This guy who works at firm i had an interview with said he was taking an online 4 year MS/PHD course at LSE...

I keep checking but can't find anything like that...

Anyone know?

Hi everyone, I’m currently finishing my freshman year at a low ranked state flagship school in the US. I am involved in 2 research projects (one in economics and one in philosophy) and have a 4.0 — for now lol. My dream is to pursue a J.D/PhD because I’m really passionate about political economics and would honestly like to use the J.D more as an additional philosophy degree rather than what dictates my career.

The PhD is my main goal so I want to ask, what is the best things I can do for now to help maximize my chances to get into a good PhD program. Should I start taking math courses beyond what’s required for my Econ degree? Should I transfer universities to ones with better economics programs? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

I want to preface this by saying I know I could ask the professors I am currently working with, but I would like to get some idea before I ask them for letters and additional advice on where to apply.

I have been a pre-doc at a top 5 program in the US for one year. I coauthored a B-tier conference CS paper during undergrad. I received all A/A- in economics courses during undergrad except for development economics, which I found very boring and received a B. Despite my strong economics grades, my math background is somewhat sparse and I did not perform well. I got an A in multivariable calculus, an A in one semester of calc-based stats/probability, a B in the continuation of that course, a B- in proof-based linear algebra, and a B in intro to proofs. In addition, I have not taken real analysis, but I plan to take it in the fall. Although, given my prior math performance, I would say it's unlikely I get an A. If it matters, my interest is mainly in industrial organization.

Could anyone give advice on where I should be looking to apply so I can do more of my own research before talking to the professors I work with? Also, is there any benefit for me to apply to masters programs? Or is it unlikely to help my eventual PhD applications?

Hi all,

I am planning to apply to PhD programs this year to join in 2025, and was looking for guidance in assessing the programs I have a decent shot at.

I am an Economics (Masters) + engineering (Bachelors) graduate from one of the top engineering schools in India (albeit not a top Economics school). I have 8/10 GPA (underwhelming, I know, but good extra-curriculars- I ran my own funded startup, led a 200-person NGO, helped found a school).

I have a GRE score of 334, and was admitted into a Top-3 Deferred MBA program, but I have my heart set on a PhD.

I am currently an economist at a top investment bank, working directly with the chief economist, where my performance has been very good. I do a lot of thematic research.

I started out as a quant, where I was one of the top performers as well. I also have the CFA charter. I will have around 4 years of work experience when I apply.

I am aiming for a top-5/10 program in the US.

Do you think I have a shot? I will be grateful for any guidance.

Hi everyone, I graduated from Cambridge last June with a high first in Economics (ranked top 10 in my cohort every year, topped my class in the Maths/Econometrics electives etc.) and am currently working as an investment banking analyst. However, I've recently decided that I would like to pursue a career in academia instead. The problem is I've spent all my time at university doing extracurriculars and internships that would help me get into banking, and so have no research experience other than my undergraduate dissertation.

Is there anything I can do to have a realistic chance of getting into a top ~10 PhD programme? I'm willing to do a master's and/or pre-doc, but surely my lack of research experience will be a big disadvantage when it comes to pre-doc applications as well? I'm also worried about the irrelevant banking experience on my CV - can't imagine admissions committees looking kindly on that, especially since I'd like to do development economics.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to connect with people who have pursued the data science masters in decision making at BSE. I would love to know the following:

1. Your experience and inputs
2. Its rigor and reputation
3. Its relative advantages or disadvantages wrt to the Data Science in Methodology masters also offered by BSE

Thanks!

Looking for OER recommendations to help lessen the financial burden for my students and move away from expensive online learning platforms.

The books I have found have varied in quality and was wondering what others have used for their classes?

Hi! I'm still wrapping my head around the concept of predocs and plan to apply for fall 2025, so I just had a few questions:

1. Will my math grades be a dealbreaker and immediately filter me out (B+ for Calc I-II, C+ for Calc III, and B for Linear Algebra– later on I did get As in Econometrics I-II and Math econ)
2. If so, what should I do in the interim since I'll be doing my 1 year master's this fall? (I plan to take RA and wasn't sure if taking other classes like probability theory would be too much to handle simultaneously)
3. What is the typical day to day of a predoc?
4. How can I best hone my coding in python, R, and Stata wrt what's typically demanded of during predocs? (I just have general coding knowledge, can run regs, and have taken one data science for econ class)
5. What is a coding sample? How can I work on making one that stands out?
6. Will undergrad RA experience matter? (Mostly consisted of lit reviews and grunt work)

TIA!

