Hello! I'm graduating in economics in Brazil (it’s the best school in Latin America). I have experience in research (academic and professional). I would like to try to apply for the Master's Degree in BSE (I have NO intention of doing a PhD), especially the Macroeconomics and financial markets track. However, for many reasons (especially because I preferred to have professional experience during graduation) I have a very low GPA. I have a chance to go up a little this end of the semester, but it will definitely be around 2.5. Do you think my extra-academic qualities are able to supply my terrible academic performance?

i've noticed economists saying "at a high level, ..." and then say something at a very low level

is the phrase equivalent to "at 30000 feet..."?

Hey all, I will be going into undergrad soon. I will start by taking Calculus 2, but I don't know what other math I should take from there. For instance, linear algebra seems obvious, but I don't know about differential equations or Calculus 3. Any advice?

Hi everybody, I'm in a Masters Programm in a Swiss university and I'm currently getting more and more interested in a PHD Programm. There is a lot of great advice in here but I was curious if there are some people here who have expieriences in the Swiss programms and who could give me some insights. Feel free to dm me

I have a PhD in a field that sort of combines STS, business, management, and engineering. While I’ve worked with concepts like market dynamics and innovation systems, my formal training in economics and econometrics is almost zero.

For multiple reasons, I’m looking to start research and writing for a more typical economics audience. But I just go blank when I see an econometrics table, even though I'm very much experienced with other kinds of quantitative research.

If you’ve transitioned into economics from another background, I’d love your recommendations for courses, guides, or learning materials.

Curious to know if individuals who went on to a predoc position (@ a lab, university or an RAship @ federal reserve, etc ) after their undergraduate degree have gone on to pursue non-economics PhD paths later?

Just share out your stories in the comments in general: Did you go to “another” type of grad school—if so, what? Did you pursue another regular job—if so, what? When was the realization that a PhD in economics may not be right fit for you and how’d you pursue next steps from that point?

Hi guys. I am probably going to get an A- in Adv. Calc 1 (analysis on single variable functions), which I know is not the end of the world for phd apps but I wanted to aim for a T5 and for that it might matter.

To make up for this I am taking Adv. Calc 2 (multivariable analysis) next sem. I’ll also likely be taking the PhD micro and metrics sequences my senior year. Would an A in all of those make up for an A- in my first analysis class?

I understand its a holitistic process, but I just wanted to see where I stand in terms of just that one signal.

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to figure out which UK economics Master’s program offers the best chance of getting into a top US PhD program.

LSE’s MSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics seems like the obvious choice. However, I also heard that the Oxford’s MPhil has a solid track record for PhD placements in the US also.

I’d love to hear from current or former students from these programs (or similar ones) about their experiences and outcomes. Are there other programs in the UK I should consider? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I have recently graduated in B.Sc. Economics (Minors- Mathematics and Statistics). CUET PG this year was unprepared for, got very promptly preponed and I couldn't do well.

I scored a CGPA of 8.67/10 in my Bachelors and have two research papers, few research internships, among which one is with the prestigious Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and volunteering experience as well. I was quite disappointed by how none of this came to use when I messed up one exam. Although I got admits from IIFT and MSE, I wanted to either go for a specific masters program abroad or get into the top 3 DSE, IGIDR or ISI.

Everyone around me is taking a gap year, so I don't think this is gonna affect me badly. Moreover, I have not been wasting time as every one thinks happens in a drop year.

I have been honing my German skills (completed A1 just, more to go) and trying to get my hands-on knowledge in programming (SQL and Python) sharpened. I have booked my IELTS test as well, and I have been preparing for CUET PG 2025 as well ( it's just brushing up learnt topics, so it's not that big a pressure).

It is quite difficult to start a career in finance without a Master's degree and since I am quite sure of going in corporate, I did not waste my time gaining any irrelevant work experience.

Now, my main question is: Is this enough?

I have been straining myself day and night but I still feel that if I do not crack CUET PG 2025 and have to move abroad, then I will be struggling as a fresher there. With my skillset and background, if I keep patience and work hard, WILL I BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THIS ONE YEAR GAP IN MY RESUME INTO SOMETHING FRUITFUL AND MONETARY?

I need some reassurance. I am giving 100% to make the best of the time, and to make sure that I have the best opportunities in question to choose from. Please someone help!!!

