<p>I am registering for classes soon, and I have decided that Calculus is one of the courses I wanted to take. The problem is that I've been agonizing over which level of Calculus I should go into. I've been considering two: regular and advanced. The thing is that while the advanced class goes at a faster paced and is filled with STEM majors, the regular class is standardized, meaning that all sections have the same tests and none of the professors know what's on them. Because of that, even though I am not the best math student, I've been thinking about taking advanced instead. There is also a basic one-semester calculus course offered, but it seemed a bit too easy and not suited to my needs.</p>
<p>However, the thing is, I'm not sure if I even need to go into so much math. As someone interested in economics, I assumed that I had to go up to multivariable calculus in order to get a rigorous math background. However, I actually looked at the catalogue and found that none of the econ classes required that much math, not even econometrics. At most, they required one semester, and it looks like the basic econ class might suffice. However, when I later when to speak with advising, they ok'd me taking advanced Calculus, and didn't question why someone interested in economics would need to know so much math.</p>
<p>Now I am completely unsure what to do. I had put calculus as the center of my course schedule, and I'm not sure if I even need so much anymore. I know I could just get by with the basic course, but it feels kind of wrong. Like I said, even though I have not been the best math student, I had envisioned myself at being able to do calculus up to the multivariable level. </p>
<p>So I would like to know if there would be any benefits of me taking multi-variable calculus as an econ major, assuming that I could do the work and at least get a low B. I am not looking into going into grad school right out of school, and I am not sure how it would affect me in the workplace. I don't want to end up stressing over something that I don't have to if it won't really help me at all.</p>
<p>If you are not the “best math student” then why would you take the ADVANCED level of a course. Take regular calculus…if you need to take calculus.</p>
<p>OR really…do you have a freshman advisor you can discuss this with…even via email? My kids (both of them) had an advisor who had to sign off on their course selections as incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about economics, but my guess would be that differential equations and linear algebra would be more important than a lot of what you learn in MVC. I mean, you need to know what a partial derivative is, but Stokes Theorem? I don’t know. But I could be completely wrong. </p>
<p>It probably depends on what you plan to do with the economics. Maybe an actual economist will answer, although I agree the best advice is to talk to an advisor at your school.</p>
<p>Both of the two posts above mine are right on.</p>
<p>No, I stated above why I wanted to take advanced calculus. I’ve heard multiple horrible things about regular calculus due to its standardized nature, and it seems like the majority of people suggest advanced calculus instead. I feel that if I can put in the time to thoroughly study math and get the right amount of help, I do have the capability to be moderately successful. I also already learned some of this material in high school (woo, I got a 3 in the AP Calc AB test), so it won’t be completely new.</p>
<p>And I’ve already tried contacting the advising department, and the person I spoke with signed off on me taking advanced calculus. My regular adviser was not available at the time, and I haven’t been able to find his email. Anyways, I am out of the country right now, so I think it would be very expensive to call, and I won’t be back until after I am supposed to register for courses.</p>
<p>I think the question here isn’t what math I need to take, but whether I need to take math beyond one semester of calculus.</p>
<p>But, really, they do. I have never taken a class at Vanderbilt, or even been to Tennessee, but I know what’s going to be on the tests.</p>
<p>The first test will have questions on limits: some that you’ll be able to compute by direct substitution, some that you’ll have to simplify before you can substitute, and probably one that involves using the Squeeze Theorem. There will be questions on the limit definition of a derivative. Then you’ll have to take derivatives using the power rule, the product rule, the quotient rule and the chain rule. You’ll probably have to calculate the derivative at a point on the graph, and then use that information to write an equation of the line tangent to the graph of the function at that point.</p>
<p>The next test will involve use of the derivative: finding maximum and minimum values; curve sketching; related rates. There will be some questions that require implicit differentiation.</p>
<p>And so on.</p>
<p>It’s true that the classroom instructors won’t know exactly what questions will be asked on the exams, but they don’t need to. Calculus I is Calculus I. The questions are all the same. This should really not worry you.</p>
