Progression w/ BA in Econ

JohnM2018
Sun, 03 May 2015 23:52:13 +0000

Good Evening All,

Just a little background. Right now, I am a 3rd year student at a notable public University planning on majoring with a BA in Economics and a minor in PoliSci. What I want to know is what is the best path to maximize the effectiveness of my degree in the “job world”.
What I have heard is that a MA really helps you out and sets you above the rest. On the other hand, I’ve heard a MA isn’t worth the price, and a person with an Econ degree should do a MBA program.
Now here’s what is preferable for me, if I had my way: I’d love to work in Government and/or policy creation (think tanks, lobbyist group, regular DC type stuff). So, with all that in mind, which path is better to get my foot in the door (with an emphasis on Gov. and Gov. related jobs)?

Secondly, and a little bit out of the scope of the question, I have a question about Graduate Schools. In my degree plan to graduate with a BA, I don’t have to take Calculus, especially not to “Multivariable Calculus”. The hardest math I had to take was College Algebra, Logical Analysis, and Intro to Stats along with a “no-calc” Econometric option. What I’ve heard is that a lot of places require you to at least have Calc 1 or something equivalent done. That being said, what should I do? Do I take Calc over the summer to look better for graduate schools, or has someone done or know of something different? Math isn’t my strong suit (I’m not bad, but very “B” at it, if that makes sense). Is a C in a Calc a killer, even if you have a decent GPA?

Thank you for your help.