To all the business majors: Add another one

By Jacob Boone | Staff Writer

Whatever major someone chooses, it is their own business. Per Bloomberg, Baylor has one of the top 50 business schools in the nation, so the decision to pick an area in the Hankamer School of Business seems natural. It provides 13 distinct undergraduate degree programs, each with a specialized track. So, why do students limit themselves to one?

One of the first things you learn in Hankamer is the time value of money. Management majors learn how to efficiently use time to create money. Accounting majors learn how to spend the right amount of money. And entrepreneurship majors have so much time on their hands that … I don’t even know what they do with it.

Regardless of which major you choose, it is wise to invest your time and money well. Baylor tuition is already an uphill battle, so it’s worth figuring out how to make the most of every penny. It starts by admitting that having only one major fails to do that.

Business course loads are relatively easy, and the best part of them is that every class builds off of others. Another major can give you a different perspective on a topic and a fuller understanding of the jobs in that field. A second major not only appeals to employers but also gives you a better understanding of the jobs that you might apply for.

Here are some of my favorite major combinations. Take these as they are, or create your own!

Entrepreneurship and Accounting: Make the most of Baylor’s world-class accounting staff while you still can. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, once said, “Accountants at least proved that they could master a difficult subject.”

MIS and Management: This combo lets both majors improve their understanding of efficient systems and the technology behind them. It also encourages MIS majors to talk to people!

Marketing and ProSales: Two sides of the same coin — if you want to sell something, it makes sense to want to know what market they are in and what you can do to appeal to it.

Economics paired with absolutely anything: Economics majors, who are you fooling? Economics is a liberal art with an unrivaled level of impracticality. Take more business classes.

Academic advisers can give more personal insight on which majors would make sense for your individual plan. Some majors even overlap in content or prerequisites; for instance, adding accounting to finance includes only 15 extra hours, and adding entrepreneurship is only an extra nine.

The only price increase that can be seen in an additional major is the price of class materials — but if the idea of books is scary enough to stop you from adding a second major, maybe a reconsideration of higher education is needed.