<p>Meaning, which one is the least rigorous and/or requires the least time commitment? (not as if this is the most important thing to consider when choosing a major)</p>
<p>Economics
Actuarial Science
Statistics
Market Research Analysis</p>
<p>Which one's the hardest as well?
I think these are all related so will I be taking similar courses in my first year?</p>
<p>I want to make the decision after my first year, if possible. Thanks</p>
<p>Stats would probably be easiest, idk about econ and the marketing one, but actuarial mathematics would be significantly harder than everything else</p>
<p>economics can be very heavy in calculus with econometrics and such, lots of calc based probability.</p>
<p>realy? how much calc does actuarial and economics actually require?
i’ve heard that a lot of stats majors end up being economists and actuaries…</p>
<p>does that mean stats is possibly the most useful major, in terms of flexibility?</p>
<p>probably econ. Stats is supposed to be hard in the upper divisions… which I believe.</p>
<p>^ but upper level Econ involves all that difficult Stats, whereas stats is just stats…my opinion from easiest to hardest:</p>
<p>Marketing
Stats
Econ
Actuarial Science</p>
<p>but not much of a difference in the last 3. I would say Marketing is an “easy” major and the other 3 are “average” majors. Econ gives you a ton of flexibility, you can make it easy by taking Govt, Business, or Policy type classes, but it can also be difficult if you take classes which are very mathematical in which you’ll need more advanced calc/stats/econometrics or game theory…lots of options. None are really hard majors…oh and i don’t know much about actuarial sci.</p>
<p>Economics can be very easy if you pick the “right” elective courses. Most economic major at least require Intro Macro, Intro Micro, Intro Econometrics (statistics in economics, not full-fledged econometrics), Advanced Macro, and Advanced Micro. Sure, you can go take a bunch of “Economics of sports”, etc. Although there are multiple opportunities to maximize an economics education through elective courses like econometrics, game theory, general equilibrium theory, etc. The economics major is basically what you make of it.</p>
<p>yep, econ can be very easy</p>
<p>unless you intend on a top econ grad school, in which case it’s brutally difficult</p>
<p>marketing research analysis is very narrow, but market research is actually pretty lucrative</p>
<p>same with actuarial science…but it’s hard</p>
<p>choose the one you like the most</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>no it doesn’t. that’s like saying that engineering involves all of the difficult math that a math major does. it doesn’t even compare.</p>
<p>Stats is really boring. Actuary science is the most difficult. Economics is pretty useful.
Whats Market Research Analysis?</p>
<p>Russell - no, I’m not saying all Econ majors take all the advanced Stats a Stats major does. I’m saying advanced economic classes often involve the advanced statistics. I’m not talking about just required classes, I mean upper-level classes many Econ majors don’t even take. I’ve looked into these classes and they have a lot more math prereq’s.
for every major, there’s people who find it interesting or boring. I love it, but I wouldn’t major in just stats, and I don’t’ think they offer it at my college either.</p>
<p>Do econ majors need a master’s degree before they are seen marketable to employers?
Also, would a stat degree and a few classes in economics suffice if I wanted to enter the job market as an economist?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s really about theoretical versus applied.</p>
<p>student101 - it depends what you want to do. A BA in Econ is sufficient for a lot of jobs in the business world, but if you want to be an actual Economist, look into a Masters. Then again, it kind of depends on what you mean by “economist” since it can mean multiple things, maybe you can get a job as an economist at a firm with just a Bachelors, but someone who just took a “few classes” in econ doesn’t sound qualified to be an economist anymore than someone who takes a couple bio classes is a biologist.
You can do a lot of things with just a BA/BS in Econ though, your options are hardly limited to economist. But are you a Stats major or Econ?</p>
<p>Moreover, there are basically two types of master’s degrees (if not more) you can get in economics. In my own home state of North Carolina, for instance, UNC-Chapel Hill’s graduate program in economics is skewered heavily towards the Ph.D; if you earn a master’s degree in economics from UNC, it’s merely a consolation prize that you get incidentally and doesn’t have much “real world” value. Duke, however, has an economics MA program that is specifically designed for students who want concrete skills that they can transfer to the work place (as an analyst, etc.).</p>
<p>But yes, a BA/BS in economics is sufficient for many positions in the business world.</p>