[ccc18]

Hi

I've applied to study economics at degree level next year, which obviously includes lots of maths. However, I hate trigonometry and luckily from looking around it doesn't seem to feature in economics degrees.

Just to make sure, I'd like to ask people who either are doing economics degrees, have done economics degrees or are very knowledgeable about the specific content of such courses, is there any trigonometry at all in economics degrees? And if so, what sort of trigonometry is there? Will I ever have to differentiate or integrate trigonometric functions? Will I ever see the words sin, cos and tan?

Thanks in advance

[Speckle]

I'm a first year at Bath and the answer is yes to all those questions. It's not hard trig, all stuff you've done before but it's applied to new stuff. Can't speak for every uni though.

[Tateco]

(Original post by Speckle)
I'm a first year at Bath and the answer is yes to all those questions. It's not hard trig, all stuff you've done before but it's applied to new stuff. Can't speak for every uni though.

Is there lots of maths at Bath? What sort of level is it?

[Speckle]

(Original post by Tateco)
Is there lots of maths at Bath? What sort of level is it?

There's quite a lot. Semester 1 is a maths module and a stats module. Semester 2 is just a maths module. So year 1 = 30% maths. And there's actually a bit of maths in micro and macro through proofs and stuff.

Bath is a bSC though, if you are really against maths you might wanna go for a uni that offers a BA. I think bSC is respected more but that's just my opinion and I'm not an employer.

[Tateco]

(Original post by Speckle)
There's quite a lot. Semester 1 is a maths module and a stats module. Semester 2 is just a maths module. So year 1 = 30% maths. And there's actually a bit of maths in micro and macro through proofs and stuff.

Bath is a bSC though, if you are really against maths you might wanna go for a uni that offers a BA. I think bSC is respected more but that's just my opinion and I'm not an employer.

I want as much Maths as possible Are there lots of essays?

[Speckle]

(Original post by Tateco)
I want as much Maths as possible Are there lots of essays?

I do straight economics and I think there's 5 for me this year or around that number. Actually doing my 4th now haha. 1000 words to do by tomorrow midday.

My option has finance which had no essay but if you do politics or development option or something you'll probably have more.

[ccc18]

(Original post by Speckle)
I'm a first year at Bath and the answer is yes to all those questions. It's not hard trig, all stuff you've done before but it's applied to new stuff. Can't speak for every uni though.

Thanks for the reply. Can I ask what the trigonometry is used for? Because I can't see how trig could be applied to economics since it's basically about angles and lengths. Unless they're chucking in trigonometry just for the sake of it to test your maths tekkers?

[Speckle]

(Original post by ccc18)
Thanks for the reply. Can I ask what the trigonometry is used for? Because I can't see how trig could be applied to economics since it's basically about angles and lengths. Unless they're chucking in trigonometry just for the sake of it to test your maths tekkers?

its just a maths module so we haven't really applied it yet but its something to do with linear difference equations which is like differential stuff for discrete things (ye i dont know what that means either). you need it to solve some of the problems.

[Tateco]

(Original post by Speckle)
I do straight economics and I think there's 5 for me this year or around that number. Actually doing my 4th now haha. 1000 words to do by tomorrow midday.

My option has finance which had no essay but if you do politics or development option or something you'll probably have more.

Only 5 essays in the whole year? Just one more question Is the course hard work? Do you feel like you're challenged?

[Speckle]

(Original post by Tateco)
Only 5 essays in the whole year? Just one more question Is the course hard work? Do you feel like you're challenged?

It's quite challenging. A lot of new stuff but a lot of A level stuff at the same time to catch everyone up.

i thought 5 essays was quite a lot haha. thats 5 pieces of coursework. then you have to do 4 or 5 midterms and 4 or 5 end of semester exams.

[.ACS.]

(Original post by ccc18)
Thanks for the reply. Can I ask what the trigonometry is used for? Because I can't see how trig could be applied to economics since it's basically about angles and lengths. Unless they're chucking in trigonometry just for the sake of it to test your maths tekkers?

They may make use of it in econometrics.

[otu1987]

(Original post by ccc18)
Thanks for the reply. Can I ask what the trigonometry is used for? Because I can't see how trig could be applied to economics since it's basically about angles and lengths. Unless they're chucking in trigonometry just for the sake of it to test your maths tekkers?

In addition to what A.C.S said, if you do a particularly technical micro course you may come across applied trigonometry when covering the Separating Hyperplane Theorem as part of understanding the concept of Duality. This will most likely only be taught in your final year however.

[dreadnaut]

I think spectral analysis in time series might use it, Ive seen trig in one of my text books, but I don't think that is undergrad level, and if it is, it certainly will be a very specialist option.

