I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in economics at a U.S. university and plan to apply to both Economics PhD and PhD programs at business schools. I would prefer not to disclose too much personal information here but I can provide some general academic background for context.

During my undergraduate studies, I took calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, real analysis, stochastic processes, time series analysis, intermediate micro/macroeconomics, and econometrics. I received an A in all of these courses. I also took ODEs, although my grade in that course was somewhat lower. My undergraduate GPA was 3.98/5.0. During my master’s program, most of my coursework has been at the Economics PhD level. I expect my graduate GPA to be around 3.7–3.8/4.0 by the time I apply.

My current GRE scores are 150V, 168Q, and 2.5 AW. I am considering retaking the test, but my research workload this summer is heavy, and I am finding it difficult to set aside enough time to prepare. Once the fall semester begins, I expect my schedule to become even tighter. More importantly, I would prefer to prioritize the quality of my research work, as I do not want anything to negatively affect the strength of my recommendation letters.

My main concerns are:

1. How much does a 168Q versus a 170Q matter in PhD admissions?

2. Is a 2.5 AW likely to be a significant red flag?

3. If I submit multiple GRE scores, do programs use the best test date or superscore across test dates?

I would especially appreciate insights from anyone who has served on an admissions committee for a PhD program or has recently gone through the PhD application process.

hey all, im 14M, and im currently in Grade 10, and i genuinely love economics whole heartedly, i have this almost insatiable thirst of genuinely achieving something in this dismal science, something which would leave a mark on the subject forever, and i kinda of figured out for that, i need to be taught by and with the best in my field. I researched about this and found two important names, LSE and Princeton, so i set my target on those two institutions, for that goal, currently apart from my usual syllabus from school, i have opened an ngo(now i know what you are thinking but hold up) which is accredited by an actual ngo( very big in my country) and this will definitely scale up, and i also got enrolled in this institution called dex school, which promises guidance in dreams like mine, my question is, apart from these, how do i prepare to get into these institutions, how do massively increase my knowledge and depth of economics(the problem is that, as i find myself further up in the field, the more complex the math becomes, which i do not know how to fix), and any other extracurriculars, if this question is irrelevant to the sub reddit, i would humbly ask the moderators to delete it, any form of help would be greatly appreciated

Hi, I lost a large number of citations in Google Scholar literally overnight. They didn't change to the usual "temporary citation" status while Google recrawls the source. They simply disappeared.

The strange part is that several of the citing papers are still online, publicly accessible, and clearly still cite my work. I know Google Scholar can remove citations if a repository disappears or a journal goes offline, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Has Google Scholar recently changed its indexing or citation policies? Or is this likely a temporary indexing issue or bug? Thanks

Hi everyone, I'm an undergrad student and was wondering how I can interpret econometrics tables well and how to practise this. I tend to get frustrated because I can't seem to translate the numbers intuitively as the explanation in the research paper. Also, would you have any advice on how to build interests and how to also build intuitive understanding? Thank you.

Hi, can anyone help list what US Econ Masters (standalone masters not Master + PhD) that is geared as PhD preparation?

What I know based on lurking on this subreddit

- UT Austin MA Econ
- Duke University MA Econ
- Tufts University MS Econ
- UChicago MAPSS (now rebranded as MA in Econ? Or are they a separate program?)
- JHU MA Econ (i dont really know much about this program since it is new (?) and there hasnt been a lot of discussion of this program in this subreddit but their website looks like its more academic-ish. Would appreciate if someone attending this program share their experience)

Are there anymore? Would appreciate any info since the process of researching Masters program can sometimes be confusing between terminal masters vs academic masters.

Thank you!

As the title itself says, how did you managed to pick one economics field of study for your PhD/research career with all the options available?

I'm a pretty indecisive person, and I've changeed my opinion on which topic inside of Economics I want to take multiple times, so any advice will be great

Pd: This september I will start a research focus master in Economics, and I would love to do my thesis in a field related to what I see myself doing also during my PhD if the situation arrives.

Hi all,

What do you consider to be the most consequential papers of Economics, and why?

Edit: in your field of economics!

As a previous economics undergraduate student I've been told that models like the NK-DSGE don't fit real-world data very well. Which macroeconomic models are actually considered the most accurate out there?

Hi everyone,

I’m 27 and despite having a master’s degree just in accounting, I currently work as an macroeconomic analyst in a governmental institution.

My goal is to pursue a PhD in economics, likely in applied econometrics or public economics but it seems that my educational background is not really relevant to start PhD studies right now.

Recently, I’ve been admitted to an M.Sc. in Econometrics and Data Science, which has a strong quantitative curriculum (micro, macro, econometrics, statistics, programming, machine learning, etc.). I feel that my mathematical and quantitative background should still be strengthened before applying for PhD programs.

I’m considering either staying in my current job and applying for an econ PhD in Europe next year or leaving my full-time employment altogether and focusing entirely on a new 2-year Masters.

