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I'm a UK student, and in October I'll be starting my BA in History and Economics at Oxford. For those that are not familiar with the programme, I'll be able to take the same economics options as PPE and E&M students, but combining them with a few history courses rather than politics, philosophy or management. Although it's early, I have recently begun to consider an economics PhD, however I realise that my BA is not particularly quantitative. I'm hoping to apply to top 10-20 schools in the US, since funding is not so generous in the UK and the placement records of even the best programmes here aren't amazing. Would a good performance on a UK Master's programme at Oxbridge/LSE/UCL be sufficient to make up for my lack of maths background? What else could I do to demonstrate my quantitative skills? Thank you for your time :)

Not sure if this is the right place, but I'm currently a first year at a mid level PhD that does not offer a class on the topic. Im leaning towards a focus in macro theory, and curious about the topic of economic history, particularly macro models of the past 100 years. Does anyone know of a good History of Economic Thought textbook/ series of papers to read in my free time that might lead to an interesting perspective?

I would like to know if the Economic History Field is still active and which schools have Ph.D. students with EH specialization. I have done my research, finding 5 schools who publicly show their economic history specialization option (sadly top 20) but I'm unaware if admissions are open for candidates who want to specialize in that field. The reasoning is based on the lack of graduates from those institutes with an economic history field. Before anyone criticizes me or directs me to apply to LSE Economic History Ph.D., my central interest/research is Macroeconomics but economic history is a very crucial subject to all Economic courses (even Econometric) and I desire to research in that field as well. I refuse to apply to an institution that does not even have an Economic History course as a requirement for Ph.D. completion. I would love to go into more (possibly rant) but I will appreciate any help and/or tips.

Hi! I'd greatly appreciate any assessment of my chances of admission to an OB program. I have defined research interests (that are in the qualitative realm) and believe I can craft a cohesive narrative about my background. That said, I am curious as to how much my lack of direct experience in OB and/or quantitative research methods may hinder my odds. Undergrad GPA: Summa cum laude at top 30 university Undergrad major: History (received research awards and 1 publication). GRE: 164Q, 169V, 6AWA Work experience: I've spent the past 5+ years working in a sector directly related to the type of research I hope to do. My role provided significant exposure to relevant subject matter and involved thought leadership and conference presentations, but was not primarily a research role. LORS would be from undergraduate history professors and current manager.

A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college. Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position. This topic raises the question of whether a nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college. Indisputably, this would help regulate that all students enter university having studied the same topics. However, it is unreasonable for a single curriculum to be mandated unto all students, regardless of their individual needs. Therefore, I disagree with the statement--having the same national curriculum may be more harmful than helpful in regards to the needs of each student. First of all, the argument does not address what subjects will be included in the national curriculum. Will it include the basic skills such as math and science--and if so, to what extent? It is dubious whether all students will need to know the principles of organic chemistry or astrophysics, and those students who want to pursue such specific fields may not have access to those courses because of the restrictions that accompany such a strict curriculum. Similarly, a national curriculum raises questions relating to language classes--what language of instruction will be chosen to teach? Will there be a foreign language and who will be the one to make that decision? While most classes in the U.S. are taught in English, should English be the national language for instruction for other countries? While English is one of the more global languages and many countries are adopting it as a useful skill for its citizens to learn, there are many other countries who prefer to speak their own language for reasons cultural and social, among others. Moreover, it is likely that some of these smaller countries may lack teachers and faculty available to instruct in a language like English that is not often used for their daily purposes. Moreover, while many people will agree that history is fundamental to the future success of our nations, the topic of whose history will be taught is likely to be a more sensitive topic. American history books have been known to paint its own history in a way that looks favorably upon itself; however, many other nations do not see America in quite the same light. Reflecting briefly upon the tragedies of Pearl Harbor and the consequent Japanese internment camps that arose out of fear and xenophobia, specifically towards those of Japanese heritage, it is safe to say that promoting the U.S. as a great, faultless country is not an idea that Japanese education boards would hope to inculcate in its students. Undoubtedly, the discussion of whose history (and subsequently, those minority groups that are repeatedly overlooked in it) is likely to be a dissonant one that may result in impasse--it is too sore a subject. Lastly, schools should not overlook the needs of their individual students. For instance, is it imperative that students with special needs or disabilities learn under the same curriculum as their peers? Today, many of these students use a specialized curriculum so that individuals can learn at their own pace. To impose a standard national curriculum would be to ignore the needs of this group of students, and would likely garner disapproval from these individuals, their parents, and their current teachers who support this current approach to teaching. Overall, while a united curriculum may be helpful to a specific group of students limited to a specific region, imposing such a curriculum on the entire nation would be far-reaching, and even ignorant to the needs of the smaller minority groups of students. Therefore, nations should consider the needs of each and every student before proposing that a national curriculum is what is best for them.

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Hello... I am doing with scientific passages, but when it comes to American history and Literature I am finding it very difficult to digest the content of the passage. Even after more than 2 readings some passages are very difficult. I was think its better to develop a good affinity towards history and literature; and approach with a positive attitude. Please suggest me some American history and Literature material, books anything. Or if you can suggest me a better way to deal with these kind of passages its even good. I have my exam on Oct 19th 2010. Do you think there is enough time for practicing them. Thank you.