BA Economics Vs. BS Business

I used to study Economics in CA but took a break from school due to a job offer from an IT company. I worked in QA and really enjoyed working within the industry but realized I need to finish schooling and get my bachelors. Now I am back in school here in Texas studying business. 

I am sure many people here are working professionals and are quite successful in their careers. What I would like to know is your opinion on getting a degree in Economics vs Business (Finance or Global Business). Interested in knowing more about market demand, job flexibility and personal experience in each field. 

Thanks!

Honestly, it depends which field you want to go into.  I graduated with a BA in Economics and a minor in Business in May 2012.  I work for a large company in their finance department but its very entry-level.  Personally, I want to go into accounting work which you can supposedly can do with an Econ degree but most companies wont even look at me since I didnt get a degree in Accounting (which wasnt available at the school I went to).  So if you want a more general business type job, I would recommend the Business degree personally since it seems to open more doors.  Looking back myself, I wish that was the path I chose.

I'm not a experienced professional but I figure I could give my 2 cents about schools/degrees. 

I got a BA in Econ in 2009 and spent nearly a 1.5 years (started at the beginning of my final semester) trying to find a job, but only got offers for sales positions, most of which were nothing more than pyramid schemes. It was bad for pretty much everyone though as the recession hit in late 2008. I went back to school for a MAS (or MS) in Accounting in 2011 and got a really good offer last year while I was in school. I graduated in May and I start in two weeks and cannot wait to finally start working. 

The reason why I initially picked Econ was because it was flexible and would let me enter many different fields, but after the recession, there was an ample supply of unemployed graduates (still are) and companies would rather hire someone with the related degree. If you have a few years worth of experience and unless you're looking to completely change your career path, I think you'd be fine with going back for Econ. Working experience or internships are what companies what these days, since anyone can get a degree. 

I would not go for any general business pr general management majors though. General business majors (Business Admin, Business Management, General Management, etc.) usually have no real job potential, it seems, other than to draw in students with money (or loaned money) that want to take the easy way out. Fiance and Accounting are probably the one two degrees that companies are actively looking for. 

Again, just my two bits as someone who spent 6.5 years in school for two degrees before finally landing a job. 

An outside-the-box point of view:

If you have any interest in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and think you might one day like to pursue a graduate degree, it's easier to go from STEM undergrad to MBA than from Business undergrad to STEM Masters.

Not really answering your question there, but I thought I would throw that tidbit into the mix. It sounds like you're pretty set on the business undergrad though.

I have an undergrad finance degree that I completed in '08. It has served me well in terms of opportunities and jobs. The most important things I can think of in terms of eventual success are...

- Get good grades
- Be nice to people and be sociable (make connections)
- Work in the field while you're in school (internship)
- Perform well in the internship and when you eventually land your first job

Also, in finance, I have found that there can be a certain element of school snobbery. It might go without saying (though it was kind of lost on me at the time), but try to get in the best school that fits your life. I went to a good state school, which has worked out fine, but I was kind of naive about how much people in my line of work care about the pedigree. What it means for a school to "fit your life" is up to you. I for one hate student loan debt and wanted a good value school, but that's maybe a topic for another conversation...

Agree with all of this.

Unless you have contacts, the biz admin and biz management degrees are pretty fluffy.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I keep thinking that in our day and age its all about connections. So I am trying to network with people who are studying in the same field and involve in other groups such as politics, economics and etc.