I need advice on whether to take real analysis in the fall or take an intro to proofs course in the fall and real in the spring. Either way, I need real analysis to apply to PhD programs.

my math background is okay...

linear alg

calc 1 : B

calc 2: B+

calc 3: C

linear alg: A

intro stats: A

probability-stats: B+

diffy q: most likely an A-

I am a post-grad and am working as an RA for one of the regional feds full time. This summer is dedicated to the GRE so no classes. do you think I could get a B or higher in real without a proofs class or should I take proofs to prepare for real? My only issue is I'm also applying to programs in the fall and I don't know if putting real analysis in the spring hurts my chances since it won't be on any transcripts or there won't be a grade at least. Obviously, I know my academic ability the best but I just need some input.

For some background, I graduated last summer and worked for about 9 months, and now have an offer for LSE’s MSc Econ which I have accepted. However, I’m concerned that my bachelors degree did not provide me with sufficient training to be ready for LSE, particularly in quantitative subjects. We only really had basic courses on multivariate calculus and linear algebra, though our statistics and econometrics classes were relatively advanced (as far as I could tell).

With that said, I’ve been told by many that LSE requires an extremely high degree of quantitative maturity and I want to make sure I’m able to keep up. I would really appreciate a list of topics/resources that would help.

I'm looking to do a masters in the UK , my profile is :

GPA : second class Hons , meets the cutoff

Research adjacent experience on a project

Organised some NGO/charity work

Consulting Internship at a big 4 firm .

With low GRE Scores , LSE and UCL are out of question , so I was wondering what my chances would be at places where GRE is either not asked or is optional .

Thanks in advance

I am a senior at university majoring in Economics, and overall, I like things a lot and am considering a PhD. However, I am facing an issue that my math fundamentals are not robust. I enjoy intuition and applied econometrics but need help with the math in proofs. I definitely want to pursue Economics further in life, but only after I am more comfortable with math. I enjoyed Mastering ‘Metrics, which I read mostly for fun, but I struggle with even the basic math in my courses.

Please suggest resources where I can develop a more mathematical way of looking at things and relearn statistics, linear algebra and calculus right from a basic level up to the advanced level expected from incoming master’s students.

I would appreciate some thoughts on my situation.

My undergraduate background is in Economics and Data Science (minor), and I have developed an interest in quantitative methods. Here are my thoughts, and I would love to hear some opinions.

My thinking is that given my background in Econ, pursuing DS at NYU will open the path to traditional Economics roles as well as DS positions. The DS graduate department at NYU is allowing me to replace some electives with graduate-level econ electives -- that way I can still take classes in development, growth, and inequality while advancing my Data Science and Machine Learning skills. Therefore, it seems that if I pursue NYU, I will be able to position myself well in both Economics and Data Science.

​

Looking at the courses for UCLA's MQE, it seems that I have studied many of the DS concepts presented in their DS courses -- that is to say that I won't be benefiting that much in terms of DS. Therefore, UCLA would be better for positioning myself for Economics roles. However, given that NYU is allowing me to replace some electives with Econ courses, the value of pursuing UCLA diminishes.

​

In short: My thinking is that I am better positioned for Data Science at NYU than at UCLA, and just as well-positioned for Economics roles at NYU than at UCLA. Therefore, it seems the most reasonable to pursue DS at NYU. Any thoughts on this reasoning? Much appreciated!

I'm currently in my second year of a four-year BSc in Economics. I'm interested in more technical work and even thought about switching to electrical engineering last year. But I stuck with econ, hoping I could still do some tech stuff in this field. Now, I'm worried it might not be technical or quantitative enough for me to find a job I'd really enjoy and I'm not really interested in the "social" part of economics. I'm really into programming and math, but I'm not sure what to do next. Do you think there are jobs that are as technical as engineering or physics but are still doable with an econ degree? I've taken three math, three stats, and (will take) three econometrics courses. Or should I just bite the bullet and switch to engineering, even though it means “giving up” the two years I've already spent on econ? I just need some hope and maybe some ideas.

It’s impossible to know everything, but were there any paper/books you were glad you read before starting your program? Alternatively, any which you had read?

I'm a sophomore-year undergrad who's interested in pursuing a PhD in macroeconomics. Due to a series of bad decisions last semester, I was unfortunately not able to apply to very many internships for this Summer and don't currently have a position lined up. In light of this, I've decided to spend this time productively by developing my research and writing skills and attempting to write an undergraduate research paper.

