Value of an Undergraduate Accounting and a "Soft" Degree in Applying for MBA

<p>Thank you in advance for taking my question, I am at a crossroads as to what to study in preparation for grad school and the MBA,</p>

<p>I am currently a sophomore at a state university with an average business school.</p>

<p>Since I am going through under-grad without any debt, I plan on trying to get in a best possible MBA school since I'm well aware that an under-grad business degree is just not worth what it used to be, especially from an average school.</p>

<p>That being said, my first question is,
I plan in dual majoring in Accounting and International Relations. I've heard that schools like broader majors that require thinking, and not just the narrow business approach. Would this be a good combination, or would History work better in place of IR?</p>

<p>I know I will not want to make accounting my life-long career, and I therefore don't plan on mastering in accounting either, so my second question is,</p>

<p>Is having an under-grad degree in Accounting a serious advantage over, say, a degree in Economics, Marketing, or Finance, JUST for purposes of getting into a good grad?</p>

<p>Or, should one study accounting only with the intent of actually becoming a CPA and working for a company?</p>

<p>Thanks for your help,
James</p>

<p>I wouldn’t say its an advantage for getting into B School. It will give you the quantitive skills they look for but so would economics or finance. And no, just like any major, you are not tied to doing it professionally. </p>

<p>I don’t think there’s anything to be gained by taking history over IR. Choose the one you’ll enjoy more to boost your GPA.</p>

<p>I would have said that work experience would be the icing on the cake that would be my main concern. It’d also make your MBA far less abstract a degree.</p>

<p>The thing about good MBA programs is that they desire past work experience in a business environment. Accounting has the best prospects of any business major. You can always work a few years in accounting and then return to school for an MBA. There are jobs out there for accounting majors who don’t pursue a CPA, so don’t think to work in accounting that would have to be your end goal. But your chances of enrollment in a good business school will improve with work experience.</p>

<p>As far as econ, marketing, and finance, I think one’s superiority over any other would depend on what grade you can obtain with that degree and the likelihood of getting a job with it. I don’t think for pure admissions any particular major is going to be a huge boost to your application. A lot of articles have been written about how liberal arts and science majors are good candidates for good business schools. My question is the difficulty to which one can find appropriate work experience with those majors? It may be easier than I think, but I can’t help but feel like it would put a potential candidate at a disadvantage.</p>