Calculus or Statistics or both for 4th high school math if heading into Economics?

[teeterbunch]

My son is a junior this year and is taking pre-calculus/trig.  He is planning to major in Economics.  I think he would most enjoy a year long AP Statistics class next year, however, I don't know if he "needs" calculus on his transcript.  Another option is to take a semester of Calculus followed by a semester of Statistics at our local community college.  Advice??

 

Ashley

[In The Great White North]

I would think an econ major would need calculus based statistics, so I would recommend calculus.  I recommend retaking both in college, whatever you decide..

[Guest2]

I second calculus . If there would be time for both, that would be terrific. My son is an Econ major and had to take a buisness calculus his first semester. I believe he said that even if he wasnt double majoring in Math, you need a strong math background for econometrics( I am Math illiterate, so I am not sure if this means calc would be the most helpful..but thought I would tell you for your own research:)

HTH

[Bootsie]

Do you know if he is planning on majoring in economics taught out of a business school or out of a liberal arts school?  He may not need calculus on his transcript for admission, but he is going to need calculus at some point.  

[Elisabet1]

Calculus if you only can do one. Both if you can.

[MarkT]

I seriously doubt he needs Calc on his transcript 

 

 Is your student more interested in the qualitative or quantitative aspects of Economics?

 

for quants take the Calculus now

[MBM]

You will want to see what prospective colleges/econ programs want. My son, a high school senior, plans to major in economics and the program he hopes to get into requires at least a year of calculus in high school, preferably AP Calc BC with a high score. Those without it can apply their sophomore year, though, because they recognize that calc isn't always available to high schoolers.

 

Statistics would be good to take, too.

 

My vote is to try to take both. :)

[kiana]

+1 for both if possible.

 

Economics frequently requires their own statistics course -- that is, it is taught in the econ department -- so he may not be able to place out of it even with AP. However, prior exposure is very useful. Someone who's potentially looking at graduate school for economics should take calculus while someone who is not can almost everywhere take a "calculus for business and social sciences" course instead, so if graduate school is even a vague possibility I would take the calculus now while the algebra and trig skills are sharp and fresh.

 

Another option could be to dual enroll for business calculus in the fall and a stats course in the spring (make sure it transfers to any potential schools -- that is why I put stats in the spring). That way he could have his college math requirement already completed if he did not choose to do the pre-grad-school option, and even if he did, the prior exposure to calculus concepts would help.

 

Business calculus is very light on theory and heavy on practical applications.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I think I would base my decision on what is needed to gain admission to the schools the student is considering rather than what is needed for an econ major- they will take care of that in the requirements for the major.