A student that is interested in entering into the world of investments, finance and general economics will have to start out by choosing between a general qualification and a specific one, and this can be a daunting decision to make. When it comes to picking between a finance vs economics degree, it is important that students start out by determining what they are looking for from their careers so that they can then opt for the certification that will provide them with the best chances of achieving their goals.
What You Will Learn In Economics
It is normally best to start looking at an economics degree as this is the more broad option. The course should give you a basic understanding of the day to day running of an economy on every level. In the general sense you will be learning about employment, inflation, statistics and any mathematical equations that you will need to do your day-to-day job. In essence there is a big focus on statistics with economics, whether it be looking for trends in data that already exists or trying to forecast new figures.
A Closer Look at Finance
A finance degree will cover much more specific aspects of the industry and it is always important to see what the focus of the course will be at each individual university before opting for a specific course. Some universities will offer finance and accounting degrees wrapped into one, which will look at both the technicalities of finance and the conventions covering how true wealth is measured. You will also find that this type of course will give you a great insight into how finance and accounting can change the way that a large business structure works.
Specializing in Specific Areas of Finance
You will find with both of these degrees that as you continue through the course you will be made to choose between different modules. In some cases this will force you decide whether to keep your studies broad or start specializing in a specific area. As an example you may like to start looking into the laws surrounding finance in business; something which would lead your career in a very specific direction. It would appear that no matter what you choose at the beginning of your studies you will still need to make more choices further down the line.
Making the Final Decision
Much of the differences between these two courses are hardly noticeable until you really start to look at the details. What you will find is that personal opinion plays a large part in which of these degrees is considered more valuable in the employment market. Some people have said that an economics qualification is not worth much in the finance industry, where as others will claim that finance degrees are far too specific and do not allow flexibility in choosing a career. In the end the finance vs economics degree debate is one that each person will need to decide on their own.