Applied Economics

Master of Arts in Applied Economics

The Master of Arts in Applied Economics degree is a one-year (full-time) or two-year (part-time) program designed to provide specialization in economics for persons desiring careers as economists in the academic, governmental, business, and financial communities. Contemporary society offers almost unlimited opportunities to individuals with an understanding of economic relationships and the tools of analysis to understand today’s economic problems. Economists work on such problems as sales forecasting, market analysis, economic feasibility, hedging and commodity pricing, unemployment, inflation, balance of payments, energy development, pollution abatement, and many other current problems.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites—12 Semester Hours
The following prerequisites (or equivalents) should be completed before enrolling in 6000-level graduate courses:

ECO 3401 Quantitative Business Tools I (3 hours)
ECO 5005 Economic Concepts (3 hours)
ECO 5415 Statistics for Business and Economics (3 hours)
MAC 1105 College Algebra (3 hours)

Prerequisite work may be entirely or partially satisfied through prior equivalent course work. Normally, such course work must have been satisfactorily completed at a regionally accredited college or university, preferably one accredited by the AACSB. Prerequisite course work does not count toward the 30 semester hours credit required for completion of the M.A. in Applied Economics degree.

Required Courses—9 Semester Hours
ECO 6115 Economic Analysis of the Firm (3 hours)
ECO 6206 Aggregate Economic Conditions and Analysis (3 hours)
ECO 6416 Statistical Methods for Business Decisions (3 hours)

Economics Electives—12-21 Semester Hours
A minimum of twelve additional hours of economics electives is required.

Non-Economics Electives—0-9 Semester Hours
A maximum of nine hours of approved non-economics electives may be completed in disciplines such as accounting, finance, management, marketing, mathematics, statistics, public administration, and computer science. Career-oriented elective specializations are presented below; however, no more than 6 hours outside the College of Business Administration may be used.

End of Program—6 Semester Hours
All candidates for the M.A. in Applied Economics degree must complete an end-of-program option. This requirement can be met by any of the following three equivalent options: 1) Thesis, 2) Graduate internship, 3) Non-thesis option. All candidates must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive, end-of-program, final examination.

Thesis Option
Six credit hours of thesis may be used to complete the M.A. in Applied Economics degree. The student must register for a total of six semester hours of ECO 6971. The candidate may fulfill this requirement by completing a formal thesis on a topic selected in consultation with the candidate’s advisory committee and meeting both departmental and university requirements. The final examination consists of an oral examination over the thesis.

Graduate Internship
Six credit hours of graduate internship may be used to complete the M.A. in Applied Economics degree. The student must register for a total of six semesters hours of ECO 6946. The candidate may fulfill this requirement by completing an internship consisting of work in a business or governmental agency and an end-of-project, thesis-quality report. The final examination consists of an oral examination over the end-of-project report.

Non-Thesis Option
Candidates choosing the course work only option will be required to pass a written or oral examination covering economic theory and six hours of elective course work to complete the M.A. in Applied Economics. The final examination covers the nine-hour economics core theory (ECO 6115, ECO 6206, and ECO 6416) and the six-hour field or area from the career-oriented electives. Students are strongly recommended to take ECO 6115 and ECO 6206 in their first or second term. Students will have to demonstrate knowledge from ECO 6115 and ECO 6206 on the written final examination. Written exams under the non-thesis option may not be waived.

Minimum Hours Required for M.A.A.E.—30 Semester Hours

Career-Oriented Elective Specializations

Financial Economics
For candidates seeking careers as financial economists in the fields of banking, brokerage, corporate, or personal finance, selection among the following electives is recommended:

ECO 6226 Seminar in Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy (3 hours)
ECO 6266 Business Cycles and Forecasting (3 hours)
ECP 6705 Managerial Economics (3 hours)
FIN 6406 Financial Analysis and Management (3 hours)
FIN 6425 Asset Management and Financial Decisions (3 hours)
FIN 6506 Analysis of Investment Opportunities (3 hours)
FIN 6627 International Financial Management (3 hours)

Public Sector Economics
For candidates seeking careers in the public sector as planners, policy analysts, or regulators, selection among the following electives is recommended:

ECO 6226 Seminar in Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy (3 hours)
ECO 6505 Public Finance and Fiscal Policy (3 hours)
ECP 6205 Labor Economics (3 hours)
ECP 6405 Industrial Organization and Performance (3 hours)
ECP 6605 Economics of Urban and Regional Problems (3 hours)
ECP 6705 Managerial Economics (3 hours)
REE 6306 Corporate Real Estate Investment Decision-Making (3 hours)
Approved electives in Public Administration
Approved electives in Political Science
Approved electives in Political Theory

Quantitative Economics
For candidates seeking careers as analysts, consultants, or researchers in business, government, or nonprofit institutions, selection among the following quantitative electives is recommended:

ECO 6266 Business Cycles and Forecasting (3 hours)
ECO 6424 Econometrics (3 hours)
ECP 6705 Managerial Economics (3 hours)
MAN 6546 Quantitative Models for Business Decisions (3 hours)
MAR 6616 Marketing Research Methods (3 hours)

International Political Economy
For candidates seeking positions with international organizations (such as the World Bank or United Nations), or overseas business or government appointments, selection among the following electives is recommended:

ECO 6705 Seminar in International Economics (3 hours)
ECS 6015 Economic Development (3 hours)
FIN 6627 International Financial Management (3 hours)
INR 6007 Seminar in International Politics (3 hours)

Human Resource Economics
For candidates seeking careers in the area of human resources development or positions in interdisciplinary manpower-related issues, selection among the following electives is recommended:

ECP 6205 Labor Economics (3 hours)
ECS 6015 Economic Development (3 hours)
EIN 5117 Management Information Systems I (3 hours)
EIN 6258 Human Computer Interaction (3 hours)
EVT 6267 Vocational Program Planning, Development, and Evaluation (2-4 hours)
ISM 6121 Systems Analysis and Development (3 hours)
MAN 6245 Organizational Behavior and Development (3 hours)
MAN 6305 Personnel Resources Administration (3 hours)
PAD 6417 Human Resource Management (3 hours)

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