Anuja Kelkar
Professor Skripak
October 3, 2012
LO1-Inquiry Paper
The Pamplin College of Business is ranked #40 by U.S. News & World Report in the
nation’s 50 best business schools for an undergraduate degree (“Facts about Pamplin”).
Pamplin offers six majors: accounting and information systems, business information
technology, finance, hospitality and tourism management, management, and marketing. When
it comes to finding a job, “five of the ten most recruited majors at Virginia Tech are in the
Pamplin of Business” (“Facts about Pamplin”). However, there are three majors that I am most
interested in pursuing.
The Accounting and Information Systems degree prepares students in accounting and
auditing for a variety of careers which include tax auditing and accounting, cost accounting, IRS
investigation, and managerial and financial accounting (“Career Paths”). The most common
company destinations for ACIS majors are KPMG, PWC, Deloitte, Ernest & Young, Cotton &
Company (Career Services). Accounting and Information Systems majors have the most
interviews on campus (Pamplin College of Business). In addition, 98% of students in the ACIS
program have a job or are entering a graduate program by the time they graduate (Pamplin
College of Business).
The Business Information Technology major has one of the fastest growing job markets
in the United States (“Best Jobs in America”). Business Information Technology requires
knowledge in the development and use of computer systems in order to solve every day
business problems and making decisions (Pamplin College of Business). The most common jobs
for BIT majors include analysts, technology associates, and consultants at companies such as
Accenture, Deloitte, Freddie Mac, CGI Federal, and KPMG (Career Services). In addition, job
interviews are plentiful among BIT majors. In order to be successful as a BIT major, one must be
well-organized, have good communication skills, be able to multi-task, and have a basic
understanding of information systems (“Business Information Technology”).
Finance focuses on how money flows and affects the economy as well as how
governments, businesses, etc. manage their financial assets (Pamplin College of Business). The
most common jobs include analysts, consultants, and financial representatives at destinations
such as PWC, Wells Fargo, BB&T, Freddie Mac, and Navigant Consulting (Career Services).
However, there is a great deal of responsibility with managing money.
After researching these three majors in the Pamplin College of Business, I have decided
that the Business Information Technology major is most suited to my needs and personality. As
stated previously, it is important to be organized, have good communication skills, be able to
multi-task, and have a basic understanding of information systems, which are all things I believe
I possess (“Business Information Technology”). In addition, other influential factors in my
decision were salary, job placement, and location. Of the majors in the Pamplin College of
Business, BIT majors have the highest median salary of $60,000, a job placement of 90% and
finally convenient geographic locations in suburbs and big cities where most businesses can be
found (Career Services). The BIT major has and will continue to be in high demand as the world
continues to change.
Works Cited
“Best Jobs in America Top 50.” CNN Money. CNN. 1 Oct. 2012.
<http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2009/full_list/index.html>.
“Business Information Technology.” University of Cincinnati. 1 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.uc.edu/degreeprograms/Program.aspx?program=34AAB-BIT>.
“Career Paths.” Rutgers Business School. Rutgers. 1 Oct. 2012.
<http://business.rutgers.edu/ais>.
Career Services. Selecting a Major. Print.
“Facts about Pamplin.” Pamplin College of Business. Virginia Tech. 1 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.pamplin.vt.edu/>.
Pamplin College of Business. 1 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pamplin.vt.edu/>.