The Master of Arts degree is available to students enrolled in the Ph.D. degree program in Economics or, with departmental approval, as a second degree for students enrolled in other graduate degree programs. Only the Plan B (without thesis) option is available. Course requirements include the first-year core sequence in the Ph.D. program in Economics, which prepares students for continuing in the Ph.D. program or for professional careers that call for high-level training in economic theory and quantitative analysis methods.
In addition to meeting the requirements of the University, of the College of Social Science, and the Department of Economics, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Admission
Before admission to graduate work, a student should have acquired a minimum of 25 credits in the social sciences, mathematics, statistics, agricultural economics, accounting, or business administration, or in some combination of these fields. Students with limited economics in their undergraduate programs will have to correct such deficiencies by completing collateral courses, not to count toward the degree, which serve as prerequisites for the graduate economics courses.
Applicants to the graduate programs are required to submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test; in addition, applicants should arrange to have three letters of recommendation and transcripts of all prior collegiate course work supplied to the department.
Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Economics
- Complete all of the following courses (22 credits):
EC 811A Mathematical Applications in Economics (2)
EC 811B The Structure of Economic Analysis (2)
EC 812A Microeconomics I (3)
EC 812B Microeconomics II (3)
EC 813A Macroeconomics I (3)
EC 813B Macroeconomics II (3)
EC 820A Econometrics IA (3)
EC 820B Econometrics IB (3)
- Complete three additional Economics courses at the 800-900 level totaling at least 8 credits.
- Obtain a master's level pass on the written comprehensive examination in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and econometrics.
Academic Standards
To remain in the program and receive the M. A. degree in economics, a student must:
- Maintain at least a 3.00 grade–point average.
- Earn a grade of 3.0 or higher in required 800–900 level economics courses.
- The accumulation of grades below 3.0 (including N grades in the P-N grading system) in more than two courses of 3 or more credits each removes the student from the degree program; this policy does not apply to courses below the 400-level unless the courses are required for the student’s program.