Would it be a good idea to triple major with a minor?

Question

Im still in high school but I was thinking about becoming a triple major: international business,asian studies,and business management and minor in psychology

Through dual enrollment and AP credit I should have 50+ college credit by the time I graduate HS

Will this benefit me in the long run?I want to get my MBA from the University of Pennsylvania

Answer 1

I don't think you will need the business management if you do the international business. Usually 2 majors in the same department is redundant. Check the college catalogs and see how many of the courses overlap. If there is a lot of overlap, then it's not worth it. You do not want to spread yourself out too thin as an undergrad, because employers could see you as indecisive. Not good for business! On the other hand, the asian studies, if coupled with knowledge of the language, can be an asset. See how many of these courses you can complete within your required courses, too. Otherwise you will not be able to graduate with 120 credits, and that is going to cost a fortune. You can zero in on your favorites in grad school. It is ok that you can't decide yet, though. You will be able to decide after taking some of the courses that you need. Take one course in each of these areas in your freshman year, to help you decide.

Answer 2

I think a triple major and a minor would be overkill; you would be better off developing some depth in a couple of areas, instead of a superficial look at so many different things if you have the extra credits to play with To begin with, you don't need to do both the international business and management as separate majors. If you focus on international business, you would need to take a lot of the management courses anyway, so the management major isn't necessary.

I do think that the combination with Asian studies is a good idea (two of my best students over the years have had dual majors in Asian Studies and Business). And the minor in psychology can be useful, but is less essential if you are going into business.

It may be way to early to think about it, but when I see your level of intellectual curiosity, and if you are really qualified to get into Wharton, what crosses my mind is that you would be a perfect candidate for a Ph.D. in business. I don't know if you think you might have any interest in being an academic, it can be a great career. There are never enough candidates to fill the existing positions, and the salaries are pretty good, certainly compared to other areas of academia. Your avatar suggests that you might be a woman of color. If that is the case, you might want to look into an organization called the Ph.D. Project. It is a wonderful enterprise dedicated to increasing the number of faculty of color in business schools. The provide information about every step of the process, and those who have gone through their Ph.D. programs as part of the Project rave about it. You might want to check them out at www.phdproject.org. Please know that I'm in no way affiliated with the organization, nor am I even a person of color, but I know a lot of people involved and have been very much impressed By the way, if you go in this direction, the minor in Psychology would be very useful, because the Ph.D. is a research degree.

Answer 3

Um, the number of majors and minors you have won't necessarily qualify you for a better job. I'd say, cut it down to a double major and one minor. You don't necessarily have to minor in Japanese to be semi-fluent in it, or to show that you can speak another language. When employers are looking at your resume, you can put "Japanese" under your language skill set. As for the other majors, employers won't necessarily look at your major, but more at your employment and research. There's no point spending an extra year at school just to get an extra minor or two, when it won't make a big difference at all in the job market. Besides, having so many majors and minors and basic requirements will fill up all of your time. And if there is ever a class that comes up that you really want to take, you won't have the time for it. You should leave some time and space to take classes that may help you better your skill set, or maybe get in touch with a professor that can write you a recommendation or refer you in the future.

Answer 4

There are people who do it...but I'm not sure it's really a fantastic idea. Go for one of the businesses and asian studies. Pyschology minors and majors are a dime a dozen, so it won't mean much. Take a course in industrial psyc and that's about where the benefit will lie. Other than that it's too psychology- orientated to benefit you much. I think your time would much better invested in a second language (not third and fourth ha ha) and/or an internship. Book knowledge helps, but if your real-world applications are limited, learning will only take you so far. Enjoy yourself...maybe lead a club, join an intramural sport, or study abroad a semester.