I'm still in the very early stages of planning on this but I'm looking for any and all resources you guys can give me on developing my statistical and econometrics skills for macro, as well as introductory resources on structure, study design, and question formulation.

I'm trying to generate questions related to growth in developing vs developed countries, as well as monetary theory (I'm currently flipping between a focus on examining the impacts of rules-based vs. discretionary monetary policy and a comparison of monetary regimes across the developing world).

If y'all could even just talk about the process you take to come up with research question ideas that would be immensely helpful in and of itself. I appreciate it!

I'm a sophomore-year undergrad studying econ and math at a relatively low-tier (~60's RepEc score) University in the United States. I'm aware that the economics program I'm in is quite barebones (most of our classes don't even use calculus), hence my double-majoring in Math. By the end of my Junior year I will have taken Real Analysis, Calc 3, a couple of linear algebra classes, statistics, and econometrics.

I know that the University I attend has a reputation for not having a very rigorous economics program, which is why I've taken to self-studying the curricula taught in some of the higher-ranked universities in the US. However, no matter how well I grasp these concepts, they're not going to be visible on my transcript, making it impossible for people to know how well I do in them.

So I guess my questions are twofold:

1. What's the best way to demonstrate my understanding of the more challenging quantitative and statistical components of a high-quality economics degree in the position I'm in?
2. What specifically should I be focusing on to bolster my application to LSE's MSc in econometrics and mathematical economics?

EDIT: Also does anyone know how I can assess my current GPA in relation to the UK's class ranking system? The MSc page requires a first class honours degree from the UK but I'm not quite sure what that translates to in terms of US metrics.

BONUS for those who have the time / patience:

1. How can I be better prepared for using the econometrics techniques I'm learning on macroeconomic data? The econometrics course at my university, like other courses in the program, are quite barebones and only teach basic regression / multivariable regression, along with some non-linear models and the basic study design strategies like DiD. I'd like to better understand the intricacies of using econometric techniques on macroeconomic data specifically, as well as get some practice writing papers on the topic.

I appreciate any and all feedback you guys have!

Not sure if this is the right place to be asking this but is there any public repository or anything for that matter that continuously updates on the latest DiD literature? Would be a huge help if someone could guide me

Hi! In need of urgent, desperate advice. I am an economics major from India and I have offers from MSc Economics(1 year) at LSE and Yale IDE. I got the offer from LSE back in December and I was always looking forward to study in UK. Recently I got an offer from Yale IDE which I did not really expect after being waitlisted. I prefer LSE because accounting for everything, it is cheaper by 18k USD for me and I’m taking a loan for the entire education amount. But I am interested in Development Economics and I was wondering whether it would make more sense to go for IDE given the school’s name and the specialised nature of the degree? London seems like a more fun city to live in but what would be a more pragmatic decision? Any insights about the job market, industry reputation etc would help!

I have a research proposal that I think will make a valuable contribution to the field of energy economics. Should I start finding professors whose interests may align with my proposal and ask them to do a Phd? I am from the US so I am not entirely sure how the system works. Thanks!

Hi all!

I am writing this post having just received confirmation of my acceptance for the MRes in Financial Statistics at LSE. Before this, I was dead set on joining the MSc ESS at Bocconi due to its strong preparation for a PhD in econometrics. My goal is to work at the IMF/World Bank as an econometrician/statistician, and I am now struggling with my decision. The cohort at LSE is much smaller (25 vs 170), and the name is better known. However, Bocconi is a two-year program (compared to one), and I feel like LSE's courses stray away from macro/econometrics. I am afraid of making the wrong decision and am looking for your opinions.

BTW: I know I should have applied for EME, but that's not an option anymore.

Thanks!

As I approach the final stages of my PhD, I’d like to share some advice that would have really helped my grad school experience. If you’re aiming for a career in academia and want to produce original research, I strongly recommend enrolling in additional writing-intensive courses. Taking a few extra courses in english, as well as engaging in disciplines that demand research and writing projects such as history, sociology, or political science, can be incredibly advantageous when you go to write your dissertation.

I decided I wanted to pursue my PhD towards the end of my second year of undergrad. Common advice at the time emphasized the importance of taking numerous math and statistics courses, along with math-intensive upper-level economics electives, to prepare for the rigorous first year and to enhance my chances of admission and funding. Consequently, I steered clear of any classes that didn't bolster my math or coding skills. However, when I began writing my first paper in grad school, I quickly realized my writing skills were lacking. While I have since improved with experience (and significant help from my chair), I could have avoided many initial growing pains with a better foundation.

Although I am likely a more extreme example, I firmly believe that additional coursework and practice with academic writing in undergrad can go a long way to improve your work in graduate school.

