Program

Master of Arts Program

The master of arts (M.A.) degree program in economics accepts both full-time and part-time graduate students. Well-qualified, full-time students may be able to complete the degree within three semesters. Most part-time students should expect to take two or three years. All matriculated students must complete their degree within four years of entering the program. Graduate courses in economics are also open to nonmatriculated students (maximum 6 credits).

The M.A. degree in economics requires the successful completion of 10 three-credit courses, for a total of 30 graduate credits. All students must complete six core courses with an average grade of B or better consisting of:

• Microeconomic Theory I (220:501)
• Microeconomic Theory II (220: 502)
• Macroeconomic Theory I (220:503)
• Macroeconomic Theory II (220:504 )
• Statistical Analysis (220:506)
• Econometrics I (220:507)

The remaining 12 credits may be earned in any other graduate courses in economics or, with the consent of the graduate program director, in related disciplines (such as statistics and mathematics, public administration, global affairs, urban systems, and business). This gives our MA students flexibility in designing their individual electives.

This program is available to Rutgers University-Newark undergraduates majoring in economics who have an overall GPA of at least 3.5 and have completed both intermediate micro and macro theory with grades of B+ or better. The program is designed so that a well-qualified student can earn a master's degree in economics with just one year of additional coursework after the bachelor's degree. The program is intended primarily for students interested in further study in economics for its own sake or as preparation for admission to a top-tier Ph.D. program.

The requirements for the M.A. degree are 30 credits of graduate coursework, including an 18-credit core consisting of microeconomics (I and II), macroeconomics (I and II), statistics, and econometrics. The remaining 12 credits can be taken in economics or from approved graduate courses in finance, business, global affairs, or public administration. Students admitted to the five-year B.A./M.A. program will take up to four courses for graduate credit during their senior year. For more information about the program, contact the graduate program director.

INDEPENDENT STUDY AND TRANSFER CREDITS

Independent Study

Students in the MA Economics program can enroll in an independent study (26:220:598, 599) for up to 3 credits per semester.  A second 3-credit independent study is possible upon approval of the Graduate Program Director.  But in no case can a student take more than two 3-credit independent studies during their enrollment in the program.

All students must receive permission from the Graduate Program Director to enroll in an independent study. In addition, before enrollment, the student must have first obtained permission from one of the Economics Department faculty members to be an advisor.  Before faculty approval, the student must create a study plan that needs to be reviewed and agreed upon by the advising faculty member and the Graduate Program Director.

The study plan must lay out the research question and the steps that the student will take over the course of the semester.  The final grade will be determined based on whether the student fully executes the agreed-upon study plan.

To receive full credit, a grade of "B" or higher must be obtained.  If a student earns a "C" or lower, no credit will be given. 

The advising faculty must provide a progress report to the student (and a copy to the Graduate Director) by no later than the end of the 7th week of the semester, indicating if the student is successfully adhering to the study plan, along with an indication if the student exceeds the standards, meets standards, or does not meet standards, along with and an indication if the faculty advisor feels that the student in on track to complete the project. If the student is not meeting expectations, then the faculty must include guidelines for achieving sufficient progress to warrant earning a "B" or better for the semester. If the student does not meet the criteria, then the student may earn a grade of less than "B".

If a student withdraws from the university for a valid reason, then the advising faculty member with the consent of the Graduate Program Director will allow the student up to one year to complete the independent study project.

Transfer of Credit(s)

The Economics Department's conditions for accepting graduate courses completed at other institutions match the policy of the Graduate School.

The Economics Department accepts for credit graduate courses completed at other institutions, but students may apply for transfer credit only after they have completed at least 12 credits with a grade of B or better while in the Economics Masters Program. The school will consider applications for transfer of courses if the following stipulations apply:

1. The student must have earned a B or better in the course being transferred, and neither Pass nor Satisfactory is acceptable.
2. The course may not include work for a thesis, independent study, or research.
3. Normally, any course being transferred must form a part of the student's program in his or her field of concentration.
4. As a rule, the course must have been taken during the immediate six-year period before the student's qualifying examination.

No more than 40 percent of the minimum required number of credits for the degree may be transferred. Subject to the recommendation of the Economics Program Director and the approval of the dean, a student with a prior graduate degree may use as many as 12 of these credits to fulfill requirements for a subsequent master's degree.