<p>I am interested in attending graduate school in economics. I was wondering what aspects of an applicant graduate schools examine when making their decisions. Does anyone have any tips on getting into research as a freshman?</p>
<p>Do well in mathematics courses and economics courses. Math should be at a minimum, 3 semesters of calc and 2 semesters of stats.</p>
<p>At a MINIMUM at any respectable school you should also have differential equations and linear algebra. Honestly, I would say the more the better because you may find yourself lost and not understanding the material if you are inadequately prepared in mathematics. Honestly, I dont think they would even admit you without the proper preparation. Take a look at the school's website for specific info.</p>
<p>Math background should be at a minimum: calc I, calc II, calc III (sometimes called multivariable calculus), and a course in linear algebra. Usually basic differential equations will be covered in these four courses, but you may want to take an advanced course... some schools offer courses such as "applied math for social sciences" which covers advanced topics specifically for economics, etc.
At least one rigorous statistics course is needed as well... again, many schools will have a stats course specifically for social sciences.</p>
<p>Alright...yeah, right now I just finished Multivariable (I just finished my first semester) and am pulling a 3.9...how do Grad schools view GPA's? I was also interested in whether they would prefer high level economics courses or high level math courses (if I had to make a choice between the two). Also, any tips on what courses to take next semester (I am debating between high level game theory, linear algebra, or basic analysis/number theory).</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>If you haven't taken linear algebra yet, take that. I'm surprised game theory doesn't have linear algebra as a prerequisite.
Linear algebra is nothing like calculus... it's pretty cool/interesting, useful & powerful, and in my opinion, slightly easier than multivariable.</p>
<p>Texan in NJ,</p>
<p>I have a masters in econ and have taken Ph.D. level courses. I was also on the road to a Ph.D in econ but decided against it for reasons unimportant to this discussion. In other words, I know a bit about what I talk about. The advice that harvard<em>and</em>berkeley gives is pretty good. I also think you are on the right track judging by what you have said and the questions you are asking. I just dont think I can emphasize enough the importance of math in your study of economics. In grad school you are going to be reading a LOT of papers that are published by economists. Most of these papers are filled with mathematical proofs and derivations and are basically written in "math". A typical test answer will have a page of math and a sentence of economics that summarizes the analysis. Many of your professors (perhaps 1/3 or so) will have Ph.Ds in math. Many of your fellow students will have undergraduate degrees in subjects such as math, engineering, and computer science. Believe it or not, you will probably spend a good portion of your time hanging around the math department. For these reasons, admissions offices really look for those students with adequate preparations in mathematics. I would strongly recommend taking the most math possible. Look, if for some reason they admit you with only the basic classes such as linear algebra (the kind that applies calculus), upper division statistics, multivariable calculus, and differential equations you may find yourself wasting your precious time trying to figure out what is going on instead of absorbing the material. </p>
<p>On as side note, math gets easier after calculus (but dont tell anyone) so dont worry about it too much. Also, while Harvard<em>and</em>berkeley and I are giving you good advice, none of this should understate the importance of going to different schools websites and reading up on it yourself. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Shyboy13, Harvard<em>and</em>Berkeley, and all others...thank you for your advice. I suspected that all of you knew what you were talking about :) I am just very curious about this since no one seems to mention Graduate school at all. Everyone is focused on MBA/Law Degrees.</p>
<p>I have two questions: First, most of the graduate school programs I have looked up offer only Ph.D.'s, not M.A.'s. Is this a recent thing? If I have a choice between the two, which do you recommend?</p>
<p>Also, out of the greater math classes, there are two paths...one for typical engineers, and the other for math majors. One is "practical" math, and the other is "pure" analysis. I know that the colleges push "practical" math, but do you think "pure" math will be more useful in economics? Also, where would you recommend I look for good internships?</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I dont know about how new anything is but most good schools do not offer a terminal MA in econ. Usually, one gets an MA in econ a sort of consolation prize for ones inability to finish a PhD. I was lucky to find a program that had one. Anyway, regarding your second question, I wish I could tell you more. Please only take what I have said with a grain of salt because I am not very familiar with engineering outside the realm of computer science and financial engineering. The former is helpful in econ because econ is quite computer intensive. Many (myself included) have to learn programming languages on their own so I would think that these type classes would be helpful if you have the opportunity to take them. Same with mathematical finance type classes. I would like to suggest taking pure math classes because of their widespread applicability but I dont want to lead you astray.</p>
<p>If all you want is an MA in econ then perhaps taking many math classes in unnecessary. It is possible to avoid classes that require a lot of math altogether if you decide to go that rout. The problem is that you will be stuck taking classes like political economics, wage theory, and economic history. </p>
<p>Got to get back to work. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Math math math. I like the site <a href="http://www.econphd.net%5B/url%5D">www.econphd.net</a> for most info about applying to grad school.</p>
<p>As for my personal situation. I transferred to UC Santa Barbara from a junior college. My junior college counselor gave me NO good advice even though I explicitly said I wanted my PhD. So I came here majoring in Economics and my first quarter I was getting tutored by an econ grad student. The first thing he said: "Change your major, you need more math."</p>
<p>Now I'm in the Econ-Math joint major. The math classes are as follows:</p>
<p>3 quarters calculus, including multivariable
3 quarters lower division linear algebra and D.E.'s (easy)
2 quarters on proofs and methods of analysis (these suck)
2 quarters upper division linear algebra
1 quarter calculus based probability</p>
<p>And on top of that I'm looking into a second quarter of probability and maybe a real analysis class.</p>
<p>As far as research, writing samples, lor's. Just find tenured professors and take every oppurtunity to stand out. My school has an honors program and I'm one of three in a class of 40 that asked for honors work. My professor knew me by name after two weeks.</p>