If you are interested in pursuing an academic career, the M.S. program is also useful as a steppingstone to further your education. In this master’s program, you will acquire the skills necessary to pursue a Ph.D. in economics or obtain an economics foundation that enriches doctoral-level studies in business, finance, marketing, law, planning, or public policy.
Our Master of Science program in Economics has a STEM designation. The M.S. serves two audiences: those wanting an M.S. as a terminal degree, and those seeing it as a steppingstone to further graduate studies. As a terminal degree, the M.S. provides the training in analytic and quantitative skills to prepare graduates well for a career in business, government, or a nonprofit organization. As preparation for further graduate studies, students acquire or update the skills necessary to pursue a Ph.D. in Economics, or obtain an economics foundation that enriches doctoral-level studies in business, finance, marketing, law, planning, or public policy.
Classes are demanding yet taught in a nurturing and friendly environment that encourages student-faculty and student-student interaction within and outside of the classroom. We offer classes in the evening, or have online options, to accommodate the schedules of those who work full-time while pursuing their education. Students can complete the program on either a full-time or part-time basis. We currently admit students to enter the M.S. in the fall or spring semesters; recently we have been able to let student begin the M.S. in the summer session.
Students from the U.S., China, India, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Turkey have enrolled in our program. Approximately a third of our students work full-time in private industry or government, while the others work part-time or are full-time students. About half of the graduate students are women. Our students hold undergraduate degrees in Economics, Business, Engineering, Pharmacy, Mathematics and Political Science.
Almost every student has been successfully placed shortly after graduation. Those seeking a Ph.D. in Economics and related fields such as Business and Finance have gone on to universities such as Chicago, Cornell, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Rutgers, UC-San Diego, and Virginia Tech. Some students have moved into our own Ph.D. program, which focuses on health economics, before finishing the M.S. Other graduates have taken jobs with employers such as the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the Indianapolis Department of Commerce, the Indiana State Budget Agency, the IU Medical Center, Pedcor Bancorp, Spiegel, Inc., Union Federal Savings Bank, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Walker Research.
The department offers two concentrations in the M.S. program: General Econometrics and Health Economics. Each concentration requires 30 hours of coursework. The General Econometrics concentration is designed to give students skills in interpreting and analyzing data that are suitable for a wide variety of jobs in business and government. The concentration in Health Economics prepares students for work in the health industry and for private and government positions that examine various impacts of health on the economy. All streams prepare students to enter a Ph.D. program.
For those entering the program in, or after, 2022, all M.S. streams require a total of 30 credit hours of graduate level Economics courses, including courses in Math, Microeconomic Theory, Statistics/Econometrics, Macroeconomic Theory, and Computer Methods. If a student wants to count courses outside of Economics toward their M.S. degree, they need the approval of the director of the M.S. program. A course designated with ** is a Ph.D. level course.
Of the total 30 credit hours in graduate level Economics required for the M.S., only 15 are prescribed, allowing students choices. All M.S. students must take:
ECON-E 504* Mathematics for Economists (3 cr.)
ECON-M 501* Theory of Prices and Markets (3 cr.) P: ECON-E 504 or consent of instructor
ECON-E570* Fundamentals of Statistics and Econometrics (3 cr.)
ECON-E577 Computer Methods and Data Analysis (3 cr.) P: E570 or E571.
ECON-E522 Macroeconomic Theory 1 (3 cr.)
* More advanced students may be permitted to take Ph.D. level courses in place of E504, M501, and E570.
Students take additional graduate level economics courses to meet the total of 30 credit hours, including some specific requirements for each stream. The streams accommodate student interests. Students should speak to the Economics Graduate Programs Director if they wish to include a course from outside of the Economics Department.
General Econometrics stream: E571 or E574 (both are strongly recommended)
Health Economics stream: E587 and at least one of E514/E643/E644/E744
Remaining credits can be taken from graduate level economics courses. For those students entering the program in Fall 2023, courses that will be available during their time in the program, and that are accessible to M.S. students are expected include:
Students with good credentials in any discipline may apply to the M.S. in Economics program, but successful applicants usually demonstrate an ability in economics or similar area with significant training in mathematics and statistics.
Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Ordinarily, applicants should have an overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in their former course work and in their previous economics courses. Before undertaking graduate study in economics, a student should have knowledge of intermediate-level undergraduate economic theory (E321 intermediate microeconomics and E322 intermediate macroeconomics), statistics (E270), finite mathematics, and multivariate differential and integral calculus (the IUPUI equivalent M 16500 offered by the mathematics department). Students meeting some but not all of these requirements may be admitted on a conditional basis.
For students with English as a second language, a minimum TOEFL score of 79, successful completion of ELS 112, or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 is required. Students whose TOEFL score is less than 100 or whose IELTS is less than 7.5 will be required to participate in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program at the IU School of Liberal Arts in Indianapolis. The Office of International Affairs will contact you regarding taking the EAP exam once you are on campus in order to discover if additional coursework in English proficiency is required.
Applicants must submit:
FALL 2023 ENTRY: Domestic applications must be completed, with all supporting documentation received, by Aug. 15. We need to receive applications and all supporting documentation by mid-March for international students to allow time for their visa application.
Direct questions regarding admission to Prof. Wendy Morrison or the Graduate Program Team.
Students with English as a second language, can find English requirements for IU Programs on the Office of International Affairs’ English proficiency webpage. There you will find information on testing requirements (TOEFL or an alternative test).
The list of countries exempt from the proof of English proficiency requirements are also available from the Office of International Affairs.
Contact: Professor Wendy Morrison, Graduate Program Director
