Courses

Masters program sample course schedule

Internal Applicants (4 + 1)

Internal applicants (4 + 1) must satisfy all remaining bachelor's degree requirements during their first year in the M.A. program (senior year in the undergraduate program). In satisfying these requirements, they may take at most 4 6000-level courses in economics (12 credit hours) that will also count towards the degree of M.A. in Policy Economics. The remaining 24 credit hours must be taken after graduation from their undergraduate program.

First YearSecond Year
ECON 6230 (Econometrics) or ECON 6971 (Machine Learning & Econometrics)
At least one of these will be offered every semester.
Masters Elective **
Masters Elective *Masters Elective **
Masters Elective *Masters Elective **
Masters Elective *Masters Elective **
 Masters Elective **
 Masters Elective **
 Masters Elective **
 Masters Elective **

* Masters Electives are 6000-level economics courses.  
** With the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, courses in other departments may also serve as Masters Electives.

External Applicants

M.A. students not in the B.A./M.A. or B.S./M.A. track can complete the program in either 3 or 4 semesters. In the first year they should enroll in Econometrics (ECON 6230). In addition, they will take 11 Masters Electives during their course of study.

Independent Studies

Students of superior scholastic standing who are interested in directions different from and beyond those provided by the Department's normal offerings may assume more responsibility for their own education by proposing an independent study to a faculty member. Based on the merits of the student’s proposal and the faculty member’s schedule and interest, the faculty member may agree to sponsor it. In this tutorial arrangement, the student investigates an area or topic not covered elsewhere in the curriculum, or pursues applications and extensions of prior coursework in greater depth. The supervising faculty member must clearly specify in an independent study course outline expectations regarding student work load, readings and assignments, grading policies, learning outcomes, program outcomes, and contact hours. This course outline must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for prior approval at the beginning of the semester in which the independent study will occur, and students may register for an independent study only after obtaining this prior approval. An independent study is an economics elective, and it may be used to meet the requirements for economics degree programs. At the graduate level, a maximum of one three-credit independent study may be counted toward the MA degree or toward the PhD degree; in exceptional cases, this limit may be exceeded with prior approval from the Director of Graduate Studies. Doctoral students in the first 5 semesters of the PhD program may only register for an independent study class on an overload basis, and a PhD independent study cannot take the place of regular PhD course offerings. Because an independent study should have academic content comparable to other economics electives, a “research assistant” assignment and/or a job are not acceptable as an independent study.