Can anyone discuss the math department/courses at Tufts… my kid is a strong student and hard worker, but math is not my kid’s strong suit. The other schools under consideration do not have engineering; I think not having engineering students in them can make the math classes a little less competitive. Tufts does, so I am a bit concerned.
Thanks!
What is your son’s intended major ( I assume it is not Math or Engineering) so we can know what math courses he will need to take?
Preparing for Graduate Study in Economics, the Department of Economics recommends that you take at the minimum:
Math 32 Calc 1
Math 34 Calc 2
Math 42 Calc 3
Math 70 Linear Algebra
Math 135 Real Analysis 1
Math 136 Real Analysis 2 (I assume)
Additional courses you could take include
Math 51 Diff Equations
Math 161 Probability/Stochastic Processes
Math 162
(not sure what 162 is … not sure why Stats isn’t in here, unless maybe all econ requires it anyway – 32 and 34 were not in the list, probably for the same reason).
I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but an undergrad Phd track in Economics is more math intensive than an undergraduate engineering degree (except maybe Computer Engineering) , so it may not be appropriate for a kid who is not strong in math.
A standard undergrad Econ or Quantitative Econ undergrad degree coupled with an MBA might be a better career path - because it is less theoretical and hence less math intensive… An MBA usually only requires Calc 1, Linear Algebra, and Applied Statistics.
A masters degree in Economics may be another possibility.
Did your son take a Calc course in High School? How did he do?
You probably need to be more concerned about math majors than engineers. Math majors tend to be more into pure math than engineers.
Engineers in general tend to be less competitive than other disciplines because they are trained to work in teams - like they will have to work in industry. Tufts, as a culture, tends to be less competitive than other schools in the Northeast, with pre-med students tending to be the most competitive sub-group within Tufts.
I was once told by a doctor that his secret to getting good grades in pre-med science classes was to befriend the engineers - because they were accustomed to working in groups for their classes…
Math 162 is Statistics - The Math Department expands probability and statistics into a two course sequence, which goes into more depth and is more theoretical than the applied statistics courses offered through the Econ Department.
Econ majors take EC13 which is an intro Applied Statistics course with some probability- all focused on applications within the field of Economics, or EC201 which is an advanced applied statistics/probability course focusing on Economics applications.
Math 32 is part of the Econ Major as well, but Math 34 appears to only be listed as part of the Quantitative Econ Major. Maybe they are assuming that anyone wanting to pursue a Phd will major in Quant Econ.
Engineers take:
Math 32
Math 36 (applied calc 2)
Math 42
Math 51
Math 61 (Discrete Math - only computer science and computer engineers)
Math 70 (only electrical and computer engineers)
A special applied version of Probability and Stats that varies based on the field of Engineering (Mechanical Engineers have the option to take Math 162.)
So the overlap is 32, 42 and 70 for Electrical/Computer and 51 (if your son chooses to take it).
Hahah,you didn’t break it to me – my kid did 
And I did post all those math classes up above. I actually think my kid is pretty good at math (31 ACT math), and an A in every math class. It is just that those classes only go through differential calculus in high school. And this change in direction is recent, so math will have to become more of a focus.
I agree with Mastadon’s take. In general, pre-med students tend to be much more “competitive” than engineers in the sense that they’re more actively competing. If anything the effect of having engineers in the intro math classes is likely a beneficial one - there will be more sections available to choose from for each class and there will be far more people to study with.
I double majored in ME and math. I only took one semester of real analysis but it was definitely one of the most difficult courses I had at Tufts (more from a theoretical standpoint than anything else).
As far as the quality of the department, I think most of the professors are good and fair. I had one professor who really wasn’t that helpful but I think it was exacerbated by the fact that the class met 3 days a week at 8:30 AM. If anything the grading seemed pretty lax in the intro classes (calc, linear algebra, diff eq), but I did end up majoring in math so you should take my opinion there with a grain of salt.
This is great information. My daughter has little interest in business currently – the idea of doing her own research and analysis rather than sitting in a bunch of meetings talking about someone else’s analysis.