Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog 
    
2012-2013 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Economics M.A.


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The Master of Arts degree in Economics provides students with advanced training in applied economics. The program trains students for careers in business and government, and prepares students who desire to continue their studies in economics or finance at the doctoral level. Students in the MA program will obtain a solid foundation in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, receive training in advanced econometric techniques, and develop their communication skills through writing and presentation. The program also allows students the possibility of pursuing interdisciplinary studies by taking courses in related disciplines such as finance or marketing. An internship program provides opportunities for students to obtain valuable work experience. MA graduates in economics possess the skills that prove attractive for different employers— government agencies, marketing research firms, corporate research and financial departments, and consulting firms. The department welcomes both full and part-time students. Ambitious students can complete the program in one year. Please see our web site for more information http://business.unlv.edu/economics/.

Formal preparation for most applicants seeking the Master of Arts degree requires intermediate microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory. In addition, some form of quantitative preparation, such as calculus and intermediate statistics, is required. As noted below, students must meet general requirements for admission to the Graduate College of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Department of Economics offers graduate courses during evening hours convenient for both working and full-time students.

Admission Requirements

The first step in the application process requires the submission of relevant application forms, fees, letters of recommendation, official transcripts, test results, and assistantship applications to the Graduate College as outlined in this catalog. International students should check with the Graduate College for current deadlines. The Graduate College requires international students to complete the TOEFL with a minimum score of 550 (written) or 213 (computerized) or show comparable evidence of competence in English.

Students may begin course work in economics in the following classifications: full graduate standing or graduate provisional. Admission to full graduate standing requires that students must:

  1. Meet the general requirements for admission to graduate instruction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
  2. Complete the prerequisite preparation in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and quantitative economics. The theory preparation may be satisfied by successfully completing ECON 302 and ECON 303. Completing ECON 262 and Math 181 may satisfy the quantitative preparation. These courses, however, do not apply toward the 30 hours of graduate course work required for the Master of Arts degree. In addition, students seeking to meet prerequisite requirements with undergraduate courses may need to take a placement exam to demonstrate competence.
  3. Achieve score of 2100 or higher on the formula: 200 times grade point average (computed on a 4.00 scale) plus the product of 1.5 and the combined scores on the quantitative and verbal portions of the Graduate Record Exam. GRE scores for tests taken after August 1, 2011 may be adjusted accordingly to reflect the new GRE format and scoring rubric. Students may substitute the GMAT score for the GRE, in which case the GMAT score will be multiplied by 3 and added to 200 times the grade point average.

 

Admission to the Advanced Program for accomplished UNLV undergraduates*

  •      Receiving at least a B in MA classes they complete as an undergraduate
  •       Satisfactory completion of Graduate College admission requirements.

*Accomplished UNLV undergraduates must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the Advanced Program

  • Senior standing
  • Minimum of 3.0 GPA
  • Completion of the following courses with a minimum of 3.5 GPA and no grade lower than B: ECON 262 or ECON 441; ECON 302; ECON 303 and MATH 181.
  • Department chair or graduate coordinator’s recommendation.
  • Submission of two letters of recommendation, a completed Enrollment Request form to the Economics department no less than two weeks before the beginning of the semester for which they would like to register for graduate courses

Students falling short of the requirements for admission with full graduate standing may be admitted as graduate provisional students. Students admitted with graduate provisional status must successfully complete the courses, possibly including any deficiencies, designated by the graduate coordinator, with an average of 3.33 or better within the first year of enrollment to qualify for admission with full graduate standing.

Degree Requirements


Degree requirements may exceed (at the option of the student’s advisor), but must not be less than the minimum outlined below. The advisor and/or the coordinator of graduate studies recommend specific course requirements for this degree.

Elective course work to complete the thirty-hour requirement must include two additional courses in economics and may include up to two courses in a related discipline, subject to the approval of the graduate coordinator. The internship requirement may be waived by the department upon evidence of appropriate experience. As previously noted, all noneconomic electives must come from the same department and the student must meet the prerequisites for these courses.

Students not making satisfactory progress toward the degree are subject to dismissal. A student who earns two grades of C, D, or F in the first four graduate courses, or who receives the third grade of C, D, or F in a graduate course will be dropped from the M.A. program. A minimum 3.00 average is required to earn the Master of Arts degree.

To qualify for graduation, each student must present an empirical research paper or a thesis. The research paper will be presented to students and faculty at the department research seminar. The source of this paper is a project in the professional paper course (ECO 794  ). In the case of a thesis, the student will register for six hours of thesis credit in lieu of course work outside of economics and Professional Paper (ECO 794  ). (See Academic Policy section for detailed requirements concerning presentation of the thesis.) It should be noted that a student taking four courses a semester could finish all course work in one year by adding an elective course in the fall and in the spring semesters and completing the research paper in the summer.

Required Courses


  •  Completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours, of which, at least 24 credits must be taken in 700-level courses. The core of the economics MA consists of 18 credits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Satisfaction of the program’s internship requirement—ECO 784  , Internship. The internship requirement may be waived by the department upon evidence of appropriate experience, but the credits must be earned in other coursework.
  • Completion and defense of a empirical research paper (ECO 794  ), or completion and defense of master’s Thesis (ECO 791  ).
  • Elective course work to complete the 30 credit hours of degree requirements must include at least two additional courses in economics and may take one course in a related discipline, subject to the approval of the graduate coordinator.
  • A minimum of 3.00 grade-point average is required to earn the M.A. in economics. Students not making satisfactory progress toward the degree are subject to dismissal. A student who earns two grades below a B- in the first four graduate courses, or who receives the third grade below a B- in a graduate course will be dropped from the MA program.

 

**Advanced Program

The Advanced Program allows accomplished UNLV undergraduate students to complete the Economics MA degree with a total of 24 credits. Qualified students who are planning to enroll in the MA economics program can substitute two MA courses from the core (3 credits each) for the respective undergraduate requirements. Students enrolled in the Advanced Program are required to enroll in ECO 740  , Mathematical Economics and one of the following courses:

 
 
 

Approved graduate credits taken by Advanced-Program students during their senior year will be counted towards their M.A. program’s core requirements, provided the student receives grades of B, or better in core classes.

Advanced-Program students must meet department’s elective requirements as well as successful completion and defense of an empirical research paper (ECO 794  ), or the completion and defense of master’s thesis (ECO 791  ). Additional course work to complete the 24 credit hours must include two additional courses in economics and may include one course in a related discipline, subject to the approval of the graduate coordinator.
 

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