Master of Arts and Master of Science in Economics
The Department of Economics offers graduate work leading to the degrees of master of arts (MA), master of science (MS), and doctor of philosophy (PhD). Graduate fields include macroeconomics; applied econometrics; game theory; economic growth and development; industrial organization; and international, labor, public, environmental, and behavioral-experimental economics. A detailed description of degree requirements may be obtained from the department website.
Master of Arts Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| EC 523–525 | Econometrics 1 | 12 |
| EC 511 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory 1 | 4 |
| EC 513 | Advanced Macroeconomic Theory 1 | 4 |
| EC 512 | Foundations of Economic Policy Analysis | 4 |
| Elective Economics Courses 2 | ||
| Option 1: Course work | ||
Six elective courses taken at the 500 level. | ||
| Option 2: Research | ||
Four elective courses taken at the 500 level. 3 | ||
| 1 | To be completed by the end of the first full academic year. |
| 2 | Excluding EC 503 Thesis. PhD students who transfer to the master’s program and who have completed the micro- and macroeconomics core courses (EC 607 Seminar: [Topic]) may apply those courses to master’s degree requirements. |
| 3 | No more than 5 credits in EC 601 Research: [Topic] may be applied to the 45-credit minimum for the research paper and no more than 9 credits in EC 503 Thesis may be applied to the 51-credit minimum for the thesis. |
Master of Science Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| EC 523–525 | Econometrics 1 | 12 |
| EC 511 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory 1 | 4 |
| EC 513 | Advanced Macroeconomic Theory 1 | 4 |
| EC 512 | Foundations of Economic Policy Analysis | 4 |
| Elective Economics Courses 2 | ||
| Option 1: Course work | ||
Six elective courses taken at the 500 level. | ||
| Option 2: Research | ||
Four elective courses taken at the 500 level. 3 | ||
| 1 | To be completed by the end of the first full academic year. |
| 2 | Excluding EC 503 Thesis. PhD students who transfer to the master’s program and who have completed the micro- and macroeconomics core courses (EC 607 Seminar: [Topic]) may apply those courses to master’s degree requirements. |
| 3 | No more than 5 credits in EC 601 Research: [Topic] may be applied to the 45-credit minimum for the research paper and no more than 9 credits in EC 503 Thesis may be applied to the 51-credit minimum for the thesis. |
The thesis or research paper, on a topic from the area of economics in which a 500-level field course was taken, must be approved by two department faculty members. The candidate’s committee must have approved a prospectus for the thesis or research paper before the term in which the thesis or research paper is approved.
Courses taken to satisfy master’s degree requirements (except EC 503 Thesis, EC 601 Research: [Topic], and EC 605 Reading and Conference: [Topic]) must be taken for letter grades and completed with at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average. A GPA below the level of 3.00 at any time during a graduate student's studies or the accumulation of more than 5 credits of N or F grades, regardless of GPA, is considered unsatisfactory and may lead to termination from the program.
Unless on-leave status has been approved, a student must attend the university continuously until all program requirements have been completed. The student must register for 3 graduate credits each term, excluding summer sessions, to be continuously enrolled. A minimum of 30 credits toward the master's degree must be taken in residence over a period of at least two terms.
Substitutions and Waivers
Substitutions of alternative courses or courses taken elsewhere require the joint approval of the master’s program committee and the department head before they can be counted toward the credit minimum. Any other waivers or exceptions to departmental requirements require the approval of the department faculty.
Time Limits
Students who choose the course work option must complete all the master’s degree requirements within three years. Students who choose the research option must complete all the master’s degree requirements within five years.
The master’s degree typically requires five to six terms of full-time work. A few well-qualified students have satisfied requirements for the degree in four terms.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Students in the accelerated degree program must meet all degree requirements for both degrees.
A. Graded credit requirements:
Must the graduate-level courses taken while an undergraduate be taken for a letter grade and/or passed with a minimum grade to count toward the master’s degree?
Yes, the graduate-level courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a minimum grade of “B” in order to count toward the master’s degree.
B. Shared credit hour allowance:
List the maximum number of credits a student may use to fulfill requirements of both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees (maximum 16).
12
C. Which courses may count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree, and what requirements will they fulfill for each degree?
Indicate whether only specific courses may count toward both degrees, or if there are categories of courses to choose from.
Students in the AMPED may choose any three courses from the list of all 500 level courses offered in a given year, with the exception of EC 503, 511, 513, 521, 523, 524, and 525. The courses will count as upper-division electives for the bachelor’s degree, and as electives for the Master’s degree.
D. List all courses that may not be shared (i.e., must be taken as a graduate student):
Culminating experiences (e.g., terminal project, capstone, etc.) may not be shared. An undergraduate thesis may not serve as a substitute for a master’s thesis. See guidelines for details.
EC 503, EC 511, EC 513, EC 523, EC 524, EC 525
SAMPLE PLANS OF STUDY
Provide a sample plan of study for both the undergraduate (senior year) and graduate portions of the program. If proposing more than one combination of majors, provide a sample plan of study for each.
Sample Program of Study – Senior Year
Fall Quarter: EC 421, University Requirement, EC 4xx
Winter Quarter: EC 4xx, EC 4xx, EC 5xx
Spring Quarter: EC 4xx, EC 5xx, EC 5xx
Sample Program of Study – Master's Program
Fall Quarter: EC 523, EC 511, EC 513
Winter Quarter: EC 524, EC 5xx elective, EC 5xx elective
Spring Quarter: EC 525, EC 5xx elective, EC 5xx elective