Quick survey shows that business administration, marketing, foreign trade, finance and banking will still be the favorite university majors this year.

There have been no official statistics about the number of students registering for university entrance exams to economics schools this year, because local education departments only began receiving registrations two days ago, on March 14. However, experts believe that economics relating studies will remain the top choice of students for the next five years.

Since students flock into economics related schools, the competition ratio is always very high (one student has to compete with many other students in order to obtain at seat at the school), and the marks the schools require students to have from entrance exams are always sky high. Enrolment experts have warned that the competition will be very stiff this year; advising students think carefully before deciding to register to study at economics schools.

In 2010, students had to obtain a score of 19-21, in order to be able to enroll into the finance-banking, foreign economic relation, accountancy-auditing, business administration faculties of the Economics-Law University under the HCM City National University.

As for Saigon University; the accountancy, business administration, finance and banking majors also required very high scores from the university entrance exams of 16.5-18.5. The HCM City Banking University required scores of 17-20, while the HCM City Economics University continuously set high required scores in the last three consecutive years: a score of 19 in 2010, 19.5 in 2009 and 18.5 in 2008.

Not only national or central universities, but local universities also set high requirements for students. According to Nguyen Vinh An, Head of the Training Division of the Can Tho University, “students need to get a score of at least 17 to be eligible for studying at the business administration, foreign trade, finance and banking faculties of the school.” The required marks for the studies of the Economics University, under Hue city University, were also very high in 2010: a score of 20 for finance and banking, 18 for accountancy and 16.5 for business administration.

Some other fields of study prove to be less attractive in the eyes of students. However, the studies relating to “economics” are still the choice of many students, such as “agriculture economics”, or “economics in environmental resources”.

According to An from the Can Tho University, “economics related majors are the top choice of students because they believe that they will be able to easily find good jobs after their education. They think that when the national economy develops, it will need more and more businessmen and officers in different sectors.”

The high demand for economics majors can explain why many schools ask for permission from the Ministry of Education and Training to open economics branches of study.

Nguyen Ngoc My Trinh, Deputy Head of the Training Division under the HCM City Economics University, has advised students to think carefully before deciding to enroll to economics schools. She said that “90 percent of her school’s graduates can find jobs after graduation.” However, many of the students can’t find jobs that fit their chosen majors.

Trinh said that “students need to consider their learning capability before applying for economics universities. They should also think about if they really like studying economics, or if they fit the field of study. For example, marketing students need to be creative, while accountancy students need to be very careful, while business administration students need to be dynamic.”

Lam Tuong Thoai, Head of the Training Division of the Economics-Law University, under the HCM City National University; also said that “only those people who have a strong will, are dynamic and ready to face challenges; can succeed when following economic branches.”

However, despite the warnings, students still flock to economics schools. Talking about the job outlook, Nguyen Quynh Phuong, a senior executive of TalentNet Corporation, believes that “the finance and banking sector, investment funds, insurance sector, real estate, accounting or retailing will need a big labor force from now until 2015.”

Tuyet Ngan