Economics and math

Hi

I am really interested in economics, I think it’s a fascinating subject and I would love to major in it next year but I am quite bad at math, I can understand the basics and I am okay with graphs but that’s it. I would never be able to pass calculus or an advanced Algebra course. I’ve checked the prerequisites for my preferred college and it doesn’t mention anything having to do with math, you only have to take one statistics course for the BA degree. Do economics courses contain a lot of advanced mathematics?

It depends on the school. If your preferred school doesn’t mention anything, you likely don’t have to take it. Some colleges may need Econometrics which is advanced stats or Multivariable calculus, but not all do. I would imagine that some form of calculus is needed. I wouldn’t let the prospect of one or two difficult classes hold you back from a subject you really like, but it would be best to speak with a counselor or someone at the Econ department at the college to confirm.

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Depends on the college and intended goal.

  • Some colleges (e.g. Florida State): require statistics, but not calculus.
  • Some colleges (e.g. UCLA): require single variable calculus and statistics.
  • Some colleges (e.g. UCSC, MIT, Chicago, Stanford): require multivariable calculus and/or linear algebra, and statistics.
  • Preparation for PhD study in economics: multivariable calculus, linear algebra, real analysis, calculus-based probability theory; other advanced math recommended.

Note: some colleges may have an option between a less math and more math major or intermediate economics and econometrics courses.

You can check each college’s economics degree requirements and math prerequisites for intermediate economics and econometrics courses.

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For the BA degree, you only have to take one Statistics class and none of the economics courses require any math prerequisites.
Now that seems too good to be true, does Microeconomics (or macro) contain a lot of math? And by math, I mean advanced algebra or calculus. What about intermediate Micro and Macro?

^ BA requirements for an Econ major will vary by college. Sometimes the Econ courses themselves have math prerequisites. There definitely are some math lite programs out there.

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Depends also what STATE you live in.
In California, you have to pass 2 algebra courses (algebra 1 and a somewhat more difficult algebra 2). Then you select applied calculus (plug and chug version of Calc. For business majors, not nearly as difficult as regular calculus) OR statistics (much more information to handle, but mathematically easier than applied Calc).

Some California state schools require both as pre requisites.
And once you’re IN university, expect more math related business courses.

A quick glance at SJSU requirements is stats and applied Calc or regular calculus.
Schools like Stanford will require more math.

The thing with math courses for business is to ensure that you can quantify things on a higher level.

Do you have an idea of what you want to do with an Econ major? Most paths forward recquire a lot of quantitative skills. A lot of people say they’re bad at math, but it seems like they’ve just always avoided it. It would be a good idea for you to dip your toes in some math classes.