Required Econ classes - an online solution?

[ChiefKreuz]

Hey everyone, quick question regarding the requried Micro and Macro econ classes I have been seeing for a lot of school's International Relations and similiar programs.  I took Macro while in undergrad and am now regretting not having gotten Micro out of the way as well.   I haven't taken any classes since completing undergrad (graduated in 2010) so the whole concept of boosting my transcript now is very foreign to me. 

 

I noticed on a similiar thread that any old community college would seem to suffice, is this true?  Would prospective grad schools care where I got the micro credit taken care of?   Would the new coufse, if taken at a different school, affect my gpa?  Some grad schools that I've been looking at require this both econ courses, while others just recommend it.   Would I for sure be helping my chances of acceptance by taking the time and completing an online course? 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[flyingjellyfish]

I took macro and micro econ at my local community college. It was a really affordable and SAIS did accept both courses for its econ pre-reqs. In retrospect, I feel that in some ways taking them this way strengthened my applications, because I took them while working fulltime and doing my other volunteer activities. And I graduated back in 2009, so econ is definitely the freshest thing on my academic record. I'm sure taking them back in undergrad would have been good too, perhaps better since those courses were more rigorous, but I chose to wait to take them later and didn't see any negative consequence from that decision!

All of the programs I applied to emphasized the importance of a quantitative background so I think taking them was worth it overall to make me more competitive. Though I initially took the courses knowing that SAIS in particular requires them.

In terms of GPA, you'll get a separate transcript from the online course/CC so it will not factor into your undergrad GPA. You'll just provide the programs you apply to with that separate transcript in your applications. I found the courses I took useful for learning the basics of econ, but found the grading very easy. A's in both with no stress.

I hope this helps!

[DaniCM]

I didn't take macro or micro in undergrad. I didn't have to for my degree and they were known in my school as GPA killers.

 

When applying for grad school, I saw many schools, as you said, either required them or suggested them, along with emphasizing overall quantitative skills. I took macro and micro online through a community college. They were a breeze, but I actually did learn a few things, and know it's fresh in my head for the fall. Even though the class was online, I didn't have any trouble getting my credits accepted. I also thinking being proactive and taking these courses prior to be admitted demonstrated how serious and committed I was to grad school.

 

Definitely take some classes at a community college. They're cheap, easy, and bolster your grad school apps!

[graduate2013]

Where did you take the online class?

[DaniCM]

You should do it at your local community college, as you'll get the in-state tuition rate. I live in VA, so I went to Norther Virginia Community College for my classes.

[rudy2012]

I just did this at a community college. What do you guys think if I end up getting a B instead of an A? Does that look bad? I am pissed because I think I got an 89 but there are no pluses, so it will just show up on a transcript as a plain old B.