Thinking about switching majors

cmburns14
Sun, 31 May 2009 13:22:54 +0000

systems and econ have a fair amount of overlap. You have already taken a bunch of technical coursework so you can continue down that path as an econ makor without the hassle of an internal transfer and the “risk” of possible extension… at $20,000+ of tuition a semester, even one extra semester is best to be avoided… checking the course register, great classes in CAS for a technically oriented econ major would be econometrics (especially if Schorfheide teaches it), Math 241, 312/412, 420 and 425, and Math 360-361. Analysis is the foundation of applied classes like ESE 304 (Optimization) and you already have Stat 430-431 which are basically ESE 301-302. If you take the analysis sequence your junior year you are prepared to take Steele’s graduate classes in stochastic calculus and time series/financial econometrics as a senior:

[J. Michael Steele HOME PAGE (Financial Time Series, Stochastic Calculus and Financial Applications, Mathematical Inequalities)](J. Michael Steele HOME PAGE (Financial Time Series, Stochastic Calculus and Financial Applications, Mathematical Inequalities))

This is at the measure-theoretic level that very, very few students reach at the undergrad level in the United States.

Econ has a lot of built-in flexibility and a senior honors thesis allows you do more thoeretical work than is likely to be possible in a senior design project in ESE. One course I can’t recommend enough is a programming class- exposure to programming is really important in industry and grad school in applied fields. Programming is hard so if you have some time this summer, look into taking an intro C or Java class at your local university/CC.