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Hi all, I am a final year Economics and Philosophy student in the UK and I am planning to do a PhD at a top US institutions following my MSc in Europe. I got masters offers from the top European departments but I am afraid that my limited background in mathematics will prevent me from being top of my class and therefore being accepted to a good PhD. I was thinking about taking a gap year and doing a distance learning Mathematics diploma from LSE (Mathematics | University of London) in order to improve my maths background. Do you think taking the diploma will improve my chances for the PhD? Following the diploma, would you recommend me going to CEMFI or LSE MSc Econ?

This is my third post here. You guys have been very helpful so far so thanks a lot. I hold a physics degree from a British university and I want to apply for masters programs. I'm currently doing a one-year Graduate Diploma in Economics which has some intermediate-level economics courses. My concern is that I will not have any grades for my diploma courses before August 2018. So if I apply now, my application will be judged purely on the basis of my physics and maths grades in my undergrad. On top of that, my references will all be from physics professors. I haven't even contacted them yet and they have no idea that I have planned on jumping ship to economics. They'll probably write very weak letters since they won't have anything concrete to say about my ability to do well in economics, except that I'm good with maths. Do you think I should wait a year before applying for masters so that I have the grades for my diploma? If not, what are some good masters programs in Europe, US or Canada which aren't that competitive and are likely to accept me?

Hi guys, I am a final year (3rd year) undergraduate math major. I am graduating in July 2015. I am currently taking the following courses: 1.Lebesgue Measure and Integral, 2.Fluid Dynamics, 3.Functional Analysis(graduate level) 4. Applied Probability. Never took an economics course. but my aim is an Economics PhD. I am planning to do a Graduate Diploma in Economics in UK. possible destination are 1. Essex 2. Bristol 3. Warwick. Is a Graduate Diploma a waste of time? Or is it better to apply to 2 year Master Economics program in Europe ? Can you suggest some good 2 year European Master Economics programs which accept students with my background? Thanks for your advice!

I would be starting with college in a short while. I am more interested in the entrepreneurial side of business ( but I would like to have knowledge of the technical side ) and after doing a lot of research I chose philosophy honours with a minor in math( actually it's different than a minor as it is intensive itself and can enable me to pursue a math masters.) UG course Structure 20 papers in philosophy 6 papers in math( calculus, linear algebra, Differential Equations and Mathematical Modelling,Numerical Methods, Real Analysis, Abstract Algebra) 2 papers in economics ( game theory, financial economics) 2 papers in Stats ( stats in finance, actuarial stats) I chose philosophy partly out of genuine love for some of it's themes but my main reason for choosing it was that the skills that it provides are invaluable in the business world. Anyways after my graduation I plan on enrolling in programmes like Cambridge's 1 year diploma for non-eco graduates which compresses a 3 yr degree into 1 tear and can also be used to pursue a masters in economics. I would like to know your opinions about the viablity of my plan in the long run and the challenges that i would have to face. Thanks a lot.

I have completed my B.Com from Mumbai University and would like to pursue a PhD Programme from a US University. Since my major is not Economics, I was thinking of taking the diploma in Economics from LSE via distance learning. How valuable is this diploma in US? I am also currently doing my Chartered Accountancy. I Will be a Chartered Accountant in an year. (If I clear my final exam) Assuming I get a decent GRE score and complete both the diploma from LSE and Chartered Accountancy, would I be able to get into a top PhD programme in USA? Any answer is most welcome.

Hello everyone, I'm currently studying for a BA in History at Oxford, having got a 1.1 in my first year exams and predicted the same for finals. I've been thinking about the 2 year economics diploma and then masters, but my concern is that there is almost no quantative element to my degree and that I won't get a place on a very good course. I know that SOAS take students with no degree level maths, but I've also heard that their teaching isn't amazing. Ideally I'd be thinking about somewhere like Cambridge or LSE. I have A Level Maths and Physics at Grade A, but I'm not sure if this is enough. I have thought about doing the LSE summer school in preparation but its very expensive. Are there any humanities or social sciences students who have been successful in their applications for economics diplomas - at any institution - and how are they finding their courses?