I'm finishing a master's degree and looking to become a PhD student. However, I'm finding that when I read journal articles I don't always understand all of the technical points in econometric analysis or elaborate mathematical models. Is this normal? Is it perhaps the case that even people with a PhD sometimes come across things that are beyond them? (I wonder if anyone will admit this of themself) Moreover, what do you do with papers of which you don't understand some of the more technical aspects? Would it still be acceptable to cite its findings?

Hi all, I come from an undergraduate major in accounting and a minor in economics and I really want to do a PhD in economics. I currently work full time in economic consulting thus my interest. Would doing an online masters in applied economics at a school like Boston college or American university better position me for the PhD? I have taken quite a few economics courses undergrad but only taken calc 1 and statistics so I think my skills might be lacking.

I don’t want to feed too much into the negativity that this sub is usually filled with, as I know that a B is not the end of the world. I’m just curious how much my B matters for the particular class I’m getting one in.

I am likely finishing off with a B in linear algebra this semester. I got As in Calc 1-3. Unfortunately, I like linear algebra a lot more than Calc and think I have a deeper understanding of it, but I just make endless silly mistakes when doing things like matrix operations. Given linear algebra’s relevance to statistics and econometrics, I’m wondering if it is worse that I have a B in that course than it would have been if I got a B in one of my calc classes. I am talking in the context of grad school applications

Again, this isn’t one of those “am I screwed posts” (I guess you’re welcome to tell me I’m screwed if you believe that), but I do want to know what people think. I’m being a bit hard on myself with this grade simply because I found the course material really interesting.

How important is first year for Economic’s MA program admission?

For some context, I just finished first year at a T50 school in Canada studying Math and Economics? Probably got a A or A- in Macro and Microeconomics. And a B- or C+ (yikes I know) in Calc 1 and 2 and Linear Algebra. And probably a B in intro Stats.

I know grad school’s mainly look at 3rd and 4th macro and microeconomics theory, math courses like real analysis and research expierience. If I can pull up my grades, do you guys think I can still be competitive for a T50 or (maybe even T20) economics MA program?

Hello,

I have offers from both the University of Warwick and UoM. Warwick offered me an MSc in Finance and Economics; However Manchester deemed that I was not good enough for an MSc and offered me an MA in Economics instead. I am now confused as to which one to pick. Manchester seems like a nicer place to live compared to Coventry but WBS seems like a more study focused school. Any advice/opinions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi! I need some guidance. I want to apply for a Masters degree in Economics in Canada as an international student, but I'm not sure how competitive my profile is. I have an undergraduate degree in Economics with a 3.7/4.0 GPA, an 8/9 ielts and a 160/160 gre Score. I Also have 3 years of work experience as a financial analyst and research experience.

Do I have a shot at universities like Calgary, Mcmaster, Guelph or Manitoba?

Thanks in Advance!

I'm a sophomore-year undergrad who's planning on applying to grad school and pursuing a PhD in economics.

Unfortunately, due to a serious mental health crisis coupled with the terrible decision of overloading on credits this semester, I'm on track to finish off my honors matrix algebra class with a C or C+ if I'm lucky. My cumulative GPA up until this semester was a 3.85, but after this semester it will most likely drop to between a 3.79 and a 3.8.

The thing is, my university allows us to pursue grade forgiveness for up to 12 credits of coursework. The way this works is if I get less than a C in a class, I can retake it in a separate semester and if I end up getting a better grade, only that grade will be considered in my GPA calculations. The original grade for the class will still appear on my transcript, but it won't factor into my GPA at all.

I genuinely think I can get an A in this class. I'm finding the actual material to be quite intuitive and have done extremely well on the problem sets that I've turned in. My biggest issue this semester was a lack of preparation for the midterm and a long stretch of time where I just stopped turning in assignments (stupid, I know).

So my question is, which course of action would make more sense for grad school admissions? Should I accept the C and just roll with it, while attempting to show my understanding of the material in future classes that make use of it? Or would it make sense for me to tank the class and pursue the grade forgiveness option to strengthen my GPA?

So I have been applying to predocs for the last 2-3 months and I have gotten callbacks from places such as GPRL, J-PAL, Uni of Zurich etc however for every time I have applied to any predoc at LSE I have not qualified even for the coding task phase. I am an international applicant, non-eu who is currently completing their masters in econ from a reputed uni in the Europe. I am wondering whether this is because of visa sponsorship issues but these positions have never mentioned sponsorships being an issue. What do you think might be the reason?