Graduate Programs

Economics

Degree Offered:
Master of Science in Economics, M.S.

Coordinator: Ronald A. Madsen

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ECONOMICS

The Master of Science degree program in Economics is designed to develop understanding of advanced economic theory and strong econometric and forecasting skills. Students who complete this program are prepared for staff and management positions that require the integration of economic analysis and advanced quantitative methods in the public or private sector, to teach at the community college level, or to pursue additional graduate education leading to the Ph.D. degree in Economics.

Minor in Operations Research. The Department of Economics also participates in the program leading to an interdisciplinary graduate minor in Operations Research. See Operations Research Section of this Catalog for complete information and program requirements.

Additional Requirements for Admission into Economics. In addition to the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the following are required for graduate study in Economics:

  1. Undergraduate coursework that includes: Calculus, Statistics (or Econometrics), Intermediate Macro-economic Theory, Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, and Mathematical Economics. (Students missing some of these courses can be admitted conditionally.)
  2. A satisfactory score on the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination. The Graduate Management Aptitude Test may be substituted for the GRE with the permission of the program coordinator.
Degree Requirements. The program leading to the Master of Science degree in Economics requires at least 30 hours of graduate credit, with a maximum of six hours of transfer credit accepted from an accredited institution. (Credit applied toward an awarded graduate degree will not be accepted as transfer credit.) Courses taken at other accredited institutions after enrollment may receive residence credit if approved by the department and the Dean of the Graduate School. At least half of the credit hours applied toward the degree must be in courses open only to graduate students. No more than two Cs are permitted in the program and at least 18 semester hours must be completed before admission to candidacy. A GPA of at least 3.0 is required to graduate. The program is organized into three curriculum components: (1) a core curriculum in economic theory, econometrics, and forecasting; (2) an individualized curriculum of interrelated coursework; and (3) a research project tailored to the needs of terminal master's students or a thesis for students considering doctoral study in economics.

Core Curriculum 

ECON 6201.   Advanced Macroeconomic Theory (3G)
ECON 6202.   Advanced Microeconomic Theory (3G)
ECON 6112.   Graduate Econometrics (3G)
ECON 6218.   Advanced Business and Economic Forecasting (3G)
In addition, students who choose to complete a thesis must successfully complete ECON 6999 (Master's Thesis), while students enrolled in the non-thesis option must complete ECON 6901 and ECON 6902 (Research Methods I and Research Methods II).

Individualized Curriculum

The purpose of the individualized curriculum is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire specialized theoretical skills related to their areas of interest and expertise. Elective fields of interest could include monetary policy, finance and banking, international trade and international finance, economic analysis for business decision making, urban economics, or economic and business forecasting. The program also permits the development of individualized specializations in areas that are complementary to economic theory and analysis.

Assistantships. A number of graduate assistantships are available each year. To be fully competitive, applications must be submitted by March 15. Further information is available in the Economics Department.

In-State and Out-of-State Tuition Waivers. A very limited number of tuition waivers are made available each year. These waivers are competitively awarded using the same application required for assistantships.

[Graduate Programs]