[Claus1100xx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by squall2072 Also I'm thinking about doing Japanese as a language on the side... worth doing?

I think that is an excellent idea. Everything is converging toward english in economics, but a foreign language is always an advantage. It is also well regarded at graduate school if you know more than your own language.

I am double majoring in Econ and French with a Math minor. So I definitely believe that the foreign language part is important, plus my native tongue is german.

BTW - you're so lucky in the UK. You get to see Top Gear and Fifth Gear. Some of the coolest car shows and Jeremy Clarkson and Hamster are hillarious.

 

[bpm2000]

I've found my undergrad in econ to be limiting in finding jobs and such - but I never intended to go to grad school so I had to make it work. I had some internships and jobs to pad it so it worked out. You are definitely going to want experience/internships if you dont plan grad, and also if u do plan (duh).
Anyways, I ended up in medical records so its not very relevant anymore.

 

[Glod]

Umm - all these different terms for perhaps the same thing. I once took a year of Political Economy. I suppose that is what is simply called Economy in the States. Nevertheless, my graduation specification does say Political Economy in English.

 

[squall2072]

Clarkson is brilliant and Top Gear is always worth watching! Hmmm I'll definately go for the Japanese option then. So I should go towards the stock markets for the big bucks or play it safe with some accounting? I'd like to travel with my job so what types of job would allow me to do that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jashugan I have a diploma in Economics, a license to be precise.

Did you enjoy your course and what do you do now for a living? (If you don't mind me asking)


BTW Thanks for all your help everyone

 

[IstariAsuka]

So there are only half a dozen of us here? How disappointing!!

I'm majoring in economics (+ math + philosophy).

I intend to go to grad school. However, given the low-prestige of my university, with virtually no chance for undergraduate research, I'm extremely apprehensive about my chances to get into any of the better Ph.D. programs.

Claus1100xx, if you don't mind, do you know which programs you're going to apply to? What type of qualifications do you have? Good grad programs are very hard to get into, so I'm curious to where people closer to the decision than I think they can get into. I don't want to get stuck going to a lame program.



Anyways, economics is a great field, even if you intend to just get a job after college. You get paid more than a lot of the business majors, all of the social science, liberal arts, fine arts majors, and about the same as some of the hard-science majors. So it's not totally abysmal. Just don't expect a job actually using your economics skills, since all those jobs require graduate education.

If you intend to go to law school or something, it's also one of the best preparations.

Plus it's interesting!

BTW, for any thinking of grad school, an interesting website is this:
www.econphd.net
Lots and lots of information. Much of the most pertinent information, however, such as the decision table, only covers a small sampling of schools.

 

[jpr703]

Bs in Business with a minor in Economics.

 

[kerelybonto]

Having graduated last year with a bachelor's degree in international economics, I think the best advice I can give you -- if you really want to work in economics after university -- is to repeat what others have said about taking math courses: if you don't at least complete the calculus sequence, linear algebra, and probably a couple of courses beyond (in addition, of course, to statistics, econometrics, and other mathish courses that probably will be required for your economics degree), you will not be able to get into any graduate programs in economics or the quantitative sides of finance. I found this out rather late in my undergraduate career, unfortunately, and really regret I did not learn more math. The math also informs a lot of the theory in ways that, if you really understand it, are very helpful.

In regard to finding a job after undergraduate, an economics degree will not make you as immediately employable as will a degree in business, accounting, or finance, but it certainly is more applicable to a lot of jobs than many degrees are. And really, business and economics degrees are not very related: where the fields become related is in areas like finance, but even there the overlap is somewhat vague. If you're interested in economics, study economics, and branch out from there.

Eric

 

[pabbi1]

Excellent link... very entertaining, yet, not real surprising, regarging how the schools are rated.

 

[Claus1100xx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IstariAsuka So there are only half a dozen of us here? How disappointing!! I'm majoring in economics (+ math + philosophy). I intend to go to grad school. However, given the low-prestige of my university, with virtually no chance for undergraduate research, I'm extremely apprehensive about my chances to get into any of the better Ph.D. programs. Claus1100xx, if you don't mind, do you know which programs you're going to apply to? What type of qualifications do you have? Good grad programs are very hard to get into, so I'm curious to where people closer to the decision than I think they can get into. I don't want to get stuck going to a lame program. Anyways, economics is a great field, even if you intend to just get a job after college. You get paid more than a lot of the business majors, all of the social science, liberal arts, fine arts majors, and about the same as some of the hard-science majors. So it's not totally abysmal. Just don't expect a job actually using your economics skills, since all those jobs require graduate education. If you intend to go to law school or something, it's also one of the best preparations. Plus it's interesting! BTW, for any thinking of grad school, an interesting website is this: www.econphd.net Lots and lots of information. Much of the most pertinent information, however, such as the decision table, only covers a small sampling of schools.

