. Ended up with a Bus Admin degree emphasis on IBUS. But I ended up working for the government and don’t use my degree at all. Things go all different ways. I entered CC as a CS major after 4 semesters and talking to some people in the industry it made me dread programming. I was at data structures by then about 5 classes deep. I felt like I had wasted my time.</p>
<p>Yes, I am Asian, but be not mistaken: my desire for great riches has nothing to do with Chinese materialism or pushy parents. I want a stable, high-paying job out of my own volition. Who doesn’t? </p>
<p>Afterall, money is the key to happiness. You can buy anything with money: mansions, power, lovers… Yes, after I graduate from Berkeley with a CS degree, I’ll be dishing out 80k+ every year. I’ll be sitting in my lukewarm jacuzzi (wearing the world’s most expensive bikini) in my newly bought mansion, laughing at all those English and Rhetoric majors scrubbing toilets the rest of their lives. Hahahaha! Ahhahaaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!</p>