phoenixboat Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Hi all! I have been admitted into these two master programs: 1. U of Chicago, Master of Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods, 15 months 2. University of Wisconsin-Madison, MS in Econ, 2 years(could be shortened to 1.5 years) I am having several questions regarding them so I am really looking forward to hearing your comments and advice. PROFILE: Type of Undergrad: top 15 in Econ&Finance in China(an estimate) Undergrad GPA: 89/100 GRE: V153, Q170, AW4 Math Courses: Calculus I(A), Calculus II©, Linear Algebra(B), Probability and Statistics(A), Statistics(A+). Econ Courses (undergrad-level):Intermediate Micro(B), Macro(B+), Econometrics(A+), International Trade(B), Environmental Economics(A), International Finance(B+) Research Experience: One semester in macro workshop, mostly reading papers on macro and monetary topics. Research Interests: Macro and monetary economics, the interplay of the financial markets and macroeconomy Below are the comparisons of the two. Chicago macrm: would be taking phd-level courses with phd students at Harris School of Public Policy; hands-on research experience; chances to work with faculty in econ department and booth(still evolving); no additional math course on transcript when applying; about 20 students Wisconsin: could take math courses; taught by econ faculty(they are arranging great professors to teach); not easy to find research assistance according to students there; about 50 students Questions: 1. Can someone comment on the phd-level courses at Harris and compare them with the master courses at Wisconsin? It seems that Wisconsin is more stressed on econometrics while Harris is stressed on the political economy and the combination of courses and research practice. 2. How would you compare the rec letters from econ department at UWisc and from Harris at Uchicago if we presume they are both strong or both ordinary? 3. Is research experience much more important than math courses? As I only have five math courses in my undergrad, which is a better option? Thank you a lot in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thagzone Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 What are your eventual goals? I assume you'd like to shoot for PhD programs in economics after either of these programs. If so, what range of schools are you hoping to target? A little more information about your academic and career aspirations could be helpful in order for people here to evaluate your two options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixboat Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 What are your eventual goals? I assume you'd like to shoot for PhD programs in economics after either of these programs. If so, what range of schools are you hoping to target? A little more information about your academic and career aspirations could be helpful in order for people here to evaluate your two options. Yes, I'd love to pursue economics PhD programs afterward. Sorry I forgot to write this in the beginning. I am not sure what range I should target, though. But I'd definitely love to fight for higher programs if there is a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixboat Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 I think I'll have to push up this thread a bit:) As I am planning to apply for scholarships which have very close deadline, it would be very great to hear some more information and opinions about Harris and the questions I raised above. Any comment is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Econhead Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 This isn't the type of thread that I would normally post in, so take this with a grain of salt. There's nothing that I've seen on this forum that would indicate that a Master's in public policy, even from Chicago, would trump a master's in Econ from a well ranked institution. There's no public information on wisconsin's Master's placements (as far as I know), since I think this is their first year placing students into Ph.D programs. However, you can contact them and inquire. I'd be shocked, though, if they were not better than the Chicago public policy placement (into econ Ph.D programs) by at least one tier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trifecta Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 If your goal is an econ PhD program, it seems like the UW program might be a better choice. It being 2 years will allow you to get the first year under your belt before you apply to PhD programs without having to have a gap year. If you have to apply during the first year, particularly from an MPP, I'm not sure what you would be gaining from just having applied directly to PhD programs now. You are going to need multivariate calculus (if your two calculus courses didn't cover it) and want some of sort of introduction to proof-based math, even if it is a course below the level of real analysis. It sounds like the MPP program won't give you the flexibility to take additional math, so I think this is another feather in the UW cap. Just my 2 cents, good luck with your decision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marzian Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Hi, did you finally make a decision? I got accepted into Harris MACRM and is waiting for MA Econ decision from Duke/NYU and I would love to hear about your experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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