Requirements

 Admission

• A bachelor’s degree (not necessarily in economics) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher
• Calculus course
• Linear Algebra
• Statistics course
• Intermediate microeconomic theory
• Intermediate macroeconomic theory
• GRE
• TOEFL (for applicants whose native language is not English.)

Degree

Each student must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

• Credit and Thesis Requirement: All students are required to finish a minimum of 30 credit hours towards the degree. The particular requirements differ depending on whether a student takes the Thesis Option.

• 1.1 Credit and Thesis Requirement: Thesis Option
  • Each master’s degree student choosing the thesis option is required to prepare a thesis acceptable to his/her advisory committee and the Graduate School. The major purpose of this requirement is to give the student directed experience in conducting independent research in the field of applied economics. Students electing this option must take a minimum of 24 of their 30 required credit hours in letter-graded (not pass/fail) courses, 18 credit hours of which must be at the 500 level, and up to 6 credits of non-graduate credit (400 level) may be used, with approval from your committee.
• 1.2 Credit and Thesis Requirement: Non-Thesis Option
  • The non-thesis option may be selected if the student and his/her committee considers it preferable. Under the non-thesis option, the Graduate School requires that the student must complete at least 27 credit hours of letter-graded courses (not pass/fail), and up to 6 non-graduate credits (400 level) may be used. A special study (carrying a minimum of 4 credit hours of EconS 702, Special Problems or Directed Study) must be conducted.
• Residence Requirement
  • The minimum residence requirement is one year (two semesters, or one semester and two summer sessions).
• Seminar Requirement
  • All master’s students are encouraged to present a School-wide seminar on their research (thesis or project). The purpose of this seminar is to improve communication of research activities among interested members (students and faculty) of the School. The timing of the seminar is at the discretion of the student and the student’s committee, but is normally done in conjunction with the student’s final examination.
• Final Examination Requirement
  • A master’s candidate must pass a final oral examination that covers both resident and nonresident course work and tests the student’s ability to integrate material in his/her major field of interest. The examination also includes work presented in his/her thesis or special study.