<p>I'm interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics. I am currently a sophomore at an Ivy (good economics dept.), a Physics and Economics double major, and have a 4.0 in all my mathematics and physics courses so far, but those only go up to Calculus 3 and Advanced Mechanics. What does it exactly take to get into a top economics doctoral program?</p>
<p>I plan to take the following economics courses:</p>
<p>Intermediate Micro/Macro
Econometrics
3 More Upper Division Courses (Advice on which courses would be helpful)</p>
<p>I plan to take the following math courses:</p>
<p>Linear Algebra
Partial Differential Equations
Real Analysis
A Slew of Mathematics / Physics Courses (Again, advice would be helpful)</p>
<p>I'm starting to think I should change my major to Economics and Mathematics, however I have the feeling that being a Physics major would add some (possibly positive) diversity to my overall application. Is an Econ-Math double major too trite, or am I incorrect in assuming a Physics major would help me out in the admissions process? I am also pursuing micro theory research with a professor in the department (Ph.D. MIT).</p>
<p>Is a publication necessary to be admitted into graduate programs, or is research with a professor enough? Based on what I've seen in the biological/chemical sciences, publishing a paper is much easier to do (and more common) than in economics.</p>
<p>What other factors can play to my favor / work to my disadvantage in the admissions process that I should know of?</p>
<p>I would think that a math/econ double major would be more favorable since grad schools aren't necessarily looking for more diversity but rather ability in that specific field. I would also take some stats courses since those seem to be impt. (coming from my friend who is a first year Ph.D. in econ at Cornell). Ideally, if you're applying to very competitive programs, you will need to score an 800 on the quant section of the GRE as well with verbal being near 600 or better. They dont necessarily require a publication though research experience is prob required Hope this helps</p>
<p>picnicpaupers, TheEconomist... do you guys on online forums enjoy to draw such silly assumptions about each other instead of directly addressing the actual topic question?</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm an undergrad economics/business student as well and might be interested in a PhD in the field. Not necessarily an important school, but I'm just wondering whether it's actually possible to get into PhD right after my undergrad studies, or whether it would be better to first to a Master and then PhD.</p>
<p>TheEconomist, do you want to research in pure Economics or do you already have an idea in which specialized field you would like to research (Development economics? Finance/monetary? etc.)?
What field do you want to enter after the PhD, as a career?</p>
<p>for econ, you can go strait to PhD, no need to waste time on a non-terminal masters unless you're trying to improve your credentials for doctoral admission. I know taht some programs will also automatically grant you a masters in your 2nd year of PhD studies.</p>
<p>"Is a publication necessary to be admitted into graduate programs, or is research with a professor enough? Based on what I've seen in the biological/chemical sciences, publishing a paper is much easier to do (and more common) than in economics."
That would likely be because it takes a considerable amount of time to publish in Economics ( over one year on average) (This coming from the chairperson of my econ department). However, having published research is important for admission into the top programs. Most Ph.D. programs are trying to train you to be able to do research that can be published. If already have some of the skills to do that at the undergraduate level then you clearly are seen as a more desirable candidate.
With the math courses you plan to take you should have nearly all of the required courses for admittance into an economic program. (Your grades in those courses would help you gain admittance to top economics programs).
Switching your major to math wouldn't hurt your chances for admission (it's unlikely that they'll seriously consider your second major as much as they'll consider how you did in the math courses you mentioned).
The biggest thing that you should try to pursue for graduate studies is research. I would also talk to one of your professors on the admission process for graduate level economics. They'll be able to give you a much more detailed picture of the admission process than individuals on this forum (myself included).</p>
<p>As aspiring Econ PhD students you have ready access to better information than most in other disciplines. Too bad there are not such resources for most others.</p>
<p>
[quote]
TheEconomist, do you want to research in pure Economics or do you already have an idea in which specialized field you would like to research (Development economics? Finance/monetary? etc.)?
What field do you want to enter after the PhD, as a career?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>At this point, I haven't thought about a particular field. I'm more of a math/science/quant guy, so I'd prefer to be in micro theory. I guess quant skills would be most beneficial in labor/finance economics.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, having published research is important for admission into the top programs. Most Ph.D. programs are trying to train you to be able to do research that can be published. If already have some of the skills to do that at the undergraduate level then you clearly are seen as a more desirable candidate.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I've noticed that economics generally doesn't use the "1st author, 2nd author, etc." system in publications. So what does it mean for an undergraduate to have published? Is an acknowledgement necessary, or do you actually have to coauthor a paper?</p>
<p>its a pretty big field that is Economics. Try Statistics, and Social Science. Gold Panning. Don't you consult with your advisors and upperclass? </p>
<p>As I tell my practicing, ph'd economics, brother from a good IVY undergrad and grad school, The credit crunch of the subprime is a failure of the top people to actually see what was happening at the lower levels-They wanted to see roses and they saw roses, even though the roses were damaged with scab, mildew, aphids, no proper examination or protective pesticides either natural or artificial. And I am no economist, just a failed farmer.</p>
<p>Let me clarify what I said earlier on publication. It may have been misleading.
"A popular myth is that the admission committee rolls out the red carpet for applicants who have published a paper. I suspect that the opposite can be true. Top-school professors think nothing of low-quality journals; those publications are rarely up to the mark of good graduate research. Moreover, a poor-quality publication becomes part of your permanent record as a writer. Your advisors intend to work hard to make you an attractive candidate for the academic placement market and might prefer to start out on a blank page … Of course, if you have a paper in a good journal, your fortune is almost made. But good journals (check the list of journals included in the econphd.net rankings) are virtually inaccessible to students, so I ignore the possibility. That said, there’s nothing wrong at all with sending a well-crafted technical paper as evidence that you can do serious research. If you submit anything, it ought to be a short and rigorous piece; qualitative (or even empirical) work is not likely to impress the committee." econphd.net</a> Admission Guide
If you can get an award for your research (NSA for example) then that would help your chances at admission.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think that if you're doing physics in addition to economics that it should be fine. I think there is plenty of quantitative background from that. Plus you have to take a good amount of math. Personally, for econ, I think you should take the courses that interest you the most. What do you want to do with a PhD in Economics? Teach? Research? Public sector? Private Sector?</p>
<p>I'm interested in a PhD program as well, and although I have good quantitative skills, I haven't taken that many math courses, I was just looking around the threads for suggested courses to take for an econ phd.</p>