<p>I'm an international student from China. I have been admitted to U Michigan Ann arbor MAE and waiting for the result from U Vanderbilt GPED.</p>
<p>I'm wondering which option is better considering the reputation and finding a job in U.S. after graduation.</p>
<p>BTW, if I go back to China and find a job, which one is better?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>In the US, Vanderbilt may be seen as academically-stronger, but UMich has an international reputation that is arguably larger than life. If you plan on pursuing a job abroad, I would go with Michigan, hands down.</p>
<p>^disagreed on the first statement. Since when is vandy> michigan ? lol.</p>
<p>lovethema10, Vanderbilt is not seen as “academically-stronger” than Michigan. In fact, it is the other way around. Whether one is stronger than the other is open to depbate (thanks to the USNWR rankings that discriminate against Public universities), but in terms of academic reputation and image, Michigan is the stronger of the two. </p>
<p>I agree with your comment on international reputation.</p>
<p>Coming from the Northeast, Vandy is perceived as the stronger (in terms of academics) of the two-- I can say this with confidence. However, I would choose UMich over Vanderbilt any day, due to the opportunity available at Michigan.</p>
<p>lovethema, it depends on the demographic. I would agree that among high school students who rely entirely on the USNWR, Vanderbilt would be viewed as stronger. To many high school students (not you obviously), #17 is better than #18. And should those two schools be reversed next year, then the new #17 would have suddenly become better. Of course, it goes without saying that #17 is much better than #27 and than any school rank out of the top 25 plain sucks! LOL! That is not the casejust in the Northeast. It is the case anywhere in the country…and around the world for international students considering US universities. This applies to many impressionable parents too.</p>
<p>However, in academic circles, among graduate admissions committees,among the highly educated and among corporate recruiters, both on the East Coast and in much of the nation, Michigan generaly has the reputational edge. Of course, Vanderbilt is also very highly regarded, and in many circles, particularly in the South, actually bests Michigan, but overall, I would say it is Michigan that has the edge.</p>
<p>peterzhang, I suggest you try to contact and speak with experts in the field of economics to try to identify which school holds more weight.</p>
<p>Dear all, thank you for your reply!</p>
<p>In fact, I am not going to pursue an academic career in economics. In stead, I just want finding a job in financial market, like investment bank. </p>
<p>however, I always heard the voice that Master of applied economics in U Michigan Ann Arbor is low-quality, and the purpose of setting up the program is more likely to earn money than to provide high-quality education. Besides, most teachers for MAE are not professionals (I don’t know whether this is true).</p>
<p>So I worry about the reputation of MAE in U Michigan.</p>
<p>What’s more, I probably will not work for over 2 years in US after getting master degree(this is just a decision at present). Therefore, the reputation of the degree out of US is so important to me. But if the reputation and quality of GPED in U Vanderbilt is better in US, maybe it’s an advantage for me to find a job in US and then go back to Asia with a working experience in US.</p>
<p>“however, I always heard the voice that Master of applied economics in U Michigan Ann Arbor is low-quality, and the purpose of setting up the program is more likely to earn money than to provide high-quality education.” </p>
<p>I never heard this. Michigan is not the type of institution that creates programs to generate revenue. This said, I never understood why Michigan had a Master’s program in Economics. Most Economics departments of Michigan’s quality and stature only offer BA, BS or PhD options.</p>
<p>“Besides, most teachers for MAE are not professionals (I don’t know whether this is true).”</p>
<p>I don’t see how this is strange. Professors in most programs are academics, not professionals. Even MBA professors tend to be academics.</p>
<p>At any rate, I think this is a pretty straight forward decision. </p>
<p>Overall reputation of institution in the financial market:
Michigan > Vanderbilt</p>
<p>Overall reputation of institution in academe:
Michigan > Vanderbilt</p>
<p>Quality of Economics Department:
Michigan (#12 in the nation) > Vanderbilt (#34)</p>
<p>Quality of life on campus:
Michigan = Vanderbilt</p>
<p>Quality of life off campus (Ann Arbor vs Nashville):
Michigan = Vanderbilt</p>
<p>I would go for Michigan.</p>
<p>Alexandre, I have been told by the economics department that students enrolled in the MAE program are mostly internationals that need an advanced economics degree in order to take an economics-related government position in their home country. That is largely the purpose of the terminal program at UM (the MA, different from the MAE, is awarded in the course of PhD study).</p>
<p>peterzhang, an MAE is completely unnecessary for investment banking. However, it may be beneficial if you have neither business-related experience nor a business-related degree. It could also give you time to network with professionals in the industry.</p>
<p>Alexandre, Thanks for your information.</p>
<p>“Besides, most teachers for MAE are not professionals (I don’t know whether this is true).” </p>
<p>I mean most teachers for MAE are assistant professors while professors usually teach for PHD. </p>
<p>“Most Economics departments of Michigan’s quality and stature only offer BA, BS or PhD options.” </p>
<p>U Michigan indeed offers Master of Applied Economics. </p>
<p>Someone told me that PHD of Economics is better than Master when seeking a job, but others said if i don’t want to pursue an academic life, Master is enough. I am a little confused.</p>
