Preparation for Graduate Studies

Graduate study in economics requires special preparation and advanced planning. Students contemplating graduate study in economics should see the Director of Undergraduate Studies early in their second year.

Preparation for graduate school should include the following:

• The more mathematical versions of the core courses, which include ECO 310, 311, and 312
• Two years of calculus, up through MAT 202, 204, or 218
• An upper-level mathematics course such as MAT 320
• An operations research courses such as ORF 309, ORF 311 or ORF 405
• An advanced econometrics or economic theory courses such as ECO 313, ECO 317 or ECO 418.

Students may find the Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics . the Program in Statistics and Machine Learning, or the Program in Engineering and Management Systems an interesting option. It is not necessary to be an Economics major to enter a graduate economics program, but the Economics courses listed above are highly recommended.

The graduate courses in Economics (500 level) are open to qualified undergraduates. These courses are very demanding and must be started in the fall term. Taking one of these courses can be useful for students who intend to enter an economics graduate program because it begins the student’s advanced training, gives the student a flavor of graduate school, and provides evidence during the admissions process of the ability to do advanced work in economics.