Master of Arts in Applied Economics
Earn your M.A. in Applied Economics in 16 months (3 semesters plus a summer course) OR work toward the degree at your own pace. All courses required for the program begin at 5:30 p.m. or later to accommodate work schedules.
Western Michigan University's Master of Arts in Applied Economics provides students with a strong foundation in economic analysis combined with the ability to apply theory to contemporary problems. Graduates of the program are employed in industry, government and academia. Some students continue their training and pursue a Ph.D. in economics or a related field.
NOTE: Our MA in Applied Economics has the following CIP Code: 45.0603
This is a 30 credit (ten course) program. Six of the courses are required.
Requirements
- The satisfactory completion of either 30 hours of courses, or 24 hours of courses plus a master's thesis (six hours). At least an overall B average in the economics courses that are taken in an advisor-approved program of study is required.
- Required courses:
- ECON 5040: Mathematics for Economists (Fall)
- ECON 6190: Econometric Analysis I (Fall)
- ECON 5290: Research Methods (Fall)
- ECON 6220: Econometric Analysis II (Spring)
- ECON 6620: Macroeconomic Analysis (Spring)
- ECON 6030: Microeconomic Analysis (Spring)
- Electives offered by the Economics Department include:
- Monetary Policy (Econ 6860),
- Health Economics (Econ 6070)
- Economic Development (Econ 5880)
- International Economics (Econ 6800)
- Students often choose outside electives in the statistics or political science departments. All electives are approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Economics.
- If the non-thesis option is selected, students will take four elective courses approved by the director of graduate programs in the Department of Economics. Two of the electives must be in the Department of Economics. M.A. students who select the non-thesis option will be required to submit an exit portfolio consisting of an empirical research paper and to present the results of the paper.
- If the thesis option is selected, students will take two elective courses plus six credits of ECON 7000, Master’s Thesis.
Admission
To be considered for admission, applicants should have:
- A strong foundation in economics, including intermediate-level coursework in microeconomics and macroeconomics.
- At least one course in calculus and one course in statistics.
No GRE or references are required.
Funding opportunities
- A limited number of assistantships and scholarships are available on a competitive basis for full time students. To be considered for funding, applications must be submitted by February 1.
Application instructions
General application information for the University, as well as specific requirements for Economics, are available in WMU's online application system.
Applicants are asked to include some program-specific information, with a summary for these requirements found below:
Applicants are encouraged to bookmark this information for quick reference while working through the graduate application process.
Thank you for your interest in applying for this graduate program.
Application deadlines
- Fall admission: August 1 (February 1 to be considered for funding)
- Spring admission: November 15
- Summer I admission: April 1
- Summer II admission: May 1
Note: Per WMU policy, international students are not admitted for summer II session. - International Applicants may be required to take the TOFEL examination. Further information can be found at here.
Faculty research
Our faculty are involved in a variety of research areas and regularly publish books and articles.
Questions
Contact Our Director of Graduate Programs, for more information.