Put Theory into Practice with a Focus on Applied Economics
This online MA in Economics program with an applied economics specialization, offers a curriculum that balances foundational economic theory with quantitative and analytical application. Our master’s in economics faculty (which consist of respected and highly credentialed scholars) emphasizes policy and examines real-world issues to help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to make an impact in today’s economy.
This online MA in Economics program consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours), each eight weeks long, and concludes with a capstone course allowing you to implement everything you’ve learned. You will have the option to take up to 6 credit hours of economics course work on campus or complete the entire program online.
Coursework begins with the following sequence:
Core Courses
ECON 605: Introduction to Mathematical Economics
The material learned in this online course will be used extensively in the courses that follow it. It begins with a review of logarithms and differential calculus and moves on to more complex mathematical concepts, including matrix algebra with emphasis on economic applications, comparative static analysis of linear models, introduction to multivariate differential calculus and comparative static analysis of nonlinear models.
ECON 600: Microeconomic Theory
This course covers the foundations of microeconomic theory, focusing on the behavior of individuals, firms, and the interaction of both in the marketplace. It examines forms of market structure and how these impact firm behavior. Students will explore the role of government in the economy and analyze the economic efficiency of an assortment of public policies.
ECON 601: Macroeconomic Theory
This course explores theories of income determination, inflation and unemployment, business cycles and long-run growth. It also covers analysis of monetary and fiscal policy, debt dynamics and financial crisis.
ECON 623: Applied Econometrics I
Econometrics is the application of statistical and mathematical theories to economics for the purpose of testing hypotheses and forecasting future trends. This course introduces the concepts and skills to accomplish this along with the use of the statistical software, Stata.
ECON 624: Applied Econometrics II
This course advances the topic of econometrics, including the following time-series techniques: limited dependent variables models, sample selection and censoring, simultaneous equations, instrumental variables, fixed effects and panel methods, and program evaluation using quasi-experimental data.
ECON 680: Economics MA Capstone Seminar
The capstone project provides an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you have developed in a real-world scenario. In this course you will complete a project addressing a major economic issue under close consultation with a faculty advisor.
Elective courses include:
Elective Courses
ECON 673: Labor Economics
Examine contemporary theories of wages, employment, and prices as well as collective bargaining. Then explore the effect of collective bargaining on wages in the American economy through theories and empirical studies of wage differentials.
ECON 661: Survey of Economic Development
This course covers the evolution of economics since the mid-20th century. It examines important topics in economic development and illustrates the application of economic techniques to development issues.
ECON 642: Public Economics
This economics course is an introduction to the concepts of market equilibrium and efficiency, departures from the efficiency of the market, political economy of voting and rent seeking. It will cover the main public sector programs and the financing of government intervention especially through taxation and deficit financing.
ECON 632: Financial Stability and Growth
This course defines the ways in which the banking and financial systems contribute to the growth and stability or instability of the economy. The course will explore the hypothesis that the development of a country’s financial system contributes to faster economic growth and is not only a product of economic growth. Microeconomic and macroeconomic aspects of financial development, including the causes and consequences of crises, determinants of bank efficiency and competition, and the connection between stability, concentration and competition will be covered. The course concludes with a look at regulatory issues such as the “Too Big to Fail” debate, Federal Deposit Insurance, Lender of Last Resort and Macroprudential policy issues.
Through this program, you will:
- Grow in a curriculum that emphasizes applied economics and policy analysis.
- Study with a faculty that is linked to think tanks, research institutes and international organizations around the globe.
- Learn to make impactful, ethical and profitable decisions in the local and global economy.
- Acquire the mathematical skills to solve economic models.
- Learn how to find and collect data and test hypotheses using the appropriate statistical tools.
- Employ Stata, a state-of-the-art statistical software tool employed throughout the industry, to analyze data.
- Utilize economic models to predict the changes in various economic indicators (such as price, output, growth, employment, inflation, and welfare) and the consequential impacts to the economy.
- Emerge with the skills to effectively translate and communicate implications of your work for economists and non-economists alike.
Learn more today. Call us at 855-725-7614 to speak to an admissions representative or request more information here.
