Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 General Catalog (Spring, Summer 2015) 
    
2014-2015 General Catalog (Spring, Summer 2015) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Economics - MS


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Departments and Programs

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Department of Economics and Finance

 

Economics MS/MA


Introduction

The Master of Science (MS) and Master of Arts (MA) degrees in Economic Theory offered through the Department of Economics and Finance, Huntsman School of Business, are primarily intended to prepare students for subsequent doctoral study in Economics. Students that choose to do an MA are required to satisfy the foreign language requirement by earning an additional 15 credits in the study of a foreign language.

Our graduates in Economics are well prepared to continue their studies at the doctoral level.  Graduates have recently continued their studies at a variety of institutions, including Brown University, the University of Oregon, Harvard Law School, University of California at Irvine, and George Mason University.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the master’s program in the Department of Economics and Finance requires a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (4.0 = A) for the last 60 semester credits earned prior to applying for the program.  Educational requirements include a bachelor’s degree, courses in intermediate microeconomic theory, econometrics/statistics, and mathematical economics/calculus. Student’s whose prior academic performance warrants admission, although some of these courses have not been taken, may be admitted provisionally.  Such a student will be required to make up deficiencies by enrolling in appropriate courses prior to beginning the master’s program.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required.  GRE scores should be included with the application.  Scores must be at or above the 50th percentile for the verbal portion of the examinations and above the 60th percentile for the quantitative portion. A TOEFL score is also required of all students whose native tongue is not English.  Application forms and more information about application requirements can be found online at http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/ or by phoning 435-797-1189. 

Program Requirements

A student must earn a minimum of 30 credits above a bachelor’s degree.  For Plan A students (thesis), these credit requirements include a minimum of 6 thesis research credits. For Plan B students, these credit requirements include a minimum of 3 thesis research credits. 

The Typical Plan of Study (POS) is as follows:

FALL SEMESTER

Required     

APEC 6100 - Microeconomic Theory I  or                 

    

 

APEC 7350 - Mathematical Economics I (taught two weeks prior to beginning of semester)                                          

ECN 7310 - Econometrics I  

APEC 7360 - Mathematical Economics II  

Electives                                              

ECN 5300 - Industrial Organization-Game Theory  

ECN 5500 - Public Finance (CI)       

ECN 5400 - International Trade Theory  

SPRING SEMESTER

Required

ECN 5020 - Macroeconomic Theory  

ECN 7320 - Econometrics II  

Electives

ECN 5700 - Economics of Public Choice  

APEC 7140 - Microeconomic Theory II  

ECN 5000 - Advanced Macroeconic Topics  

SUMMER SEMESTER

ECN 6970 - Thesis Research  

Other elective credits may be substituted with the approval of the student’s graduate committee.           

Financial Assistance

Your completed application automatically places you in the pool for both assistantships and scholarships.

The Department of Economics and Finance offers a number of competitive graduate assistantships ranging from $3,200 to $9,000.  Non-resident students are eligible to compete for a tuition waiver for the out-of-state portion of tuition.  In addition, students have the opportunity to enroll in the university’s health care program with Blue Cross/Blue Shield at a subsidized rate.  A GRE score above the 80th percentile is generally required in order to be competitive for a departmental assistantship. 

The Huntsman School of Business also offers several graduate scholarships.  A GRE score above the 80th percentile on both the verbal and quantitative parts of the exam is generally required in order to be considered for these scholarships.  You should apply by March 1to be considered for a scholarship.

Application Information

To apply, go to http://www.usu.edu/graduateschool/ and begin the application process by clicking on the Future Students link near the middle of the screen.  From there you’ll be able to navigate through the application process, and you will also find more information about the requirements for successfully completing your application.  The general application deadline is June 30th.  However, early application will increase your chance of receiving a departmental assistantship.

For More Information

Tyler Bowles, Director of Graduate Programs

Department of Economics and Finance

3565 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah 84322-3565

Phone: 435-797-2378, email: randy.simmons@usu.edu

website: http://huntsman.usu.edu/economicsandfinance/

Go to “Degrees and Majors” (on the left of your screen)

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Departments and Programs