tpottebaum

Hey everyone,

I'm getting my a BA in economics, and I really do enjoy it. I would like to do something regarding public policy; my dream job would be to be the legislative director of a congressperson. Other than that, I'm not exactly sure what I would want to do with my degree--I just like the way in which economics ties to politics.

However--I'm in my first quarter (trimesters) of my sophomore year, and I HATE calculus. It's awful. It just does not click in my head, and I'm terrified, because I need to take a full year of it in order to take econometrics, which based on what I've heard, I probably won't do well in, either.

So the questions is--if I stop taking calc this quarter after my requirement is met and focus only on the topics I enjoy (NOT quantitative economics), what doors would I be closing for myself? Could I still be a competitive candidate for a public policy masters program?

Believe me, I've tried to excel in calculus. I've spent hours in the tutoring office and in my professor's office hours. It's just not working for me. I don't know if my GPA can take a full year of this.

Thanks!

armaryland17

I've only taken AP Economics so don't take my words of advice really seriously... but from what I know, you should know the quantitative side of economics. Its just part of the curriculum. You need to have a good GPA in order to get into a masters program. So just work a lot harder!

bgsustudent

We are in the same boat! I LOVE econ as far as the theories and how it applies to real life, but not so much with the math. I will take it if I have to, but I too am looking at public policy programs. From what I've seen, some of the programs strongly recommend a lot of math, but doesn't seem like many of them require calc and beyond.

Sligh_Anarchist

What do you mean by economics that applies to 'real life' without mathematics? Economics is useful to the 'real world' because of powerful statistical tools. Economics without mathematics is not useful at all in the real world, specifically public policy.

PurpleAndProud

An economics degree without a lot of math isn't a vocational degree. You can't be an economist with it and it prepares you for not job in particular. This isn't a bad thing. An economics degree without math makes you a lot more marketable than virtually every other humanities or social science major as well as a good number of business majors. You just can't get a true career in economics.

Kenson

I think the other posters are doing you a disservice by ignoring the fact that you ideally want to be a Legislative Director, not a econ. of professor, researcher, trend analyst, ect.

Granted, a B.A. will definitely close some doors; you will be at a huge disadvantage if you later want to get a masters in econ, for example. But a B.A. in econ will be a great stepping stone to a masters in public policy.

I highly recommend you contact the offices of your state's senators. I interned for one of mine and was able to work closely with Legislative Corespondents, and was able to see the duties that Legislative Directors performed. If you do get accepted, a two month internship should be able to definitively decide for you whether you would still like to pursue such a career path.

Good luck.