A love of math and movies inspired Kacey Johnson to pursue a double major in managerial economics and cinema and digital media. She said the two majors offer her career opportunities that combine her analytical and creative sides.
“I am currently trying to figure out the perfect career that is a combination of both majors, such as something business-related in the film industry,” Johnson said. “But if not, I find it pretty rewarding knowing I have these two completely different career options for the future.”
I never have to ask myself the question ‘What if I had studied this instead?’
Johnson grew up in Chico, California, and always planned on attending UC Davis. She enrolled as a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering, but didn’t love the major and switched to managerial economics. “I listed all of the aspects I liked about engineering, and found that managerial economics perfectly fit into what I wanted,” she said.
Seeking to engage her creative side, Johnson also added classes in cinema and digital media to her schedule. “I like being able to divide my classes into two different fields, as to not burn myself out,” she said.
Best advice: Plan around your required classes.
I find that scheduling is definitely the hardest part of pursuing a double major. In a small major like cinema and digital media (CDM), a class may only be offered once a year. I have to really plan out my schedule with my managerial economics classes if it’s a CDM class I really want to take.
Favorite class: CTS 12 (Introduction to Media Computation)
This was a great introduction in the hands-on side of the media industry. There’s some coding, but you’re coding pictures, so you get to see exactly what you just coded. It’s instant feedback. I just had a lot of fun with it. I still get emails from the professor (Professor Michael Neff) with really exciting opportunities on campus, such as research or an animation show.