I have used this resource quite a bit. econphd is a great resource.
Well I guess I got lucky. My freshmen year a professor picked me up when I did well in his class and we started collaborating on some research. We have 2 papers out. One is allready published in a peer reviewed Econ journal and the 2nd paper is going through the review panel (jury) right now. Hopefully not too many revisions, otherwise it's going to take another year

I am really eyeing the Finance PhD Program at Upenn. It looks just awesome and job placement is almost guaranteed from Wharton. Other options would be UofC, Northwestern, Stanford, Columbia, etc. If I don't get in, my safety will probably be U of Wisconsin and U of Michigan because lots of our faculty comes from there. (still top 20 though

)

The undergrad publications should really do the trick for me. My GPA is decent at 3.94 and as long as I get somewhere close to an 800 on the GRE math section all should be well. Am taking it Oct. 18th so cross your fingers.
Also had an internship at a big insurance company and a couple awards (but I don't think they really care about this anyways).
So we'll see what happens. I will just apply to schools I want to go to, and I'm sure I'll get in at one of them. No point in going to a crappy school since it will affect your further reputation as an economist/financier. I know it sucks but it's the truth, especially when getting published.

As far as undergrad research - I just got lucky. But if you are really determined, you can just start writing on a topic you find interesting and talk to your profs to help you out. They always have competitions, where you can enter your papers then and just hope for the best.
Maybe just talk to your profs and see what they are doing during the summer. Possibly they might need a research ass(lol)istant and that's where you come in.

What programs are you thinking about. Are you a senior allready?

 

[PinkFloyd]

I'm a penny pinching bugger does that count? Never been in the red, never buy what I can't afford and always have money in my pocket. Can I be an economist please?

 

[Claus1100xx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkFloyd I'm a penny pinching bugger does that count? Never been in the red, never buy what I can't afford and always have money in my pocket. Can I be an economist please?

so what's your opportunity cost of avoiding the red? LOL

 

[IstariAsuka]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claus1100xx What programs are you thinking about. Are you a senior allready?

For programs specifically, I'm not to that point yet. I'm still trying to get a feel for all the different programs, their admission expectations, and the like. Getting into a top 20 school would be very nice, but it frankly seems impossible.

I'm a sophomore (with senior standing). So I have a couple years before I start applying to places.

 

[toor]

If you are interested in going into Finance.

Knowing progamming is one of those things that can be surprisingly. I work/ed summers at an Investment Firm and wish I had known Visual Basic.

A lot of Buisness applications use Excel (for reports and the such) and it won't be unusual for accounting departments to us Excel Macros (at least where I work).

If your comfortable with their languages and forms that can be really attractive to your potential employer.

Talking to economic professors at Berkeley has yielded much of the advice given here. Basically do math and don' take shortcuts. If your interested in Graduate School:
Multivariable Calc
Differential Eqns
Basic Linear Algebra and Stats/Econometrics
Real Analysis
these at the Minimum.

 

[Ticky]

It seems that the Economics major (and the field as a whole) is fast evolving into a form of applied mathematics.

My sister did her B.A. in economics in the early - mid 90s, and econometrics wasn't required. I did my B.A. in economics in the later half of the 90s and econometrics is a core class. Even accounting for the fact that we went to different colleges - Harvard vs. Cornell - I did note that, during my senior year, my economics faculty did "up" their math prequisite courses for the new incoming majors.

I even heard one of the professor joked that students should have the younger professors look over their dissertation's statistical models as some of the older economics professors were schooled during "dark ages" of statistics and econometrics and wouldn't be much help.

Some have commented that the trend towards complex mathematics and quantification has the effect of denying the general lay person access to economics. Which in turn, creates an ivory tower monopoly over yet another subject matter.

Personally, I think that the critics have a point. Although I majored in economics, I sometimes find it difficult to follow the newer publications in economics with all its convoluted regression models and formulas. It is a bit of a pity, that economics, at its core, actually is a form of social study that should be accessible to - and appreciated by - a less educated person.

On the other hand, I also realize that the standard of mathematical competence for the "average person" has risen much in the past quarter of a century. Calculus is no longer a "nerd" subject, but one that is commonly taught in high school. Also, the introduction of math has helped improved our understanding of economics and made it more concrete (as oppose to
the fuzzy,"if X goes up a bit, Y goes down a bit more.").