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<p>OK, but consider that information with this in mind. If all the STEM people take the advanced calculus class (and they should), then the people who are kind of marginal at math will be disproportionately represented in the standard class. It will seem harder to them because it will be hard for them. (Some people find calculus really easy to learn. We call those people “mathematicians.” Or sometimes “physicists.” Most regular people find that calculus is difficult to learn, and requires a whole new way of thinking about equations.) They may give the class bad reviews because it’s actually bad, or they may give the class bad reviews because it goes badly for them. And it may go badly for them because they don’t really love math, and they don’t give the class the kind of attention they’d need to give it in order to do well. Contrast this with the people who take the advanced calculus: the ones who like math, and do well in math, and are likely to have the class go well for them. And finally, there’s really no way to know whether the people who don’t like the standard calculus would have had an even worse time in the advanced calculus. But I rather suspect they would have.</p>
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<p>Unless I’m missing something, this seems like a question that can totally wait until you’re back in the country. I mean, whether you do or you don’t, won’t you be starting with Calculus I?</p>
<p>bovertine is right about the kind of math you will use in undergrad economics. When I teach intermediate micro, I spend one lecture going over the relevant math. This includes defining partial derivatives and showing how to maximize a function subject to a constraint. That is the extent of multivariable calculus that is needed. </p>
<p>If you were interested in grad school, however, you would absolutely need to take multivariable calculus along with linear algebra (and you would be well-advised to take differential equations and real analysis).</p>
<p>This is from the website of a top Econ undergrad program…</p>
<p>“The B.S. Major is designed specifically for students interested in graduate study of Economics or a career in which quantitative economic analysis plays a significant role. The major’s strong quantitative component stresses multivariate calculus, linear algebra, and econometrics – essential in Economics graduate training.”</p>
<p>Here are the required math classes for their BS degree…</p>
<p>Calc I
Calc II
Linear algebra and diff eq
MV calc</p>
<p>So…if grad study in Econ is a possibility, plan accordingly.</p>
<p>The low math requirement for an econ degree (I’m assuming it’s a BS), seems odd. My son at CMU has a fairly math heavy required curriculum, I assumed that was standard. From my understanding, econ generally requires some of the more difficult math courses, and from what I read, you could potentially get your requirement merely from one econ course?</p>
<p>Something is wrong here. Might you be misreading the requirements, or is this a watered down econ program? That seems surprising from Vanderbilt, I’ve heard it is a very challenging school.</p>
<p>Yes, my house is next to Vandy, but right now, I am a couple of thousands of miles away. I won’t be able to contact my advisor before registration starts.</p>
<p>Looks like Vanderbilt’s Math 150A-150B-170 is a slower paced version of single variable calculus over three semesters (3 credits each), while Math 155A-155B is a normal paced version of single variable calculus over two semesters (4 credits each).</p>
<p>If you plan to go to graduate school in economics, you probably want to take the following math courses:</p>
<p>Math 155a-155b or 150A-150B-170 - single variable calculus
Math 205a-205b - multivariable calculus and linear algebra
Math 208 - differential equations
Math 218 or 247-248 - probability and statistics
Math 260 - introduction to analysis</p>
<p>Here is a recommendation for undergraduate preparation from a graduate economics program:</p>
<p>On the other hand, non-graduate-school-bound economics majors not trying to go into quantitative finance, actuarial, or other math-heavy jobs often take just single variable calculus and an introductory level probability and statistics course.</p>
<p>Does your school have a drop/add period. I’d sign up for the one that is the hardest to get into, then in the fall go to both classes, talk to the professors, talk to your advisor and see which one better suits your needs.</p>
<p>This is incorrect, Calculus I has different meanings depending on the college you go to. At some schools, Calc I goes all the way up to series and sequences, while at other, apparently including Vanderbilt, Calc I doesn’t even cover integration. I’m surprised that 155a-155b is considered to be advanced, since at most schools, that’s the normal pace of a calculus class - I would consider 150a-150b-170 almost remedial. It’s possible that Vanderbilt’s math department goes more in depth than at other places, and my impressions aren’t accurate.</p>
<p>I think in general, there’s a disconnect between what’s required for a major and what’s needed as a prerequisite for grad school, probably to allow for flexibility. Whether or not multivariable calculus is necessarily probably depends on your goals. If you want to go to grad school, you’ll want to go way beyond that, but that might not be necessary if you have other ideas for what to do after graduation. Since your options right now are just calculus, and since both allow you to go on to multivariable calculus, you’ll have plenty of time to decide whether you want to take multi or not.</p>
I agree. I would go with the lower one if you are not super-math oriented and there is no specific requirement in your major to take the more advanced one. The students taking 150A-B are not of the same type as those taking 155A-B, in general, so complaints of one group regarding the difficulty of their course do not imply that they would find the OTHER course easier. They may think so, but that doesn’t make it so. :)</p>