Major Grades Skills and Coursework Classes and Programs
On the one hand, the academic options for a student interested in a career in business are wide open: There is no single major that works for pre-business students, and there is no set pre-business “track.” On the other hand, pre-business students often feel pressure to make the “right” decisions that will land them the right grades, the right internship, the right job. This section discusses academic issues affecting students interested in business while also giving you a sense of the many options available.
Many students come to Northwestern believing that the only way they will get a job in business is by slotting themselves into a particular major. Generally speaking, this is not the case. To be sure, certain majors prepare you well for certain fields, and of course some employers seek out applicants with certain majors. At the same time, though, many employers look to hire well-rounded, talented people with diverse academic backgrounds; they see the ability to think critically about different areas as a skill in and of itself.
Every major involves learning about complex relationships, assimilating large amounts of information, identifying and interpreting the central issues, and then using or presenting what you have learned. In studying any area, be it Art History, Classics, or Astronomy, what is most important is that you are perfecting your ability to pick up ideas quickly, think them through, grasp and extend the logical structures they contain. These developed talents are what will serve you well when you must make sense of the diverse and changing situations you will face in business.
Major is not the key factor in determining your career—in fact, it only determines about a third to a half of your college coursework. Choosing a major that does not interest you simply because you believe that you’ll have a better shot at a particular job is a risky strategy. Your professional interests may change, in fact, as your studies evolve. You’ll be happier studying a topic that interests you and that you find enjoyable; you’ll learn more and you’ll likely do a lot better. Furthermore, with the flexibility afforded by the quarter system, you can pursue the major that most suits your strengths and interests and still have time to use your electives to learn skills and demonstrate aptitude in business-related areas.
You can find more advice about choosing majors and minors and about Weinberg’s offerings in this Undergraduate Studies website. Your freshman adviser or your WCAS Adviser can help you think about finding a major that allows you to develop your strengths and interests and about how to showcase your strengths to an employer. Major advisers can help you understand what it means to study a particular field and how it may serve as a springboard to the professional world.
University Career Services (UCS) can also help with this process. They offer advising about majors, the job search, and how your academic work can translate into workplace skills. They also have specialized advice about particular fields and bring a variety of employers to campus for job fairs. Working with UCS from freshman year on can help students find ways to integrate their academic and professional goals.
The grades you earn in your courses are but one factor of the many that will be considered when you apply for internships and jobs. While strong grades can indeed be an asset, it is important to remember that context matters: A transcript that displays a high GPA earned in a narrow specialization with little besides introductory classes in other areas will often be less impressive than one with a lower GPA but more challenging, broad-ranging courses. Similarly, an outstanding academic record with a weak set of extracurricular activities and internships can look thin. By focusing on the skills you can gain in your coursework and on constructing a challenging, cohesive academic plan that suits your strengths and interests, you can put together a compelling transcript.
In whatever major you choose, you will learn skills that employers desire: analytical and critical thinking, written and spoken communication, creativity, ethical behavior, initiative, inter- and multicultural thinking, leadership, organizational and management skills, project management, research skills, technology skills, and problem-solving, just to name a few. A senior thesis, for instance, can demonstrate research, creativity, analysis, writing, and project management skills. Group projects for a course can show organizational and management skills, project management, and problem-solving. As you learn these skills, the particular topic you study in your major can help you formulate your professional interests.
Your major adviser, WCAS Adviser and advisers at University Career Services can all work together to help you put your skills into perspective and highlight them on your résumé and in interviews.
Northwestern University does not offer an undergraduate business major, but it does offer a wide array of business related programs, certificates, and courses. Whether you pursue a minor or certificate or use your electives to take the courses that interest you most, these options can be a way to assemble a coherent group of classes that can easily be described to potential employers as, for instance, an “advertising and communication focus.” Beyond this list, you would do well to improve your speaking, writing, computer, and quantitative skills through any of the courses Northwestern offers in these areas.
List of business-related courses and programs
