(How) Do Prerequisites Matter? Analysis of Intermediate Microeconomics and Agricultural Economics Grades

Abstract

Success in intermediate economics and agricultural economics classes with respect to course prerequisites was evaluated. Prerequisites were statistically important for both intermediate microeconomics andin two of the three agricultural economics courses evaluated. The primary finding was that—for three of the four courses evaluated—the higher the proportion of students who completedthe listed prerequisite, ceteris paribus, the lower the grade for any given student. Results also indicate that students with higher ex ante GPAs, andto some extent higher math equivalent SAT scores, received higher grades.