Does econ and management at Oxford involve enough maths?

I’ve been looking to apply for econ and management at Oxford because they don’t do a pure econ degree but i’m not sure if it has enough maths in it for me because although i’m interested in econ as a whole i like the maths part too? i’m also going to apply to lse for the joint econ and maths degree too but i was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts?

Reply 1

BenRyan99

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by tildaox

If you're wanting a quantitative economics degree, are applying to courses like LSE's maths and economics, and given one can only apply to Oxford or Cambridge, surely it makes sense to focus on the latter's economics course instead given it's more mathematically rigorous?

Reply 2

tildaox

Original post by BenRyan99

i have definitely thought about that and i’m just very indecisive because then i think well maybe i don’t want too much maths hahaha. also i really like oxford in terms of every other aspect over cambridge and i have now looked into the modules of the oxford degree and they do interest me and look flexible for if you want maths based or essay based. i’m going to have to give it a lot of thought

Reply 3

sfp04

Oxford undergraduate economics has definitely got more mathematically rigorous in recent years (the emphasis in exams has shifted from essays to more problem-based questions, and probability and stats is now a third of the first year course), but the maths element is probably still not that challenging if you’re highly mathematically able, at least until third year.

The maths in the core micro and macro papers in first and second year is definitely not very difficult at all; largely just pretty simple differentiation and some infinite series (the hardest stuff is probably constrained optimisation/Lagrangians, which, while you won’t be familiar with it from school, is mostly just mechanical once you get the hang of it). As mentioned, there’s a probability and stats element to the first year course, but this is not very advanced; it’s basically all stuff you’ll be familiar with if you did the stats papers in further maths A level, and is widely viewed as providing the easiest marks on the prelims paper.

The first year probability and stats content is extended considerably in the second year quantitative economics paper, and then in third year, there are three ‘technical’ option papers: econometrics, micro analysis, and game theory. So, if you want to, you can certainly pick a pretty mathematically-focused set of finals papers.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

tildaox

Original post by sfp04

Oxford undergraduate economics has definitely got more mathematically rigorous in recent years (the emphasis in exams has shifted from essays to more problem-based questions, and probability and stats is now a third of the first year course), but the maths element is probably still not that challenging if you’re highly mathematically able, at least until third year.
The maths in the core micro and macro papers in first and second year is definitely not very difficult at all; largely just pretty simple differentiation and some infinite series (the hardest stuff is probably constrained optimisation/Langrangeans, which, while you won’t be familiar with it from school, is mostly just mechanical once you get the hang of it). As mentioned, there’s a probability and stats element to the first year course, but this is not very advanced; it’s basically all stuff you’ll be familiar with if you did the stats papers in further maths A level, and is widely viewed as providing the easiest marks on the prelims paper.
The first year probability and stats content is extended considerably in the second year quantitative economics paper, and then in third year, there are three ‘technical’ option papers: econometrics, micro analysis, and game theory. So, if you want to, you can certainly pick a pretty mathematically-focused set of finals papers.

thank you so much! yes i’m def gonna do the stats paper in fm

Reply 5

Stiffy Byng

Original post by tildaox

My nephew read Economics and Management at Exeter College, Oxford. He left two years ago and obtained a job at a well known investment bank in London. It's quite a Quanty job. He is not a full-on megageek Quant, as those people tend to have postgraduate maths degrees, but nor is he just a "how far can you throw a phone?" shouty trader. He tells me that his studies were quite mathsy. But he also says to read lots of Adam Smith!