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Is a double major in Computer Science and Economics a valuable double major to pursue?

I am a junior in high school. I'm interested to learn more about what you can do with these two majors and how these two majors can benefit off of each other.
#college-major #major #computer-science #investment-management #finance #business #economics #computer-science

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Julia’s Answer

Hi Kelvin - This is a great background to have. There are many different paths that this could take you, which would allow you to pursue an interest in financial matters with more of a technological spin to them. So much of the work that people do at companies in any sector is shifting to be more tech-dependent. Where in the past computer science was what people did if they wanted to become full time software engineers (coding for a living), now there are opportunities for anyone to make a difference with some level of technological knowledge. For example, we have a large number of people in different roles, including Finance, at Microsoft that use low code / no code solutions to do better analysis and get more information more efficiently. Having some computer science knowledge can give you a strong foundation to do this well - for example, applying machine learning (eg to create a forecasting tool for future costs or revenue), using visualization tools like Power BI (eg to allow easy visualization, rapid automatic data refresh, and the ability to deep dive easily into the data), or applying AI to generate predictive suggestions for what we should do next. So - a great choice for a double major, and no doubt as you move through it, you'll see where you find you have the most passion - and whether you are interested in data science, programming, or finance roles, I think you'd have a lot of really good options in front of you!
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Michael J’s Answer

Hey Kelvin!
great question. Double majors with computer science are a great way to double down on your skill sets and a great way to make you super marketable. Comp sci is a great degree to pair with many other disciplines because you can bring your technical knowledge into another field or industry with an opportunity to add automation, process, AI/ML, in addition to helpful workflow tools. Many people who have comp sci and special industry skills tend to want to disrupt an industry. Coders do well when they have a problem to solve. If you have all sorts of problems from the world of econ, there are a lot of places for you to fit in the world. I think another rising factor to consider is the way blockchain and crypto are changing the way the world works in terms of macroeconomic policies. there will be a lot of opportunities here in the future, and the rules are being written today. And additionally, I think adding computer science to the world of econometrics and behavioral psychology will also merit massive opportunities. This could land jobs in finance, capital markets, fin-tech, policy, government, clandestine special agent stuff. so many opportunities. it might be tough, and even if it took an extra year, it could be great fun. and you'd probably get a good chance to get some cool internships along the way!

Hope this helps!
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Mark’s Answer

Because computer software is used in almost all industries, pairing computer science with any other major is a good idea. Combining w/ economics would especially make sense because you are likely to perform analysis on large sets of data as an economist, and software can help with this task. Economists also can run models to make predictions about what impacts certain changes can make to an economy, and computer software would be instrumental in creating and running these models.
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David’s Answer

Hi Kevin- Definitely a strong background to have. Working in Finance, particularly on a trading floor, the economic background will be useful to analyze markets, where the computer science background will help with the day to day process of analyzing data and building infrastructure to manage market risk. In looking for candidates, this type of background would certainly stand out.
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Jeff’s Answer

Both major are very valuable and would open a wide range of potential career options in finance, data analytics, consulting etc. The computer science major will set you up with a strong conceptual and practical skill set, while economics gives a great background in theories that impact on a local, national and global level. I loved my Econ classes!
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Harrison’s Answer

Very good combo to have. When you get to upper division economics and take enough calc and stats to do econometrics, the computer science will become much more valuable. Econometrics uses similar math and models that machine learning uses.
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Holly’s Answer

Hello Kevin,
As someone working in technology who majored in Economics, I would definitely say that adding a computer science degree would greatly complement your learning and make you an excellent candidate for the job market. Understanding economics and the foundations of financial markets is essential, and if you're interested in pursuing technology, then computer science is an extremely valuable degree. You will be able to apply your computer science skills to solve economic issues, creating such a well-rounded foundation to strive in the future. Whether you decide to pursue the full CS major, or decide to just do a minor, I think that any computer science knowledge and proficiency in this day-and-age tends to really boost your resume and make you a leading candidate due to the amount of tech-related jobs on the market.
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Thomas’s Answer

If you are motivated enough to carry this through, the combination of Computer Science and Economics can be a very powerful double-major. The quantitative/logical aspects of Computer Science can help in Economic analysis, which can be useful both in terms of regular Economics and in terms of other applications such as Finance. This sounds like a good idea to me, as you will be developing base knowledge and marketable skills in two fields.
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