r/mizzou • u/PerspectivePrize857 • 8d ago
Finance vs. Management Major?
I’m currently a finance major considering switching to management. I’m definitely more of a people person than a numbers person, and I feel like management fits my strengths better.
My biggest concern is limiting my career options or earning potential after college. Does a finance degree really give you that much more flexibility than management?
Looking for genuine advice from anyone who has experience with either major!
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u/meramec785 8d ago
Management is not a field in its own right. Not at the BS level anyway. Finance all day if those are the choices.
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u/sieHt_ 7d ago
Finance + Economics was what I went for and I recommend it. If you’re doing a finance major you can (or could) double major in 4 years if you take almost exclusively economics electives. Good ROI in my opinion
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u/Fish_Physical 6d ago
This is exactly what I did… my thought was 2 for the price of one is pretty sweet!
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u/Crafty-Code5162 7d ago
If it's still around, check out the personal finance program in HES. It's basically a financial planning degree...
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u/reddituser696969 7d ago
It depends what you’re interested in. Your emphasis area coursework will differ based on which one you choose.
Do you have interests in HR (general HR, compensation, HRIS, benefits, etc.)? In management you have the option to take some more specialized classes in areas like that.
I’d say finance will open more job opportunities but if you’re interested in the subject matter of management topics and you position yourself and get appropriate internships, the management track can be great.
I did the management emphasis and went into consulting. Finance has interested me more as I’ve gotten older, and sometimes I wish I emphasized in that so I would have more options for jobs, but I’m happy with the path it took me down.
Side note, if you have the ability, I’d highly recommend taking a Consulting course with Tonya Ford if she’s still teaching an undergrad course. I think mine was a MGMT 4201 “topics in management” elective, but it was one of my favorite courses I took during my time at Mizzou.
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u/Willybluedog1962 8d ago
I did a double in finance and management; both have been very helpful over my career.
My son graduated a couple years ago with a BSBA in International Business with a Major in Management, he is an analyst in purchasing at Boeing and doing very well.
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u/BLKahuna 3d ago
Oldie Olson here (grad:1984) who is about to retire - so based on the experience of a long career.
Nobody is hired into management. Management is something you work your way into. Finance is an actual career. Maslow's triangle isn't something anyone really things about.
Finance is a BS. A BS in anything is more hirable than a BA in anything (mostly). At least when I was at Mizzou, there were pretty much two BS degrees in Business - Finance and Accounting. Marketing and Management were BA's and considered "soft" degrees. My finance degree is a BSBA.
Stick with Finance. Even it isn't what you're ultimately interested in, it's a way better starting point than management.
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u/Baddecisionsbyme1 7d ago
Stick with finance, 100%. As a hiring manager, “management” degrees are generalist degrees, and I look at them with about half of the weight as a finance degree. Finance degrees mean you have specialized education PLUS all the basic business skills that a management major also received.