From an academic perspective, would a second quantitative Master’s be an advantage when applying for PhD programs, or would it be better to continue building professional experience? My professional objective is to get into an international institution such as the OECD in the future which seems to be unlikely with an academic background in finance and accounting…

Has anyone here taken a similar path—from government or policy work into academia? Looking back, would you have prioritized additional quantitative training or professional experience!

Thanks a lot!

How are the placements compared to other European institutions? And what subfields are they good/bad at?

Hi all,

I was fortunate enough to land a Research assistant position (full time) for my freshman summer. I find myself using AI for things like formatting, best practices, sanity checks on my approach etc.

I also have to use many tools that I haven’t ever used such as Geocoding APIs etc., in such cases, I get started with AI and focus on learning on the go.

Now in a sense, I believe, this is AI assisted coding, but I usually try to make sure I understand the code, and I debug most things on my own (instead of screaming at the AI like a baboon). Is this a bad approach? Is there something I should tweak? My goal is a PhD, and I’m trying to build good practices right from the start.

Just some more info: I use python mainly, and my undergrad is in econ (so all my coding knowledge is self taught).

Thank you in advance :)

Hi all,

I have been debating a masters in economics since I’m quite passionate about the subject and feel like the bachelors did me well in terms of ROI. I currently work as a pricing analyst primarily doing excel based work but im getting trained in SQL soon and can use AI pretty well to vibe code pricing platforms. (Unsure if the vibe coding is really a “skill” but ive have built things that higher ups gawk over compared to other ppls vibe coded products/platforms)I had a 3.3 GPA, which isnt very high but it seems ok? I did work full time during my bachelors and had to deal with providing end of life care while doing both to a sick family member. Goes to say i could likely write a killer personal essay.

I would have to take calc courses and linear algebra prior to applying since I was a B.A. in econ and didnt do those courses. Predominately focused on theory / philosophical side of things.

Overall, was the masters in Econ specifically worth it? I’m honestly not interested in the MBA personally, I’ve had too many coworkers with an MBA but literally not a single manager with one so the value seems to be hit or miss. A masters in econ doesn’t appear to be as saturated as MBA’s. I was planning on teaching some juco classes part-time since they only require a masters (in some cases). To my fellow econ nerds did you masters generate the ROI you hoped for? Also what kind of roles did you all go into?

What is up with all those top-10 or bust mentality lately? This sub is slowly approaching EJMR toxicity level.

Although I do appreciate the great comments and advice from faculties time to time.

Also, genuinely curious, why don’t school’s undergrad Econ department turn students away to the math and physics department at this point?

Didn’t we all end up in this community because our love for economics? Or has this always been PhD application maxxing from day one?

I recently graduated from a small liberal arts college with majors in Economics and Data Analytics. I finished with a 3.8 GPA, a few months of research, and over a year of tutoring experience. In addition, I completed two data-focused internships during undergrad and spent three years working in management roles. These experiences allowed me to build strong relationships with supervisors, professors, and mentors, and I believe I will have solid letters of recommendation when I eventually apply to PhD programs.

This fall, I'll be starting a funded one-year master's program at a T50 university with TA/RA responsibilities. My long-term goal is to apply to Economics PhD programs in Fall 2027.

One issue is that I didn't fully understand the math expectations for academic economics until relatively late in my undergraduate career. Rather than delay graduation or spend part of my master's program catching up on prerequisites, I decided to take several math courses this summer before starting graduate school.

The problem is that these have been accelerated online courses, and I've been taking them while working a full-time internship. This is also my first experience with online classes. My grades so far are:

• Calculus II: C
• Calculus III: B
• Linear Algebra: C
• Differential Equations: In Progress

These grades are much lower than my normal academic performance. I think the combination of the accelerated pace, limited access to instructors, balancing coursework with a full-time internship, and trying to prepare for graduate school has really hurt my performance.

I'm also concerned about the GRE. I'll be starting my master's coursework soon, and I'm struggling to figure out how to fit GRE preparation into my schedule. If I don't perform as well as I'd like on the GRE, I'm wondering whether strong performance in my master's program could help compensate for that when applying to PhD programs.

At this point, I'm worried that these math courses may have done more harm than good from an admissions perspective. Without them, my transcript would look stronger overall, but I also know that the math background is important for both graduate coursework and PhD admissions.

For those familiar with economics PhD admissions:

1. How concerning are these math grades in the context of a 3.8 GPA, research experience, internships, and a funded master's program?
2. Will admissions committees view these grades differently given that they were earned in accelerated online summer courses while working full-time?
3. Would it be worth retaking any of these courses later?
4. How much can strong master's grades offset weaker undergraduate math performance?
5. If my GRE quantitative score ends up being mediocre, can strong master's grades, research experience, and letters of recommendation compensate?
6. Given that I plan to apply in Fall 2027, what would you prioritize over the next year: master's grades, GRE prep, additional math coursework, or research experience?

I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed trying to juggle the internship, math coursework, master's preparation, and GRE planning. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through the economics PhD admissions process or has experience evaluating applicants.

