The following are some suggestions for undergraduate students in economics who may be interested in graduate studies in economics (master’s or PhD at NUS or elsewhere). Students preparing for graduate studies in economics should strike a balance between (i) mastering the concepts and intuitions that form the foundations of economics, (ii) gaining expertise in a subfield in which they are interested in, and (iii) developing the mathematical skills required to get into and do well in graduate school.

 

The following EC-coded courses would provide good preparation:

• EC3314 Mathematics for Economists

• EC4301 Microeconomic Analysis III

• EC4302 Macroeconomic Analysis III

• EC4303 Econometrics III

This is because most graduate programmes in economics require all students to read courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics that are more mathematical in nature than their undergraduate counterparts. These courses will provide you with the necessary foundation to handle graduate coursework.

MA-coded courses can also be useful for undergraduate students in economics. While taking MA courses is not necessary for graduate studies in economics, it often helps. Some types of mathematics are more useful for further studies in economics than others, and economics students might benefit from the courses below.

If you enjoy mathematics, you might consider taking a minor in Mathematics; some Engineering, Statistics, or Computer Science courses may also be relevant.

Note that all the MA courses below preclude EC2104 (but not EC3314). Hence, students that choose to take these MA-coded courses will not be able to take EC2104.

MA1100 Basic Discrete Mathematics

MA1100 is an introductory module that teaches students to write formal mathematical proofs, as well as basic logic (converse, inverse, contrapositive) and set theory.

MA2001 Linear Algebra I

Teaches the fundamentals of vectors and vector spaces, matrix operations, and linear systems of equations. These concepts are useful in econometrics and data analysis generally (programming languages economists often use, such as R and Python, handle data as vectors and matrices).  

MA2002 Calculus

This course introduces precise definitions of limit, continuity, derivative, and the Riemann integral.  Calculus is an essential tool economists use to solve many optimization problems.

MA2108 Mathematical Analysis I

This is probably the most important MA-coded course to take. You will learn how to construct proofs rigorously, in a way that is not emphasized in EC courses. This will make the first year of graduate school a lot easier. A good grade in a real analysis course is often seen as a strong signal in graduate applications.

This course has a prerequisite. Taking both MA1100 and MA2002 will satisfy it.

MA2116 Probability

Useful for all economists because many economic models and applications involve uncertainty. This is one of the more applied and less theoretical MA-coded courses.

MA3220 Ordinary Differential Equations

Especially useful for macro theorists but requires a multivariable calculus course (e.g., MA2104) in addition to MA2108.