Stats Courses: Department of Economics vs Department of Statistics

[nbgecon]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm a 3rd year student in BA Economics in a Canadian university. I need help choosing stats courses to fulfill requirements, I have the option to choose between taking the following courses from the Econ department or from the Stats department:

 

Econ:

1- Introductory Statistics for Economics.

2- Introductory Econometrics.

 

 

Stats:

1- Intro to probabilities.

2- Statistical Modelling.

 

 

I would rather take the stats department courses but if I do it's possible that there will be timetable conflicts in the following semesters and potentially causing me to stay for another term.

 

Which do you think is best to choose?

 

I'm planning to apply for an MA in econ and then do a PhD afterwards.

 

Thanks.

[CanadianEcon]

Course descriptions would help, but given you are planning on a MA, you should definitely take econometrics, especially if you are planning on doing it in Canada. The probability course would look good for a masters application also. And if you have to write any papers in your fourth year, econometric skills will be a huge help. But in general i try to take as many math/stats i reasonably can to beef up my masters application.

[behavingmyself]

Econometrics courses are usually narrowly tailored to the topics you need to know the most about as an economist. Additional statistics coursework is beneficial to students who have an interest in econometrics, but it generally shouldn't substitute for taking econometrics.

 

This is, of course, unless the econ faculty in your department feel that the statistics course aligns especially well with what economists need to know, or if they feel that the econometrics course is excessively watered down.

[CanadianEcon]

behavingmyself makes a good point, some smaller departments have really poor intro econometrics courses, in that case go for the statistics courses.