Hi, I'll be graduating with a BS in Econ in two years and am considering applying to LSE (or a similar school in the US) for MSC Econ. How does my current math/econ courses schedule?

-mathematical micro theory, econometrics, econ stats, lin alg, vector calc (multivariable), diff eq, python/R intro courses, maybe game theory?

How do you feel about the idea of finishing my undergrad in Econ and then start a bachelor degree in maths?

What are your thoughts on participating in business competitions? Would it be a disadvantage for me in the job market if I haven’t participated in any competitions?

I got an offer from a Fed bank for fulltime RA position starting in summer 2025 and need some guidance on background check and stuff. I was an intern in like summer of 2023 (within the federal reserve system but at a diff bank from where my current fulltime offer is at), would I have to go through the whole bg check process again (like where they call each of my supervisors at all my employers and my college and highschool and a shit ton of references and my landlord and shit, and the drug test and the fingerprinting)??

I know it depends on the person, but let’s say the average macroeconomist vs. the average actuary. It’s just curiosity, as I’d like to do something really quantitative.

Perhaps a bit of an unconventional situation, but would appreciate any advice. I am facing a potential situation where there may be a gap of two years without full time work between existing work experience (3 years) + a predoc and PhD application due to a combination of health and family factors.

Would this have a large negative impact on PhD admissions/would this vary largely by rank of program (for example, for top 5, or top 10 schools would this alone make someone otherwise potentially competitive no longer so). Thanks.

Hi Reddit Community! I recently watched Varoufakis's documentary, and I read The Global Minotaur and Technofeudalism, but I have a couple (naive) questions. Could somebody help me out?

#1. Banks can lend money they don't have. Varoufakis says a lot in his Youtube talks and in his books that banks can create money out of thin air. For example, if a bank has $1b on the books, it can lend several times that, over and over again. They simply type it up and poof, money is lent out. Can someone explain to me what law went into affect allowing banks to do that, who regulates it, and what limits there are on it? What regulations are there in place to reign it in? Is it a certain percentage of what the banks actually have in savings? I know that the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act allowed banks to bet savings. But was that also the point where they were allowed to invent money out of thin air? Very curious about this and how the mechanics work.

#2. Greek austerity. Varoufakis paints this vivid portait of the IMF, EC, and European Central Bank not budging an inch on austerity. He recalls someone telling him that they "wanted to bring the Troika to Paris." I don't understand the logic of any of this. Why continuously lend to a country that can't pay it back? I know that this resulted in a "firesale" of Greek landmarks, but that can't be the reason. The country is still upside down and all the bankers knew it would continue to be this way. So what are the actual, financial gains of pushing austerity in Greece and elsewhere?

Thank you!

Since I graduated 7 years ago I’ve been working in startups as a ML/backend software engineer but I got bored with making SaaS products and want to pivot to econ research ideally in labor/trade/macro.

I graduated from a top 20 undergrad double majoring in econ and CS with a 3.7 avg. Took up to Real analysis (A) and mathematical stats (A-). Freshman year I was struggling a lot with adhd and got bad grades in Linear Algebra (B) and Multivariable Calculus (B). GRE 166 V 169 Q.

I have undergrad research experience in CS ( applied machine learning for social good and algorithmic game theory) but no econ research experience.

Other people from my undergrad econ major have regularly placed in top 10 -20s PhDs after doing a predoc, albeit this was a while ago so standards might have changed. I’ve been applying to predocs this cycle but have gotten no offers, not sure why. Is my age/background working against me? I would have thought my technical work experience would be a plus.

Back to the main question: Should I apply to masters just to get econ research experience as substitute for predoc? Going to website, it’s unclear what percentage of grads who apply actually place at top schools. Which ones actually have good placement into top PhD programs vs just being a cash cow? I’m nervous about whether it’s worth it because none of my undergrad peers did a masters on their way to a PhD program

Hi I'm trying to find FDI in high frequencies.

The World Bank unfortunately just has annual. OECD doesn't have the countries I want.

Looking at the literature it seems like most papers just use WDI data or FDi markets which costs money and my university doesn't have access to it.

I am on vacation now and, without a job, I want to start some independent research out of interest but also to hopefully get published.

I am interested in the areas of econometrics, behavioural economics and macroeconomics and want to know how and where I start. I feel that I perhaps do not have the knowledge or expertise to start (unnecessary self-doubt). I was wondering if there are any tips from experienced research economists on how to start with independent research and how to get published once you have started.

