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Beyond the McCombs School of Business: Other UT Majors that Prepare Students for a Career in Business
Your student has decided they want to work in business—maybe they're interested in sales, entrepreneurship, or finance. Most people assume students with this lean will major in Business at the McCombs College of Business. And that's certainly a good path to take: McCombs is an amazing, nationally-ranked business school.
But some students may have other interests or may not be competitive for McCombs. That's ok too. There are a number of great majors at UT that can prepare students for a career in business.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
- Human Dimensions of Organizations. The tag line for this innovative program is “putting liberal arts to work.” For students who are interested in managing people and organizations, HDO is a wonderful path to a successful career in business, government, or non-profit. This can also be a wonderful opportunity for the student who doesn’t want to be constrained by a traditional business degree.
- Economics. Economics is the largest major in the College of Liberal Arts. Students receive an excellent foundation in economics principles, and the program also offers options to take courses in McCombs Business School in accounting or finance. The department also has fifth-year Masters options. Especially for the mathematically-inclined student, Economics can be a great way to get into a business-related career.
MOODY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS
- The Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations. This program is ranked the number one undergraduate advertising program in the country, and it's perfect for students who are interested in the advertising or public relations side of business.
- Communication Studies. One of the three tracks in Communication Studies is Corporate Communications. In that track, students will gain skills around helping companies define their core messaging and communicating that across all platforms.
- Communication and Leadership. The Communication and Leadership degree is the only leadership-focused degree at UT. It’s a broad degree, allowing students to customize it through minors and certificates. This is a great option for students who want to create a more personal plan for their major and career.
The college essay & resume for the UT Austin application process can feel overwhelming. Our program provides an experienced coach and a proven framework, working one-on-one to reduce the stress so the student can tell a compelling story.
Our program for students applying to UT Austin includes:
- Guiding students through the UT expanded resume development process
- Managing your student’s essay timeline for one long essay and four school-specific supplemental essays
- Coaching students through a targeted set of college essays, including one long essay and four school-specific supplemental essays
- Providing students with suggested edits and proofing for this targeted set of college essays
- Review of essays and application by our internal admissions committee
Your student will be carefully matched with a coach based on personality, working style, and first-choice major—it’s just one of the many ways we modify our proven process to meet individual student needs.
MINORS & CERTIFICATES
One way to create a strong portfolio of academic skills is to pursue a minor or a certificate: a group of specialized courses in a field outside the student's major.
UT has an especially wide range of options for students who ultimately want to work in a business-related field. First, options offered through McCombs:
- The Business Minor through the McCombs College of Business is designed for non-majors.
- There is a strong Entrepreneurship minor for students who dream of starting their own business.
- There are also specialized certificate programs, including Business in Healthcare, Business and Public Policy, Risk Management, Global Management, and more.
- If the student is interested in the more technical side of business, they might consider McCombs' wonderful Summer Institute for an immersive business experience.
Outside of McCombs, there are a few other certificates to consider.
- The Moody College of Communications has UTLA program for students in any major within the college who want to pursue a career in Entertainment & Media. Here is a great video on the program.
- Minors available through Moody include Digital Media and Entertainment and Media.
- A new program being offered in conjunction with McCombs is the Professional Sales minor.
- The Elements of Computing certificate, which is offered through The College of Computer Science, can be a great choice for anyone interested in the web and software development side of business.
The bottom line: Majoring in Business at McCombs isn't the only path to a career in business. Make sure your student has reviewed all their options and knows which one is best for them.