MA in Economics
Note: Applicants who are interested in a stand-alone MA program are encouraged to apply to the MA in Applied Economics program. More information is available on the Department of Economics website.
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended in the last eight years must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:
- Baccalaureate Field Applicants must have a BA or BS to matriculate, but an undergraduate degree in economics is not required. Prior academic work should include three semesters of calculus, as well as linear algebra, statistics, intermediate microeconomic theory, and intermediate macroeconomic theory.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
- Tests Required GRE
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
- Letters of Recommendation Three letters are required.
- Personal Statement and Resume/CV A personal statement and resume/CV are required.
- Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Department of Economics website.
Degree Requirements
In addition to Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 40.
- Course Work At least 32 hours must be in economics, of which at least 28 hours must be at the 500 level, excluding ECON 596 and ECON 598. No more than 12 hours total of ECON 596 and ECON 598 may be applied to the degree. ECON 481, ECON 482, ECON 501, ECON 502, ECON 503, ECON 505, ECON 506, ECON 507, ECON 508, ECON 520 and ECON 599 cannot be used to satisfy any MA requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Microeconomic Theory I a | ||
| Microeconomic Theory II a | ||
| Macroeconomic Theory I a | ||
| Macroeconomic Theory II a | ||
| Econometrics I | ||
| Econometrics II | ||
- a
Students must complete ECON 509, ECON 510, ECON 511, and ECON 512 with a GPA of at least 3.00/4.00 in these four courses. Credit will be given for, at most, one grade of C in any of these courses.
- Comprehensive Examination None.
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Thesis or course work only. No other options are available.
- Thesis: No more than 8 hours of ECON 598 can be applied to the degree.
- Course Work Only: Students who do not write a thesis must enroll in two elective courses in economics, one of which must be at the 500 level.
Interdepartmental Concentrations
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: