General
Applicants who have not
previously studied economics, or who have
studied
only a limited amount of economics, should apply for the
Diploma
in Economics. Subject to performance in the Diploma, they may
then
proceed if they wish to one of the MPhil degrees, thus achieving a
Master's
qualification after two years of study.
All applicants should
have attained or expect to attain the highest
undergraduate qualifications. Applicants from UK universities are
usually
expected to have a first class degree. Applicants from North American
institutions
should have attained or expect to attain a GPA of 3.7 out of 4 or its
equivalent.
Applicants from other educational systems should not apply unless they
are, or expect to be, within the top ten per cent of their reference
group.
Mathematics Requirements
A good mathematical background is essential for applicants to the
Diploma and under no circumstances would we consider applicants who do
not have A'level Mathematics grade A or the equivalent. You
must
already be familiar with all the following mathematical and statistical
concepts, before
starting the course.
Mathematics
Real numbers, sets and basic algebra. The use of graphs, the meaning
of continuity and limits. Rates of change. Differentiation, gradients,
extrema and approximations. Differentiation of functions
of more than
one
variable, partial and total derivatives. Unconstrained and equality
constrained
optimisation (Lagrange's Method). Integrals as areas, rules of
integration
(including "substitution" and "by parts"). Simple difference and
differential
equations.
Dinwiddy, Elementary
Mathematics for Economists
(Oxford University
Press) or Bradley and Patton Essential
Mathematics for Economics and
Business (Wiley) both cover
these topics well.
Probability &
Statistics
Elementary probability. The notion of a probability
distribution.
Location
and dispersion measures (mean and variance). Random samples and the
sampling
distribution of means and variances. Confidence intervals. Simple
hypothesis
testing. Correlation. Simple linear regression.
The probability and
statistics you need to know is covered in great
detail in the first twelve chapters of Mason, Lind and Marchal Statistical
Techniques in Business and Economics
10th Edition (McGraw Hill).
GRE Requirements
All applicants whose previous university training is from countries
outside
the UK must submit the results of a recent Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) General Test (applicants taking a London University external
degree
are
required to take a GRE test). The Faculty will not normally
consider admitting a
student whose score registers below the 80th percentile in the
quantitative
section and below the 50th percentile in the analytical writing section
of the test. The Faculty must receive the results of the GRE
General
Test by the due date for complete applications (see
How
and When to Apply).
Note: The
Faculty may request candidates from UK universities
to take the GRE General Test.
Details of registration
deadlines for this test, and of opportunities
to take the computer-based test can be sought from ETS, which
administers
the test. The GRE website
can be
accessed to order publications, try out sample questions and for
information
regarding test dates and locations. GRE Customer Service number:
+1-609-771-7670
GRE Fax number: +1-609-771-7906. Specific questions can be answered by e-mail
The University of
Cambridge Faculty of Economics institution code for
GRE is 2433
Details of entry for the
GRE test are often available within the candidate’s
home country, or can be obtained from:
Applications from
Europe:
CITO/GRE
P O Box 1109
6801 BC Arnhem
Netherlands |
Other
Applications:
GRE
Educational Testing Service
P O Box 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000 USA |
English Language
Qualifications
Please refer to the
University
Graduate Studies Prospectus for
further
details of language conditions.
