Should I let maths stop me from doing an Economics degree?

I am doing my A2 levels and I have applied for the international business course at some of my unis and have been accepted however, i am considering Economics as i feel i am stronger in that area. (Achieved a B in Business in my AS and an A in economics)

The universities said i can switch courses however am wondering whether the amount of maths required will make me struggle? will i be disadvantaged as i have not studied A-Level Maths and only got a B at GCSE?

Reply 1

User4574

Undergraduate economics at a good uni contains a lot of maths so don't even consider switching if you dislike maths. If you haven't done the A level you are putting yourself at a disadvantage, even ignoring how it may affect your offers, you're going to have a very steep learning curve. Maths is the language of economics so fluency is somewhat essential.

That said, if you are really passionate about economics then you might be willing to put in the work and some unis will offer summer pre-sessional courses in maths. However, I would consider very carefully whether you want to undertake that commitment. Business and economics are radically different disciplines so if you were drawn to business in the first place then you might not even enjoy studying undergrad economics. Whatever you do, don't base the decision on your AS grades. There's not a big difference between your two grades and AS economics is a very poor reflection of the subject at university level. To cut a long story short, consider what it is you really want to do at uni and do that, but if it's economics then understand that you are going to need to learn maths and stats quickly and well.

Reply 2

sydneybridge

Most Universities wont consider you for Economics without Maths A level.
They will consider you without Economics A level - because many schools dont offer it - but without Maths (and therefore a demonstrable interest in Maths) you will struggle to get a place - and more importantly you will struggle with the work on the course.

See : http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Economics_Degree

Reply 3

MagicNMedicine

You have to check with the university itself. Different universities have different types of curriculum, some are very mathematically based courses where there's a lot of doing proofs from first principles (students that do these type of courses are very active in proclaiming the superiority of these courses), but you can do undergraduate level economics courses that teach you the core principles and only do the amount of maths that is essential to understanding that. You won't be able to do economics that has no maths whatsoever but you can get by core undergraduate level micro and macro with around A level standard calculus, statistics, indices, algebra, logarthims, matrices etc so it is do-able for somebody with GCSE. You just have to check with the university itself. If they will let you do it, then you will be fine.

Reply 4

puffyisgood

If you had to put in a reasonable amount of effort to get that B at GCSE, i.e. you only have about average maths abilities, then my guess is that even a mid-tier undergraduate economics program wouldn't be for you unless it's avowedly towards the softer end of the spectrum, e.g. perhaps a joint honours, economics with economic history or something

If you consider yourself to have a strong aptitude for maths but just chose to drop it after GCSEs for whatever reason [e.g. more interested in other stuff] then many programs [not all, for some A level maths or equivalent is non-negotiable] will let you on & offer catchup type modules aimed at people with your background.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 5

hvpp1ness

I've applied for Economics and Politics without AS/Alevel maths :smile:

If you enjoy economics and are clearly good at it then you should go for it!

Sent my application of just before Christmas but so far have an offer from Uni of Manchester