Yo guys, I’d really like some advice on how to best position myself for a Master’s in Economics (ideally Applied Economics or Environmental Economics).
I’m currently studying at a foreign university that follows an American style liberal arts system, which gives me a lot of flexibility in choosing my major, adding minors, and taking courses across different disciplines. The challenge is that my university doesn’t offer an Economics major, and in my country there’s only one good program that does (which I was recently rejected from😢) so I’m trying to build the strongest possible alternative path.
My university is particularly well known for computer science, renewable energy, and business administration, and it also has exchange agreements with very prestigious institutions like Harvard, Oxford, UChicago, and many others worldwide, with the possibility for me to study abroad for one or two semesters with funding support.
Right now I’m hesitating between A LOT of directions. -One option is majoring in computer science to build a strong quantitative and analytical foundation (which I think I really need since we don’t have econometrics here), while adding a BBA minor to cover introductory micro and macroeconomics, plus possibly taking intermediate courses as electives.
-Another option would be going for a BBA major and complementing it with math or computer science, though I’m concerned that the economics content there remains relatively introductory and the Math pretty mid.
-I’m also considering renewable energy because of my interest in environmental economics, but I’m unsure whether that path would give me enough mathematical rigor for competitive graduate programs.
-There’s also general engineering, which would give me strong analytical skills, but it involves quite a bit of physics and chemistry, which I’m less interested in.
PS: applied math is just a minor and can’t be taken as a major.
Given all that, I’m trying to understand what matters most for admission into strong economics master’s programs: is it more important to have good economics coursework, or to demonstrate strong math skills through something like computer science or engineering? I’m also wondering whether a more specialized background like renewable energy could be a disadvantage if I later pivot fully into economics, especially environmental economics.
FINALLY (sorry that was a long post), since I have the opportunity to study abroad at top universities, I’d love to know which destinations would be the most strategic for someone in my position trying to maximize their chances for graduate admissions in economics.
THANKS!