Economics and Philosophy

[goldenstang]

I double majored in finance and economics. Some of the classes overlapped so it was much easier than a double major with no overlap. I wasn't really able to take any electives and I made it out with the exact number of required credit hours. I would think if you chose philosophy and economics you might have to go over credit hours required for graduation.

[BigT3x]

I double majored in economics and "markets & culture". The econ degree knocked out the entire "markets" side of M&C, so I had plenty of time to chill at Milo's. Employers think double majoring means you're smart, but SMU is so easy I'd judge any fellow grad who didn't.

[CalallenStang]

SMU is so easy I'd judge any fellow grad who didn't.

That depends on what majors you choose. It's easier to double major in Econ and Markets and Culture or Econ and Finance than Econ and Real Estate Finance. Depending on what your primary major is, it can be very easy or much more difficult to double major.

[MustangSTATS]

If you want to continue on to a serious graduate school in economics, math as a second major is needed. A minor in math is always good. Many finance and business school students in general add on econ as a 2nd major as one of the econ focuses overlaps with finance so it takes less courses overall. It really depends on what part of economics you are attracted to, and what you want to do once you graduate.

SMU gives you lots of freedom to double major, look through what they offer, talk to professors & students, plan it out, and you can easily double major at SMU. A good amount of people do. Good luck!

[CalallenStang]

If you want to continue on to a serious graduate school in economics, math as a second major is needed.

This is pretty true. If you don't have it, you'd better have a top-notch GPA and GRE.

[East Coast Mustang]

I don't mean to sound like a [deleted], but a philosophy major isn't worth the paper it's printed on, unless you want to become a philosophy professor.

Major in stuff that will help you land a job in a few years- finance, business, engineering, mathematics, econ if you can't get into business school. Minor in philosophy if it's something you REALLY enjoy, otherwise pass, but major in stuff that's going to be attractive to employers and help you in an actual job 3 years from now. By and large, stay away from liberal arts (I was a liberal arts major at SMU)

[huskerpony]

i spend therefore i am

[leopold]

Major in what makes you happy first. This sounds flakey, but in reality your degree may or may not have anything to do with what you do in life. I have a double major in English and Religious Studies and they have NOTHING to do with what I am doing now, and that's partly because there is no college degree on earth designed for it.

As far as that philosophy degree is concerned, what it essentially is teaching you to do is to read and write - basics that many people absolutely cannot do - I am surrounded by grads from top notch schools who CANNOT write a paper to save their lives. If you can do those two things alone you will always have a job and an advantage on others.

[Eddie P]

I don't mean to sound like a [deleted], but a philosophy major isn't worth the paper it's printed on, unless you want to become a philosophy professor.

Major in stuff that will help you land a job in a few years- finance, business, engineering, mathematics, econ if you can't get into business school. Minor in philosophy if it's something you REALLY enjoy, otherwise pass, but major in stuff that's going to be attractive to employers and help you in an actual job 3 years from now. By and large, stay away from liberal arts (I was a liberal arts major at SMU)

Lots of people in my high level philosophy classes at SMU were heading to law school. There's good logic training that comes with that degree. Its not as worthless as you claim.

Also remember that the economic degree is not housed at Cox.

Not getting one of the meat and potato majors doesn't doom you to oblivion. Awful lot of finance majors looking for jobs too like everyone else. Awful lot of them working for me as well with my philosophy /communications degree.

[East Coast Mustang]

I don't mean to sound like a [deleted], but a philosophy major isn't worth the paper it's printed on, unless you want to become a philosophy professor.

Major in stuff that will help you land a job in a few years- finance, business, engineering, mathematics, econ if you can't get into business school. Minor in philosophy if it's something you REALLY enjoy, otherwise pass, but major in stuff that's going to be attractive to employers and help you in an actual job 3 years from now. By and large, stay away from liberal arts (I was a liberal arts major at SMU)

Lots of people in my high level philosophy classes at SMU were heading to law school. There's good logic training that comes with that degree. Its not as worthless as you claim.

Also remember that the economic degree is not housed at Cox.

Not getting one of the meat and potato majors doesn't doom you to oblivion. Awful lot of finance majors looking for jobs too like everyone else. Awful lot of them working for me as well with my philosophy /communications degree.

1. No major prepares you for law school- you can major in pretty much anything and go to law school. Poli Sci or philosophy majors don't have any built in advantages over the finance or computer science majors. Coincidentally, the only major that really gives you a leg up in the law school admissions process is engineering or other hard sciences...also opens up career doors into IP law

2. Yeah, I said he should go econ if he can't get into Cox.

3. I know, but the reality is these days that more and more people are getting college degrees. I don't know when you graduated, but a lot more people today are getting bachelor's degrees than before- you have to differentiate yourself to be attractive to employers, especially when the job market is in the toilet. If I'm running an investment firm, the guy with a finance or econ degree is getting the job over the philosophy major in a heartbeat, all other things being equal.

[leopold]

Yeah, but the idea of differentiating yourself is a double edged sword - if you're applying for a job as an editor, or a reporter, or some other jobs that finanace degree sends you to the bottom of the pile. When I was at the DMN sports department we got amazing resumes every day from guys looking to go from every type of industry you can image into sports reporting, and I got the job with my little-ole English degree.

There is no majic bullet diploma - it all depends.on the job you want.

[huskerpony]

Yeah, but the idea of differentiating yourself is a double edged sword - if you're applying for a job as an editor, or a reporter, or some other jobs that finanace degree sends you to the bottom of the pile. When I was at the DMN sports department we got amazing resumes every day from guys looking to go from every type of industry you can image into sports reporting, and I got the job with my little-ole English degree.

There is no majic bullet diploma - it all depends.on the job you want.

SMU should totally start a degree in magic bullets.

...not so sure about majic bullets though.

[leopold]

Ha, good catch.

[ponyboy]

I don't mean to sound like a [deleted], but a philosophy major isn't worth the paper it's printed on, unless you want to become a philosophy professor.

True that it's harder to find a job with just a philosophy major. As a former one myself, it took me about a decade of wandering in the desert to get to the point where I'm now out-earning the majority of my former SMU classmates. The antidote to that is to double major -- or go to grad school and get your finance, law, or whatever degree.

It's always amazing to me how many people go to school to get mere vocational training rather than an actual education. What a waste. Love the economics and philosophy idea.

[ojaipony]

I am constantly hiring people. The LAST thing I ever look for is their college degree, and I own a financial services firm that is doing quite well actually.

I care far more about attitude, work ethic, and coachability/trainability. And hopefully they have a few brain cells to rub together.

Of course, SMU grads get top priority.