Mixing Madison & Business

They say you're not supposed to mix business with pleasure, right? Well in my case, I mix the two every day! I am a senior double majoring in social relations & policy and accounting. While I have been a James Madison Student since my freshman year, I decided about halfway through my time at MSU that I did not want to pursue a career in public policy. However, I enjoyed my JMC classes so much that I didn't want to give them up! That's when I decided to double major in accounting and SRP. It added a year on to my graduation date, but the benefits of two strong degrees made the extra time worth it.

Freshman Year Schedule - MC 201/202 & MC 111/112 are first year JMC courses

In the spring of my freshman year, I officially declared myself a double major in social relations & policy and political theory & constitutional democracy. I had enjoyed my first year Madison courses and I really liked some of the PTCD professors. However, after taking my first full PTCD course, I decided that the topics in that major didn't suit my interests. I decided to drop my PTCD major, but still wanted to pursue two majors at MSU. At my mom's suggestion, I tried out an accounting course in the spring of my sophomore year. I really enjoyed my introductory accounting course and decided to pursue my second degree in accounting.

Sophomore Year Schedule - MC 280/281 are SRP, MC 270 is PTCD

The Eli Broad College of Business is a separate college from James Madison (although it is still a part of Michigan State University). This means they have a separate admissions process for their college. Students must take five prerequisite courses (Accounting 201 & 202, Economics 201 & 202, and Computer Science 101) in addition to filling out an experiential profile and completing a case study. Once students reach junior status and have completed these prerequisite courses, they can apply to be official members of the college. I had already completed honors classes in Economics 201 & 202 for my JMC requirements, so I only had to complete the accounting and computer perquisites before I could apply. I submitted my application in the fall of my junior year and was accept over winter break. Now I am officially a member of James Madison College and the Eli Broad College of Business, which means I will get two separate B.A.s when I graduate.

Junior Year Schedule - I crammed in a TON of classes. In retrospect, this was a little bit too much!

It's important to note that in taking on two rigorous programs like JMC and an accounting degree, I added a full year on to my academic plan. I will be graduating after 5 full years at MSU. This happened for a couple reasons:
1) I decided late in my sophomore year that I wanted to add a business major.
 2) I would like to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) when I graduate, which means I had to take some extra classes to qualify to take the CPA exam.
3) After taking 17 credits per semester my junior year, I decided that I did not want to overload myself with coursework, so I spread out my remaining classes in a way that I will only take 12 credits per semester my last two years.

1st Senior Year Schedule - I backed off a lot on the credits. This is giving me more time to focus on harder classes!

If you're interested in combining JMC and a degree from a different college, there is probably a way you can still finish in four years. If the four year plan is something you want to stick with, make sure you're constantly meeting with your advisers in JMC and in the Business College to keep track of your progress and your requirements!

After completing an accounting internship with Marathon Petroleum this past summer, I decided that when I graduate I would like to pursue accounting full-time. This does not mean that my SRP degree is pointless! The main reason I continued with Madison is because of the critical writing and thinking skills that are taught in the college. My Madison courses have helped me become a very strong communicator, which is valued in every job. During my internship this past summer, my supervisors complimented my communication skills and my professionalism when conveying information in the work place. My technical accounting skills came from my accounting coursework, but my ability to breakdown a problem, analyze it, and then convey it in an email when asking for help was all thanks to JMC. I believe these communication skills will be even more helpful when I complete a tax internship with Plante & Moran (a regional accounting firm) next summer.

Taking on an additional major outside of JMC definitely comes with its challenges. It forced me to be very organized and creative in the way I planned my schedules. I meet with advisers in both of my colleges at least once per semester to make sure I am still on track for graduation. However, the benefits of being part of two very strong programs at MSU have helped me solidify my career path and attain multiple internships. These benefits are not reserved only for students double majoring in Madison and Business; they apply across all of the other colleges at MSU. Students are free to double major between any two colleges they wish. So if you prefer International Relations and Music Education, or Political Theory and Biology, go for it! The key is being aware of the programs you're entering and making sure that you truly enjoy both of them. I love both of my majors - accounting satisfies my need for problems that have concrete solutions and can be figured out logically, SRP allows me to be creative when I try to analyze and solve problems in social policy. This is what works for me, so don't be afraid to go after the combination that works for you!


Becky B.
Senior, Social Relations & Policy and Accounting