Admission Requirements
The required test score for admission to the master’s program is 380 on the Miller Analogies Test or a satisfactory score on the Graduate Records Examination (GRE).
Application Procedures
All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
Applicant must
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
- submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
- submit official transcripts of previous college work.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Arts in Economics requires completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours (10 courses) if a thesis is written or a minimum of 33 semester hours (11 courses) if a thesis is not written. At least 24 hours (8 courses) must be in courses numbered exclusively as 6000-level graduate courses (other courses can be taken at the 5000 level). A minimum of 18 of these semester hours must be in economics and include ECON 6010 , ECON 6020 , and ECON 6060 .
Candidates must successfully complete a written comprehensive examination that may be taken no more than twice. For the major in Economics, the comprehensive examination covers the three core areas: macroeconomics, microeconomics, and econometrics.
Before taking the comprehensive examination, the student is expected to attend and actively participate in regularly scheduled departmental student/faculty workshops where research papers are presented and discussed by the participants.
Curriculum: Economics (general)
Candidate must complete 30 hours (if a thesis is written) or 33 (if a thesis is not written) in the following course of study:
Electives (18–24 hours)
Students completing a thesis must take 18 hours of electives in addition to ECON 6640 . Students completing the non-thesis option must complete 24 hours of electives.
Sample Course and Exam Schedule (Course timing is subject to change.)
Summer-Year 1
- June–Qualifying Exam for Microeconomics I
- June–Qualifying Exam for Econometrics
Fall-Year 2
- Guided elective
- Elective
- Elective
Program Notes
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Students may include a minor in their degree programs. A minor consists of a minimum of 12 semester hours of approved courses. Students not electing a minor may include a cognate area of up to 6 semester hours in their programs. Cognate areas can be formed from courses in accounting, agriculture, finance, geography, geology, history, insurance, management, political science, psychology, real estate, and sociology.
Candidate must
- file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to the completion of 21 credit hours (with the assistance of the M.A. advisor);
- file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.