Master’s Program Requirements

The program consists of a minimum 30 semester credit hours (SCH). The common core consists of ECON 6610 (Microeconomics for Master's Students), ECON 6620 (Macroeconomics for Master's Students), and ECON 6630 (Applied Econometrics). After completion of required coursework, students then decide whether they will do a Master's Project or Master's Thesis option.

Students must maintain a B average or better and demonstrate progress toward the degree. Normally, for a full time student (3 courses per semester) the program requires at least three semesters of work. Maximum credit allowed per semester is 16 hours. The maximum, completion time allowed is four years. Master's students who have completed all required coursework credit hours and plan to do a Master's Project need to register for Econ 6955 (Research Methods: Master's) for at least three credit hours. Master's students who are planning to do a Master's Thesis need to register for ECON 6970 (Thesis Research: Master's) for a total of six credit hours. Course scheduling problems, which do arise occasionally within the department, could extend the time for completion of all work. Requests for extended completion time will be evaluated by the Master's Committee.

Master's students do not have qualifying examinations. When their Master's project or thesis is completed, students must defend their project or thesis by an oral examination facilitated by members of their selected project or thesis committee. In the semester prior to defending their project/thesis, students must file a Program of Study for the Master's Degree and select members for their project/thesis committee in order to be become a degree seeking candidate. The deadline for this application is June 1st for the following FALL graduation, November 1st for the following SPRING graduation and February 1st for SUMMER graduation. Further information on the Master's Program calendar is located http://www.gradschool.utah.edu/students/masters_calendar.php.

 

Project Options

Students who select the project option must fulfill the following requirements for an MS degree.

1. Successful completion, with at least a 3.0 average and a minimum of 27 credit hours of approved graduate course work in Economics (or other acceptable area).
2. Successful compilation of a bound research project (see details below), for which 3 credit hours are granted.
3. Successful oral defense of the research project.

A project is a research paper written on a particular topic that has been decided by the student in conjunction with the chair of his Masters Committee. When a student initially decides on a topic or field of interest, the student will approach an Economics faculty member, who has expertise in the field pertaining to this topic, for assistance by serving as the Chair of the student's Master's Committee. Students may find information on faculty research at the Economics homepage located at http://www.econ.utah.edu as well as in the chart below. Students doing a project must register for ECON 6955 for 3 credit hours in the semester in which they will defend their project. If a student does not see a section of ECON 6955 listed under the name of their committee chair, they may contact the departmental office (801-581-7481) to have a section set up so they may register. The requirements for formatting and binding the document should be discussed with committee chair – the university does not dictate formatting procedures on projects.

 

Thesis Option

Students who choose the thesis option must fulfill the following requirements for an MS degree.

1. Successful completion, with at least a 3.0 average and a minimum of 24 credit hours of approved graduate coursework in Economics (and other acceptable area)
2. Successful compilation of the Master's thesis in the University approved format (see details below) for which 6 credit hours are granted.
3. Successful oral defense of the thesis.

The basis of a thesis is an in-depth research paper written on a particular topic selected by the student in consultation with the chair of the student's Masters Committee. When a student initially decides on a topic or field of interest, the student will approach an Economics faculty member, who has expertise in the field pertaining to this topic, for assistance by serving as Chair of the student's Master's Committee. Students may find information on faculty research the Economics homepage located at http://www.econ.utah.edu, as well as in the chart below. Students doing a thesis must register for ECON 6970 for 6 credit hours in the semester in which they will defend their thesis. If a student does not see a section of ECON 6970 listed under the name of their committee chair, they should contact the departmental office (801-581-7481) to have a section set up so they may register. Students must follow University formatting rules (www.gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/) for the thesis and the completed document must be approved through the Graduate Thesis Office.

The thesis will be published electronically and available on the following websites:

USpace: http://uspace.utah.edu/

ProQuest Digital Dissertations: http://www.proquest.com/en_US/

Students can produce their own bound hard copies. A listing of options and pricing can be found in the Handbook for Theses and Dissertations: www.gradschool.utah.edu/thesis/

 

 

MASTER'S PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

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Development Economics -

Dr. Gunseli Berik – berik@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Haimanti Bhattacharya – haimanti.bhattacharya@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Cihan Bilginsoy – bilginsoy@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Nilufer Cagatay – cagatay@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Korkut Erturk – erturk@economics.utah.edu
Dr. David Kiefer – kiefer@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Kenneth Jameson – jameson@economics.utah.edu (Latin America)
Dr. Gabriel Lozada – lozada@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Codrina Rada – rada@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Steve Reynolds – reynolds@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Matias Vernengo – vernengo@economics.utah.edu (Latin America)
Dr. Rudiger von Arnim – rudiger.vonarnim@economics.utah.edu

International Economics –

Dr. Steve Reynolds – reynolds@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Nilufer Cagatay – cagatay@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Al Campbell – campbell@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Korkut Erturk – erturk@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Lance Girton – girton@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Rudiger von Arnim – rudiger.vonarnim@economics.utah.edu

Labor/Gender Economics –

Dr. Peter Philips – philips@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Cihan Bilginsoy – bilginsoy@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Gunseli Berik – berik@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Nilufer Cagatay – cagatay@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Anne Yeagle – yeagle@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Norm Waitzman – waitzman@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Thomas Maloney – maloney@economics.utah.edu
Dr. David Kiefer – kiefer@economics.utah.edu

Environment & Natural Resource Economics –

Dr. Haimanti Bhattacharya – haimanti.bhattacharya@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Gabriel Lozada – lozada@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Hans Ehrbar – ehrbar@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Minqi Li – minqi.li@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Steve Reynolds – reynolds@economics.utah.edu (Southeast Asia)
Dr. David Kiefer – kiefer@economics.utah.edu

Health Economics –

Dr. Norman Waitzman – Waitzman@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Anne Yeagle – yeagle@economics.utah.edu

Public Finance –

Dr. David Kiefer – kiefer@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Ken Jameson – jameson@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Norm Waitzman – waitzman@economics.utah.edu

Economic History –

Dr. Peter Philips – philips@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Korkut Erturk – Erturk@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Thomas Maloney – Maloney@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Matias Vernengo – Vernengo@economics.utah.edu

Monetary Economics –

Dr. Lance Girton – girton@economics.utah.edu

International Trade –

Dr. Steve Reynolds – reynolds@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Nilufer Cagatay – cagatay@economics.utah.edu

Econometrics –

Dr. Richard Fowles – fowles@economics.utah.edu
Dr. David Kiefer – kiefer@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Haimanti Bhattacharya – haimanti.bhattacharya@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Codrina Rada – rada@economics.utah.edu

Political Economy –

Dr. Korkut Erturk – erturk@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Mark Glick – glick@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Ken Jameson – jameson@economics.utah.edu (Latin America)
Dr. Minqi Li – minqi.li@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Al Campbell – campbell@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Anne Yeagle – yeagle@economics.utah.edu

History of Thought –

Dr. Korkut Erturk – erturk@economics.utah.edu
Dr. Hans Ehrbar – ehrbar@economics.utah.edu

Industrial Organization –

Dr. Mark Glick - glick@economics.utah.edu

New Institutional Economics –

Dr. Lance Girton – girton@economics.utah.edu