Is this a valuable program for Economics jobs? Do you get a certificate when it is completed?

I’ve seen people discuss multivariable calc, linear alg, regression analysis, etc. Wondering if there’s a standard expectation amongst most programs that I can reference? Thanks in advance

I'm in a micro theory course that uses MWG and we are currently talking about moral hazard and adverse selection (if I recall, chapters 13-15 or so) and I am struggling just a little to grasp the math behind it. I tried reading through Varian chapter 25, but I was curious if there were any resources directly based on MWG. I used to use some notes I found online, but they only were written through chapter 10 or so. Thank you!!

I am pretty sure I will be getting a B in discrete math (a prereq for RA at my undergrad). I am a senior applying for predocs with the eventual goal of a PhD. How bad is this? I have above a 3.8 currently and expect A's in all of my other classes this semester.

Hi, I’m at my 2nd year of BA in Econ, but I’m interested in Math and statistics. Do you think it’s wiser to change in February to a Data Science Bachelor (I would have to learn all the programming they are doing during this semester) or to finish Econ and try to see if it’s possibile to get a MA in statistics/data science? I’m afraid Econ isn’t going to give me enough preparation if I stay here even if I’m “just” in a Bachelor programme

So, I finished my Master's degree last year and am one year into an RA position at a top economics university. This predoc is a bit unusual in that it does not have a term limit, so I am free to work here as long as I want and am on several projects with multiple professors.

The workload is very reasonable, so my evenings and weekends are mostly free. Because of this, I have been strongly considering working on the side to improve and hopefully publish my Master's thesis. My main motivation for doing this is so I could have a solo authored publication, or at least an improved draft, when I apply for PhD programs because some programs I am interested in (such as Oxford's Finance PhD) do not accept co-authored papers as writing samples. That means I could not submit any of the papers I end up publishing with professors in my current role as an RA.

The problem is, of course, this will be an enormous amount of work. I found a regional economics journal that I think would be a perfect fit for my paper since I wrote my thesis about the housing market of that same area as a case study. I no longer have the original data but can rebuild my data set since it is all publicly accessible. The original draft is fine and got a decent grade (B+, with all the professors I asked at my predoc saying they would have given it an A), but I am both a much better coder and researcher now that I'm in a predoc than I was a year ago so I know I can produce a far superior manuscript with more complex methodology. So other than the literature review, references, topic, research question, and case study area I will effectively be starting over from scratch. This is fine because it is a project I plan to gradually chip away at over 2-3 years.

While I have a plan, the question becomes whether this is actually a valuable use of time to strengthen my PhD applications instead of just putting more effort into my predoc to go above and beyond. I also am going to start taking one math class per semester at the university starting in January so I can get through real analysis and other coursework which will obviously consume most of my free time.

I know I can do it, but is it worth it?

Any good extracurriculars/courses for economics?

Hello! I'm wanting to go into economics at university, and I was wondering if anyone had any good econ work experience/courses/jobs or anything of the source that would suit it 😼 tysm!!

Hey, I’m in my third year of undergrad in econ, and even though I love economics, I’ve noticed:

1. Economics grads have a tough time landing a well-paid job, even if they go to a global top 50 school (I’m from Europe, and I’ll probably end up studying at a top 150-200 school at best), while engineers seem to do better.

2. Economists aren’t really respected by the general public (if you tell someone you’re studying economics, they’ll just think you’re into money or politics, and won’t even realize you’re doing something math-related).

So, is it really worth it to keep going with economics? Would it make more sense to switch to something like Electrical/Computer Engineering (I’m into engineering too, so I’d probably enjoy it just as much as econ and could probably finish in 4 years)? I’m not sure if there’s another option I’m missing, but I’m kinda desperate and feel like I need a clear path that will help with both earning potential and respect.

P.S. I’m from Spain, but I’d probably want to migrate.

TL;DR: Is it worth it to go to grad school in econ, or should I just switch to engineering (which I also like)?

I'm an undergraduate student and I need to find out income, price and interest rate elasticities of money demand for basic homework. I used M2, CPI, GDP and consumer loan rates as variables, I generated double log model with first differences in Eviews but I can not get meaningful values and income and interest rate insignificant. All flow data 2006:Q1-2024:Q2. What is wrong? I need help.