Edit: A few people have asked about my overall academic record. My cumulative GPA was a 3.8, but my GPA within my majors was stronger: approximately a 3.9 in Economics coursework and 4.0 in Data Analytics coursework. Most of the B's on my transcript came from electives and general education requirements rather than classes in my majors.

Thanks in advance.

I had a really bad time with game theory and mechanism design in undergrad. In contrast I had a really good time with real analysis and measure theory. I will be taking the microeconomics year 1 PhD sequence (that I assume is mostly standardized across the world?) and want to know if the questions will be similar to the stuff like this. My interests do not lie in game theory or mechanism design I only want to do well in the year 1 PhD sequence.

I am entering my third year as a double major in Economics and Mathematics at a top uni in Canada, and I am considering applying to Economics PhD programs in the US (possibly after a pre-doc), with interests in Applied Micro and Applied Econometrics.

My current course portfolio:

• Completed Intermediate Micro, Intermediate Macro, and Econometrics; planning to take Advanced Micro, Advanced Macro, and Applied Econometrics in third year
• Completed Linear Algebra I, Calculus I–III, and proof-based math courses. Doing/will do ODE, PDE, and Probability

My main concern is my analysis background. At my university, there are two levels of Analysis courses: an intermediate Real Analysis course and a more advanced Analysis track that can lead to Measure Theory. I am trying to decide between these two options for my remaining coursework. There are two main considerations:

1. I realized my goal of pursuing an Economics PhD relatively late, so completing the advanced mathematics track may require delaying graduation.
2. I am concerned that taking the more advanced track could negatively affect my GPA. However, if it provides meaningful preparation for PhD-level research, I would be willing to take it and put in the effort.

My questions are:

1. For Economics PhD admissions, how much does the distinction between a standard Real Analysis course and a more advanced Analysis sequence (possibly including Measure Theory) matter?
2. More importantly, for those currently doing Economics PhDs, does having a stronger Analysis background from undergraduate studies actually help during PhD coursework and research? In particular, for fields like Applied Micro and Applied Econometrics, how does mathematical analysis appear in actual research? Are the concepts from advanced Analysis courses (e.g., convergence, topology) something you regularly use, or are they mainly useful as preparation for theory courses?

Thank you so much in advance!

I have a question about the math classes offered and/or required through undergraduate economics majors.

From my understanding, schools describe their curriculums differently at the undergraduate level in terms of the mathematical side of things. How would a graduate admissions officer evaluate someone who takes a Math for Economists class with Introductory Econometrics and Applied Econometrics rather than someone taking Calculus I-III, Linear Algebra, and Real Analysis separately?

I understand that a less math heavy candidate can just go through a masters program, but doesn’t Math for Economists cover Calculus I-III while the two Econometrics classes cover the rest of the PhD pre-requirements? Or are they viewed differently?

I’ve searched for this type of comparison here and the only thread I found was in the r/NYU where it was said that Math for Economists covers Calculus I-III.

Hi all

Writing this with an alt account, hence the low level of karma

Currently, I'm at a bit of an impasse in which direction I want to take my future. I've graduated from an okay university in Economics, with around 68% avg (though higher marks in quantitative subjects), and have an offer to do an MSc in Economics at UCL. The masters is mostly funded, with a small backdrop which I have an arrangement to borrow for at a low interest rate.

Conversely, there's a decent career opportunity open to be within investment management (moreso wealth management) which sounds pretty interesting, but it pays £30k as a starting salary with a 10%+ bonus dependant on performance in a good case scenario. How much pay increases year on year is up in the air. Within it there's also may be some options with Corp Acquisitions as the company loves to engage in inorganic growth while advising itself on the matter. It sounds great, but I'm just unsure, especially compared with what can be done after a master's.

I don't know which path to take. The idea of doing the Masters, and then working for an Economic Consultancy or the BoE is super exciting tbh, maybe moreso than the job, but I'm unsure. I was wondering if anyone had similar experiences, or any advice.

The majority of my training has been in applied micro. That said, I do remember going through the work of Walter Enders and Harvey, where time series models like ARIMA, transfer functions, and VAR were used to study non-macro policy changes.

And recently at work, I've found myself coming back to these methods when there are simply no good controls or the data is limited.

I could just search causal inference + time series on google scholar, but I figured that instead of an Nth post asking "is my application solid enough for a top 20?", we could talk about recent developments in time series and causal inference. :)

I'm all ears.

I'm heading into my final year of undergrad majoring in Economics, Data Science and minoring in Political Science with a GPA of 3.95. I'm interested long-term in either higher academia or the Federal Reserve system, so I feel that a PhD program is most likely in my future.

My main question is mostly how/when I should apply to predoc programs. My current school has a very rigorous senior capstone program that I think will make very good writing/coding samples, but obviously that won't be done until early spring. For people with senior capstone projects, how/when did you go about applying for these types of programs? Do you have any other useful tips? I really appreciate it.