I’m a sophomore undergrad, getting a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in German and a minor in Business. I was interested in possibly getting a B.A. in Economics, but in changing my major from Computer Science recently, I found that I didn’t have enough space in my schedule to take all of the necessary classes in time for Econ. Oh well!
I would, however, be interested in starting an M.A. (or alternatively an M.B.A., not sure how big of a difference…) in Economics a year or two after I finish my Bachelor’s. Are people with Political Science degrees reasonably likely to be able to get into Grad Programs for Econ? Are there certain classes I would need to take, or particular skills I would need to acquire (things I would lack from not having an Econ, Math, Business, etc. B.A.) in order to enter and succeed in an Econ Grad Program?
Thanks so much for your time and advice!
The MBA and the MA in economics are completely different. Economics and business are not the same field. An MBA is a professional degree that concentrates on business administration, which is a professional field; people with any major can enter those programs (although you usually need at least 2 years of work experience). An MA is an academic degree, and economics is a disciplinary social science. There’s usually a foundation of knowledge that you need - some basic economics classes and some advanced math coursework. An MA in economics will be more focused on theory and research in economics (although some programs, especially those in applied economics, will focus at least somewhat on applications of economics to real-world problems - not just in business, though). An MBA is a professional degree that is designed to prepare you for working in business.
Are you actually interested in studying economics on the graduate level and using economic theory and methods in your work post-graduation? Then the MA in economics is for you. If you simply want to work in business after graduate school, then the MBA might be better suited for your needs.
I’ve heard from other posters on these forums that the math is more important than the basic economics background. I know for PhD programs it’s usually recommended that you have taken three semesters of calculus, linear algebra, 1-2 semesters of statistics and probability, and potentially real analysis and differential equations. I think the threshold would be lower for an MA, but you’d still probably need 2 semesters of calc, the linear algebra, and at least a semester of stats and prob. It’d probably also be a good idea to take 3-4 intro classes in economics just to be competitive (like maybe macro, micro, and econometrics or something).