Math requirements for ARE programs

**Brahim** · 08-01-2012, 12:40 AM

I was just wondering if there were differences in math requirements for Agricultural and resource economic programs as compared to pure econ. I know they do similar stuff in the first year but people say ARE programs are more applied and less theoretical, so is having calc 1, calc2 and calc 3 sufficient for a middle level ARE program.

On a different note, the perception seems to be that if your PhD isn't from a top 50 program it's useless. Does this apply to international students as well? I'm from Africa and I know of people working at African development bank, government departments and some private sector firms who do quite well but they earned their PhD from schools I didn't even know existed.
Then again, maybe they are a lucky few, but I'm curious to know where PhD graduates from lowly ranked schools end up?

Thanks

**Humanomics** · 08-01-2012, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by Brahim

I was just wondering if there were differences in math requirements for Agricultural and resource economic programs as compared to pure econ. I know they do similar stuff in the first year but people say ARE programs are more applied and less theoretical, so is having calc 1, calc2 and calc 3 sufficient for a middle level ARE program.

On a different note, the perception seems to be that if your PhD isn't from a top 50 program it's useless. Does this apply to international students as well? I'm from Africa and I know of people working at African development bank, government departments and some private sector firms who do quite well but they earned their PhD from schools I didn't even know existed.
Then again, maybe they are a lucky few, but I'm curious to know where PhD graduates from lowly ranked schools end up?

Thanks

Search "8675309" -- he wrote a litany of posts in some thread explaining how incomplete the idea that <T50 = worthless is. I would venture, without knowing the market in Africa at all mind, that an American PhD credential would be extremely useful academically and professionally in Africa. What you get out of a lower ranked program will depend a lot on what you put into it, I think. I come from a lower ranked program and have seen the graduate students go on to a huge variance of posts, including a liberal arts college post, a Chicago analysis firm, health research centers, a bank making $$$, etc. Since lower ranked programs are more empirical, I think your success depends on mounting the metrics and asking creative questions with them. That should get you attention in the program and the job market, whatever market that is. That's all extremely general advice, but it's what I have to go on. Your Ph.D. is useless at <T50 if you want to be a famous economist at a major research university . . . unless you are a statistical anomaly. But there are myriad research opportunities at liberal arts colleges, in private industry, and for private foundations and think tanks for <T50.

**chateauheart** · 08-01-2012, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by Brahim

On a different note, the perception seems to be that if your PhD isn't from a top 50 program it's useless. Does this apply to international students as well? I'm from Africa and I know of people working at African development bank, government departments and some private sector firms who do quite well but they earned their PhD from schools I didn't even know existed.
Then again, maybe they are a lucky few, but I'm curious to know where PhD graduates from lowly ranked schools end up?

Not an expert on this, but take a look at George Washington University's placement as an example: Recent PhD Job Placements of Our Program | Economics Department - The George Washington University

Almost a majority of their placements are in World Bank, IMF, regional development banks, etc. GWU is ranked #59 on USNWR.

So a PhD from these places is not "useless" - at the very least, the lack of a famous name on your degree won't limit your potential to place into these top international organizations.

**yankeefan** · 08-01-2012, 06:32 AM

double post.

**yankeefan** · 08-01-2012, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by chateauheart

Not an expert on this, but take a look at George Washington University's placement as an example: Recent PhD Job Placements of Our Program | Economics Department - The George Washington University

Almost a majority of their placements are in World Bank, IMF, regional development banks, etc. GWU is ranked #59 on USNWR.

So a PhD from these places is not "useless" - at the very least, the lack of a famous name on your degree won't limit your potential to place into these top international organizations.

GWU is an exception not the norm. Their PhD program is primarily part-time with most classes being offered in the evening/night. Also, the majority of people who enroll in their PhD program are already full-time workers at various DC area policy institutes/think tanks/development banks and have their PhD payed for by those agencies, hence their placement statistics aren't really "placement" statistics (if you know what I mean).

**Humanomics** · 08-01-2012, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by yankeefan

GWU is an exception not the norm. Their PhD program is primarily part-time with most classes being offered in the evening/night. Also, the majority of people who enroll in their PhD program are already full-time workers at various DC area policy institutes/think tanks/development banks and have their PhD payed for by those agencies, hence their placement statistics aren't really "placement" statistics (if you know what I mean).

Obviously the range of jobs would be more limited after, but do Mercatus MA's enjoy the same fluidity in the market -- they seem to be training people with similar-ish goals and interests.