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I am just finishing my second year of university at University of Toronto, and lo, I have been struck with a mighty dillemma.

I am doing a double specialist in international relations and 'economics and political science'. Unfortunately, in part because of my economics courses, my CGPA 'fails to impress'. I'm still waiting for exams, but I expect to get about a 3.4 this year, and last year I got a 3.22.

In first year, my math mark (taken for economics) killed me - I bombed the exam and went from a B- to a D (my gpa excluding math would have been a 3.8). I actually did well in first year economics though...

This year, I've done well in my political science courses (3.85, 4th of 454 students in intro to IR). However I've been struck with B's in my economics courses (exams might extricate me, but that's unlikely).

The first problem is whether there is a problem. Are those sorts of marks bad enough to deny me access to decent graduate schools? University of Toronto has a reputation as a 'tough school' - they have a system that forces profs to justify high class averages, so there isn't grade inflation.

Further, if I were to apply to a graduate school international relations program, would it matter that I did poorly in some economics classes (I haven't done many of the more IR-oriented economics classes)?

Assuming there is a problem, what might you recommend... Would it be more advisable to 'slide' out of economics, doing the core courses, and some of the softer economics courses (eg. economic history, development economics, international economics - nothing quantitative)?
Would it be better to purge myself of economics?

For reference, I actually have enjoyed all of my economics courses (I hated math though), as well as my IR classes. In terms of career goals, I yearn for the gilded halls of academe (although working for the civil service - finance or foreign office... er... Canada's equivalent of the treasury and state departments - would be a enjoyable alternative).

By Syme (Syme) on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 11:59 am: Edit

bump