Economics (M.A.)
Admission Requirements
Admission to this program is contingent on admission to the Graduate School. Applicants to this program must hold a bachelor’s degree, with an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 for regular admission. Exceptions may be authorized only by the Department’s Admissions Committee. Consistent with Graduate School requirements, international applicants must demonstrate English proficiency by obtaining a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or other test acceptable to the Graduate School.
Applicants are expected to have completed the following courses or their equivalents as undergraduate or post-bachelor students:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 5000 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 5050 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 5100 | Introductory Statistics and Econometrics | 4 |
MAT 2010 or a similar introductory course in differential and integral calculus provides minimal mathematics requirements. Additional courses in calculus and linear algebra are desirable although not required.
Program Requirements
Thirty-two graduate credits are required. Although the University offers various plans for M.A. degrees, the Department of Economics offers the Master of Arts degree under Plan C only, as described below.
For the M.A. Program, students must take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theory Core | ||
| Take as early in the program as possible | ||
| ECO 6000 | Price and Allocation Theory | 4 |
| ECO 6050 | Macroeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 6100 | Introduction to Econometrics | 4 |
| Sequence Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 8 | |
| Macroeconomic Theory I and Macroeconomic Theory II | ||
| Microeconomic Theory I and Microeconomic Theory II | ||
| Econometrics I and Econometrics II | ||
| Industrial Organization I and Industrial Organization II | ||
ECO 7300 & ECO 7310 | and | |
| Labor Economics and Human Resources and Economics of Human Resources | ||
| Economics of Health Care I and Economics of Health Care II | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
| Three 6000- or 7000-level courses | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
Students who concentrate in fields other than Health Economics or Industrial Organization must have taken a full year of calculus, at a minimum. In addition, the permission of the M.A. Director and the instructor is required. Neither a thesis nor an essay is required. Three written examinations are required. Students must pass written exams covering the microeconomics and macroeconomics core courses and a written exam covering their 7000 level concentration.
Students should file a Plan of Work with the M.A. Director as soon as possible after being admitted to the M.A. Program. A Plan of Work developed early helps students make sure that they take courses in the right order and complete their program quickly and efficiently.
Candidacy: The Graduate School does not authorize candidacy unless the applicant's grade point average is 3.0 or better. To be eligible for candidacy, the student must also file a Plan of Work, approved by the master's program advisor, with the graduate officer of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The M.A. Director requires all M.A. students to file a Plan of Work by the end of the first semester in the Economics M.A. program. The Graduate School does not allow M.A. students to register if a Plan of Work has not been filed by the time twelve graduate credits have been earned.
Academic Scholarship: All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.