Johnny Jack

There might be a lower analysis course you could take as well. One program I've seen has real analysis as a 6000-level class and an intro analysis class as a 5000-level prereq. That might be another good alternative if you have that offering as it will still be a graduate class and will be a direct preparation for real if you can take it in the spring. I know you said it's not offered again before you graduate, but check with the math department and perhaps take it elsewhere as a transient.

I would also say in regards to your second point that you should not be in a rush to take advanced classes, even if you can place out of them. I recommend taking the intro econ courses and perhaps even some math that you took in high school. Although it might seem redundant, it's important to have a strong grasp on the fundamentals before moving on.

In response to the last two posts, perhaps this quote applies to me as well, written in another thread by the poster immediately above this post: I'll keep in mind the comments above as I go forth. I believe the additional math will likely help me in my future regardless of what I choose to do. Thanks to all for your time and input.

For the math, it seems like Calc 2 is a pre-req for everything else above it, including linear algebra. I alas did not take econometrics as a BA, so that's why I mentioned Stata in my OP. I'll definitely hit the quant hard. I've been studying vocab, although it seems that econ programs (at least orthodox) don't seem to care much, if at all about verbal. I'll also be sure to look at R some. Alas, that is true too. I originally graduated and went into the corporate world as I thought it would be lucrative and the GPA wouldn't matter, and while these points were both true to an extent, I absolutely hated it. Reading about economics is something I really enjoy, but my undergrad grades were mediocre at best. I could post the full profile if you like, but basically it was all over the board, and not any particular group of classes. My major GPAs for economics, political science, and core GPA were all about the same as well. I used "heterodox program" a bit loosely - some faculty had heterodox views, like one Post-Keynesian and a few sort-of Austrians, but the intro classes were mostly Neoclassical and much of the content above that was as well. I took AP Micro in high school, and of course that was the same way. This might be a bit tangential, but this is a good article that talks about libertarian socialism: An Anarchist FAQ - I.1 Isn't libertarian socialism an oxymoron? | Infoshop.org I might be too heterodox even for the heterodox schools :dejected: Hopefully they still see the libertarian aspects of my thesis and not the left/right dichotomy. Of course, I would use undergrad professors. There was one economics professor I had a good rapport with, who was also an excellent instructor. I also plan to have a poli sci professor write the other one, who is also well regarded and could speak to my strengths.

Thanks for the advice. I came across this forum last night and noticed it had a lot of activity and good advice, but I'll keep that in mind for heterodox programs. I came from a heterodox undergrad program and along with my extracurricular activities I developed a distaste for the standard neoclassical curriculum, so I want to find a graduate program that will cater to a different direction for my studies and dissertation. I know someone at George Mason that told me I was on the right track, and I may email their faculty as well.

I'm a recent graduate of a US private university with a BA in international economics and political science (double major). I had a 3.1 GPA and did not take much math - an applied calculus class and elementary statistics. I started taking math classes at a community college this January and learned then that to take Calc 1 I needed to start with college algebra. I did that and trigonometry in consecutive 8-week classes and earned As in both, along with the stats class I took one summer a few years ago. I will take precal this summer and Cal I in the fall, then Cal II the next spring. My hope is that it will be enough for Econ PhD admissions for Fall 2016, and then I can take additional math as needed once I'm there. I will also take the GRE later this year and perhaps even buy a copy of Stata to practice on. Does this sound like a good plan? I am passionate about economics, and found out after graduation that big corporation life wasn't for me. I'm particularly interested in mutualism and other left-libertarian economic schools of thought such as anarcho-syndicalism (think Noam Chomsky). My preferred school is George Mason for their Austrian and free-market leanings, which is more right-wing than I will be but will still have faculty who can challenge me and improve my work. Thanks for the help. I can provide more info if need be.