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Oxbridge: Postgrad economics without an economics degree.

Hey everyone,

I was looking in to this, I am currently study towards a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and am on track for a first.

http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/prospect/diploma/index.html
Firstly the Diploma in Economics, has anyone done this? Does anyone have any first hand infomation? How rigourous it is?
I know I can get in to this one with my degree and should get the first.

Also this one:
http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/mfebrochure/introduction.htm
This one doesn't mention any specific entry requirments that I can find, will I be able to get in on the degree I have?

They both look like courses I would consider perfect for me and would love to do and be over joyed to get in to.

(It has also always been a personal ambition of mine to study at oxbridge, sadly I didn't put enough effort in at A Level so only got A*A*B instead of the straight A* I was looking for. This might be my second chance!)

Thanks a bunch guys.
Jeester.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1
Diploma in Economics is like the last year of a Bachelor in Economics and works for someone who has never seen or has seen very few economics. It is used to be able to apply to the MPhil afterwards. In your case you would need to do this first.

The MFE in Oxford is for people with solid quantitative background (engineers, mathematicians, economists, etc) but not necessarily with economics background. As an engineer you may apply and have a chance.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 2
You should have a chance with both those courses. I seem to recall the Oxford MPhil in Economics also considers applicants with a quantitative background who have not majored in economics. This route would take you two years, but so will the Cambridge Diploma plus MPhil (assuming you actually want a master's qualification rather than just a diploma at the end of it).
Reply 3
The OP is talking about the Master of Science in Financial Economics in Said Business School, not the MPhil in Economics.
Reply 4
Original post by Econla
The OP is talking about the Master of Science in Financial Economics in Said Business School, not the MPhil in Economics.


I realise that....given the thread title I thought I would just mention another option. :smile:
Reply 5
Original post by sj27
I realise that....given the thread title I thought I would just mention another option. :smile:


Well in either case, as an engineer I think he has good odds for any of the three courses: Diploma, MFE and MPhil.

Now, grades are hugely important in Oxbridge and the rank among his peers.
Reply 6
Original post by Econla
Well in either case, as an engineer I think he has good odds for any of the three courses: Diploma, MFE and MPhil.

Now, grades are hugely important in Oxbridge and the rank among his peers.


Thanks for the help. Do you know anyone doing any of them?
Reply 7
Don't know anyone who has done the diploma at Cam. Know people who have done MPhils at both as well as the MFE, but all with economics backgrounds so not sure how helpful they might be?
hey does anybody know how important is GRE for Msc Economics of Development at Oxford? They have put me on re-evaluation till the next deadline... is that a good thing? I am an international student!
Reply 9
Hi everyone,

Please pardon me for stating my problems in others' thread, I don't want to flood our board with repeatedly same questions since my situation is likely the same as the OP's.

I'm also studying a non-Economics degree (Maths with Finance), heading towards a strong first and aiming for a master course in Economics or Financial Economics at the prestige like Oxbridge. However, I had done micro and introduction to econometrics at second year level, so if I take intermediate macro next year, would they help me stand on equal chance with those majored in econs?

Thanks a lot for your help :smile:
Reply 10
For a Msc in pure economics, you need at least intermediate micro and macro and intro to econometrics plus some statistic course (probabilities) plus multivariate calculus, matrix algebra and differential equations. If you don't have this you would need to do a diploma in economics first.
For a Msc in FE you just need introductory economics if any, but.......at least introductory calculus and better if you saw matrices and DE and still better if you took some finance courses.
Intermediate micro would be better for your purposes than intermediate macro for both cases. Inter micro use to be more mathematical rigorous than macro. Besides micro is the fundamental of macro :smile:
Reply 11
Original post by Jeester
Thanks for the help. Do you know anyone doing any of them?


Sorry but I don't. But if you look in the forum maybe you'll find someone.
Reply 12
Original post by clefty
Hi everyone,

Please pardon me for stating my problems in others' thread, I don't want to flood our board with repeatedly same questions since my situation is likely the same as the OP's.

I'm also studying a non-Economics degree (Maths with Finance), heading towards a strong first and aiming for a master course in Economics or Financial Economics at the prestige like Oxbridge. However, I had done micro and introduction to econometrics at second year level, so if I take intermediate macro next year, would they help me stand on equal chance with those majored in econs?

Thanks a lot for your help :smile:


You sound like a good MFE candidate to me!
Reply 13
Thanks guys. It seems that I don't need to cover intermediate macro if I apply for MFE, isn't it?

Still, as I have already covered all of the areas that Econla suggested except for intermediate macro, do you think that it's worth to take it instead of another finance module to strengthen my economics profile? Would the decrease in number of finance modules has any impact on my application.

Cheers.

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