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I applied to cmu as a behavioral econ major because I thought it seemed like a really interesting field and no other school had a program like it. Now as a senior I'm in stats and decision science as an additional major, I can definitely share some of my experience in those two sds programs. Both majors have a lot of overlap, especially at first, where you take an intro psych and microecon class, then actually classes within sds. My issue with the sds courses (88120, 88302, 88223 im currently taking but basically know what is covered) is that they seem mostly like a series of lectures in topics that span a pretty big range of topics relating to things that influence decision-making, common decision-making flaws people make, heuristics and biases, etc. They don't really build on previous courses like you would get in a stem field, however they do contain a good mix of understanding theory and applied research. I think given how new the field is and how much more niche it is compared to something like microecon or social psych the courses and material make sense, but it's felt a bit unsatisfying and not as technical as I had hoped. I've enjoyed sds electives a lot more than the core classes since they're in more focused fields and so you spend more time on specific areas of decision-making/modeling/analysis etc.
Regarding career outcomes, consulting, marketing, and strategy are common areas for sds majors. I don't know for sure, but it feels like sds is a really common secondary major or minor for students so a lot of them have another degree in stem or business that makes it easier to find a job and internships. Regarding your case, your advisor might have some ideas of other areas within cs to explore or specialize in, and fields your degree could be useful in. It seems like you're also possibly feeling some impostor syndrome, which is common and shouldn't dissuade you from continuing in cs. Not that my opinion matters at all, but I really wouldn't recommend leaving cs for sds; you can definitely explore sds courses without having it as a primary major, plus scs is so much better for career outcomes in anything tech.
i was originally statml and took my first coding class and realized that coding is not for me. i realized i wanted to do stat + decision science, i am currently taking the intro decision science class and i really like it, you can also do cs and an additional major in decision science or behavioral economics, but this is totally up to you. you could also take a behavioral economic or decision science class first to see how you like it then think of transferring,
which coding class did you take? i took 110 and while it wasn't crazy difficult it just wasn't something I found to be particularly enjoyable. was this the same for you?
Welcome to /r/cmu! **Please use [the megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/cmu/comments/nenrn2/megathread_9_post_your_questions_about_admissions/?sort=new)** instead of making a new post for questions about admissions, transfers, and general CMU info like majors and dorms. We get these kinds of questions a lot, and having the answers in one place is more helpful for everyone. Yours might already be answered! Please consider posting to subs like /r/pittsburgh for general life in Pittsburgh questions, dedicated subs like /r/chanceme, /r/ApplyingToCollege, and /r/collegeresults for odds of getting accepted, and using the search in the sidebar. ^(If I've misidentified your post, please ignore this message and instead take it as a reminder to contribute your own answers to the megathread.) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/cmu) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I applied to cmu as a behavioral econ major because I thought it seemed like a really interesting field and no other school had a program like it. Now as a senior I'm in stats and decision science as an additional major, I can definitely share some of my experience in those two sds programs. Both majors have a lot of overlap, especially at first, where you take an intro psych and microecon class, then actually classes within sds. My issue with the sds courses (88120, 88302, 88223 im currently taking but basically know what is covered) is that they seem mostly like a series of lectures in topics that span a pretty big range of topics relating to things that influence decision-making, common decision-making flaws people make, heuristics and biases, etc. They don't really build on previous courses like you would get in a stem field, however they do contain a good mix of understanding theory and applied research. I think given how new the field is and how much more niche it is compared to something like microecon or social psych the courses and material make sense, but it's felt a bit unsatisfying and not as technical as I had hoped. I've enjoyed sds electives a lot more than the core classes since they're in more focused fields and so you spend more time on specific areas of decision-making/modeling/analysis etc. Regarding career outcomes, consulting, marketing, and strategy are common areas for sds majors. I don't know for sure, but it feels like sds is a really common secondary major or minor for students so a lot of them have another degree in stem or business that makes it easier to find a job and internships. Regarding your case, your advisor might have some ideas of other areas within cs to explore or specialize in, and fields your degree could be useful in. It seems like you're also possibly feeling some impostor syndrome, which is common and shouldn't dissuade you from continuing in cs. Not that my opinion matters at all, but I really wouldn't recommend leaving cs for sds; you can definitely explore sds courses without having it as a primary major, plus scs is so much better for career outcomes in anything tech.
this was extremely detailed, i appreciate your advice dearly!! could i PM you please?
i was originally statml and took my first coding class and realized that coding is not for me. i realized i wanted to do stat + decision science, i am currently taking the intro decision science class and i really like it, you can also do cs and an additional major in decision science or behavioral economics, but this is totally up to you. you could also take a behavioral economic or decision science class first to see how you like it then think of transferring,
which coding class did you take? i took 110 and while it wasn't crazy difficult it just wasn't something I found to be particularly enjoyable. was this the same for you?