Some theoretical proofs might use it. I remember seeing something trig-like here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow%E2%80%93Debreu_model

[Budgie]

(Original post by ccc18)
Hi

I've applied to study economics at degree level next year, which obviously includes lots of maths. However, I hate trigonometry and luckily from looking around it doesn't seem to feature in economics degrees.

Just to make sure, I'd like to ask people who either are doing economics degrees, have done economics degrees or are very knowledgeable about the specific content of such courses, is there any trigonometry at all in economics degrees? And if so, what sort of trigonometry is there? Will I ever have to differentiate or integrate trigonometric functions? Will I ever see the words sin, cos and tan?

Thanks in advance

It's unlikely that you'll see much trig. It might come up if you do a lot of Time Series econometrics. I am on my first year of an economics master's degree and I've barely touched trig since school.

I am like you - I hated trig and loved calculus, so economics was a good fit for me!

[kidoo]

(Original post by ccc18)
Hi

I've applied to study economics at degree level next year, which obviously includes lots of maths. However, I hate trigonometry and luckily from looking around it doesn't seem to feature in economics degrees.

Just to make sure, I'd like to ask people who either are doing economics degrees, have done economics degrees or are very knowledgeable about the specific content of such courses, is there any trigonometry at all in economics degrees? And if so, what sort of trigonometry is there? Will I ever have to differentiate or integrate trigonometric functions? Will I ever see the words sin, cos and tan?

Thanks in advance

If you can't do simple trig or at-least don't have the willpower to try and learn it then you should seriously reconsider doing a degree in economics.

Even if you do end up taking a non maths economics degree you will almost definitely need good maths skills in your graduate job, at which point HR will just give you the sack.

Seriously though, you're just delaying the inevitable...sum up some willpower and tackle the obstacle.

[.ACS.]

(Original post by Budgie)
It's unlikely that you'll see much trig. It might come up if you do a lot of Time Series econometrics. I am on my first year of an economics master's degree and I've barely touched trig since school.

It also depends on how theoretical your econometrics courses are. We used it a fair bit in the transformation of variables as it is easier to deal with if you convert your coordinate system from Cartesian to polar, which requires the use of trig.

Out of interest, where are your doing your Masters?

[Budgie]

(Original post by .ACS.)
It also depends on how theoretical your econometrics courses are. We used it a fair bit in the transformation of variables as it is easier to deal with if you convert your coordinate system from Cartesian to polar, which requires the use of trig.

Out of interest, where are your doing your Masters?

Oxford.

[ccc18]

(Original post by kidoo)
If you can't do simple trig or at-least don't have the willpower to try and learn it then you should seriously reconsider doing a degree in economics.

Even if you do end up taking a non maths economics degree you will almost definitely need good maths skills in your graduate job, at which point HR will just give you the sack.

Seriously though, you're just delaying the inevitable...sum up some willpower and tackle the obstacle.

Thanks again for all the responses, it seems like there may well be some trigonometry but not too much, which is good.

And kidoo I think you're going a bit far in saying I'm going to get sacked from my future job just because I don't like trig. Simple trig is fine, it's just I find more advanced trig a real chore. That doesn't mean I don't have the willpower to do it. I've been doing some of it already and if it has to be done in the future then it has to be done, I was just saying that I hope this is not the case as it is one of my least favourite areas of maths.

[.ACS.]

(Original post by ccc18)
Thanks again for all the responses, it seems like there may well be some trigonometry but not too much, which is good.

And kidoo I think you're going a bit far in saying I'm going to get sacked from my future job just because I don't like trig. Simple trig is fine, it's just I find more advanced trig a real chore. That doesn't mean I don't have the willpower to do it. I've been doing some of it already and if it has to be done in the future then it has to be done, I was just saying that I hope this is not the case as it is one of my least favourite areas of maths.

The thing is, the trig in A-Level Maths is pretty elementary. The same goes for the hyperbolic trig in the Further Pure modules. If you're struggling with it, or finding it a chore, it doesn't bode well for the more abstract pure maths you'll need in an economics degree.

But I guess the only recommendation would be to avoid all the harder econometric modules if you want to avoid trig. This would also mean you'll avoid most of the difficult maths required.

[*Hakz*]

(Original post by .ACS.)
The thing is, the trig in A-Level Maths is pretty elementary. The same goes for the hyperbolic trig in the Further Pure modules. If you're struggling with it, or finding it a chore, it doesn't bode well for the more abstract pure maths you'll need in an economics degree.

But I guess the only recommendation would be to avoid all the harder econometric modules if you want to avoid trig. This would also mean you'll avoid most of the difficult maths required.

I read you're a 2nd year econs student at Southampton!!!

Do you guys only do econometrics in your 2nd year or do you do the mathematical economics too?