<p>giants92 , thanks a lot.</p>
<p>You know deeply about MAE. Maybe I should apply finance degree but whatever it is late and maybe if i pursue a master of finance, i cannot get admissions from excellent univerisities like U Michigan.</p>
<p>Maybe when i am finding a job with a master degree, the reputation of college is overweight the major i choose.</p>
<p>
Are you saying Vandy’s graduate programs are stronger than Michigan’s? Source please.</p>
<p>USNWR graduate ranking for Economics:
Michigan #12; Vandy #34</p>
<p>NRC ranking for Economics:
Michigan #13; Vandy #48</p>
<p>There are only a couple of “excellent” Master of Finance programs (Princeton, MIT come to mind). The rest aren’t too great, but will get you a decent job. It sounds like you really need to think out what you want to do professionally and then speak with students from schools that award degrees in which you are interested to find out what kind of opportunities they have there.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>“The Master’s program in Applied Economics, as the name implies, is a policy-oriented program, with emphasis on the application of economic tools and concepts to practical problems arising in a variety of fields. Enrollment is limited to about twenty-five new entrants each year… The degree is earned in a minimum of three terms and requires 33 hours of graduate course work. The course sequence for the degree normally includes two core theory courses, usually Economics 501 and 502, three courses covering some aspect of quantitative methods used in economics, usually including Economics 500 and 503, three courses in two different applied fields in economics, and three courses in related fields of the student’s choosing. The student’s overall program is chosen in consultation with the Director of the MAE program.”</p>
<p>"Suggested Courses for MAE Students:</p>
<p>Note: The Economics Department offers only four courses that are explicitly for the MAE Program: ECON 500, 501, 502, and 503. The remainder of your program will be selected from Courses at the 400 level taken for graduate credit, several 500-level courses that are offered by the School of Public Policy and cross-listed with Economics, and graduate-level courses in other units, including especially Public Policy and Business. MAE students are not normally eligible to take 600-level courses in the Economics Department, since these are not applied in their orientation and are intended for, and reserved for, Ph.D. students…" [Department</a> of Economics, University of Michigan](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=aa2cfc5353fab010VgnVCM1000002301010aRCRD&linkTypeBegin=contentlinkTypeEnd&assetNameBegin=Suggested%20Courses%20for%20MAE%20StudentsassetNameEnd]Department”>http://www.lsa.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=aa2cfc5353fab010VgnVCM1000002301010aRCRD&linkTypeBegin=contentlinkTypeEnd&assetNameBegin=Suggested%20Courses%20for%20MAE%20StudentsassetNameEnd)</p>
<p>Looks like you have quite a bit of freedom choosing your curriculum. That is, you can make it as hard or as easy as you want. Most of your graduate level courses in Econ/Public Policy/Finance are taught by regular tenure professors, not special MAE instructors. For example:</p>
<p>Econ 431,432 - Fan, Ying (Assistant Professor of Econ)
Econ 435 - Minetti (Visiting Associate Professor of Econ)
Econ 500 - Hogan Chad (Lecturer, Econ)
Econ 501 - Kuhn, Kai-Uwe (Associate Professor of Econ)
Finance 608 - Dittmar, Robert (Sanford R Roberson Assistant Prof of Bus Admin and Associate Prof of Finance, Ross School of Business)
Public Policy 534 - Deardorff, Alan (John W Sweetland Prof of International Econ)
Econ 739/SPP 747 - Stern, Robert M (Prof Emeritus of Econ and Public Policy)</p>
<p>You can check it out from the class schedule: [Schedule</a> of Classes - Office of the Registrar](<a href=“http://www.ro.umich.edu/schedule/]Schedule”>Schedule of Classes | Office of the Registrar)</p>
<p>Ugh what a waste, they can take 400-level electives? A lottt of those are not difficult. 435 with Minetti? 431? You’ve got to be kidding me. Do yourself a favor and challenge yourself by taking classes at the 500-level and higher. Nb: Hogan isn’t good.</p>
<p>Tell me about it Giants. As an undergrad, I took several 500 and 600 level classes. That’s where the fun begins!</p>
<p>Impressive – the 600s consist of almost solely PhD candidates. You normally only find undergrads in those classes who want to continue on and get a doctorate. Which of those did you take? I didn’t take you as a math guy either, but you must have needed through Lin. Alg. & Real Analysis for 600s.</p>
<p>Did you do an honors concentration?</p>
<p>Back in the day, I only took 601 (Advanced Micro) and 602 (Advanced Macro) as well as Advanced International Trade Theory (631 back in my day…I think) and Advanced International Finance (632, but I could be mistaken). Those may have changed. </p>
<p>I did indeed seriously consider pursuing a PhD in International Economics, but I ended up chosing a life in the private sector instead. I took several intermediate level Mathematics classes, including Calculus III, Linear Algebra, as well as several statistics classes.</p>
<p>Although not in the honors college, I did do an honors concentration.</p>
<p>By the way, back in my day, there were easily 15-20 undergrads I knew who took 600 level classes.</p>
<p>Ah, now I understand. Those most have consumed the majority of your electives. Good move on the whole. If you’re motivated and want to challenge yourself/take a rigorous sequence, I would argue there are only a couple 400-level electives really worth taking (not including the honors seminars). Such reinforces why I stated on another thread that I do not consider UM to have a very top undergrad econ program. Unless so many undergrad electives at other top schools are so easy as well?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That is quite a high number – certainly higher than today.</p>