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Economics Graduate Program 

The Master of Arts in Economics provides the necessary skills and credentials for those wanting to work as an economist in business or government. It also prepares students wishing to study for a Ph.D. in economics, particularly those wanting to explore alternative approaches and to develop further insights about economics before entering a Ph.D. program. Our program's current strengths are in macroeconomics, alternative approaches to economics, history of economic thought, economics of money, banking, and finance, environmental economics, and international and development economics.

Degree Requirements  

The M.A. program requires 45 quarter hours of course and thesis work. It is possible to complete all requirements in one academic year, although it is normally best to plan on finishing in the second year of study.

Requirements

Dual Degree Programs  

A student can earn a Master’s degree jointly in Economics and another discipline offered by the University of Denver (subject to the approval of the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies), such as International Studies. The student interested in doing so should apply for a dual-degree program. In these programs the number of Economics course hours will usually be 35, and the thesis can be written for an examining committee from both disciplines, so the student would sign up for 5 hours of thesis credit in each discipline.

Applying for Admission  

In order to be admitted to the MA program, an applicant must have an undergraduate major or minor in Economics, or have had 20 quarter-hours of economics courses. An applicant who doesn't meet this criteria must apply for an exception to be granted by permission of the Economics Department. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required of all applicants, without which an applicant can only be admitted on a provisional basis. All applicants must also send three letters of recommendation and a statement of goals and purposes. International applicants must obtain a TOEFL score of 550 or higher. If the TOEFL score is 540 or higher, but is less than 550, then the student can be admitted on a provisional basis, but is then required, before any course work in Economics is done, to complete the Graduate Preparation Program (GPP) offered by the English Language Center at the University of Denver. Applications can be submitted for admission in any quarter of the year. However, in view of the sequencing of the three required courses, it is most advisable for one to apply for admission in the fall quarter of an academic year.

Financial Assistance

What kinds of aid do we offer?

The Economics Department has some limited merit-based financial aid available for graduate students each year. Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) and tuition credits are available for both international and domestic students. We award the financial support mainly on the basis of scholastic ability, though with some concern for need, and the ability and willingness to assist us in some of our undergraduate courses. One’s chance for obtaining financial aid also depends on the level of competition from other applicants. International students will need to take the TSE and score at least a 50, as well as taking the TOEFL, in order to qualify for a GTA postion. Domestic students are also eligible for certain kinds of federal and state financial aid and should fill out the FAFSA or contact the Financial Aid Office (303/871-4900) for further information.

GTA Positions: 

For each academic year in the recent past we have been able to distribute two full GTA positions  Each full GTA position involves 20 hours of work per week and carries a 30 credit hour tuition waiver during an academic year plus a stipend. The stipend for the 2001-2002 academic year is US$7,005 which is distributed over a nine-month period (the rough equivalence of the combined lengths of the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters). Because the competition between highly qualified students  for financial assistance typically becomes fierce, the Department often divides the financial support packages into fractions (e.g., three-quarter, half-, or quarter-time GTA-positions) to spread the support among several students. 

Department Scholarships:

We typically also award 35 credit hours of scholarship money to qualified students. There are no specific requirements for qualifying for this money except that the recipient be a full-time student. Again, this money is often divided up between several qualified students rather than awarded to just one student.  

 Competition and Personal Funds:

Every year we receive numerous inquiries from potential applicants, especially international ones, about our program, and every year, many of these students apply. It is imperative that students realize that they will almost always have to supply some personal funds because of the level of competition for limited funding. A number of well qualified students apply each year and unfortunately, even the most exceptional are sometimes unable to come as they have not yet accumulated sufficient personal funds to supplement what we can offer.  This is an especially important consideration for international applicants.

International Applicants 

Thank you for your interest in our MA Program! Please read the information below carefully before applying. Let us know if you have further questions about our application process.

Questions about financial aid for International Students? Click here. Please also take a look at the International Admissions website.

Obtaining a Visa and an I-20:

Once you are admitted, you will need to obtain a student-visa from the US Consulate or Embassy before you can enroll. The US Consulate and Embassy both require the I-20 form, which the Office of Graduate Admissions will issue upon receipt of proof that you have enough financial resources to cover tuition and all other expenses. For information on the costs of tuition and other expenses, please point your browser at http://www.du.edu/admission/EXPENSES.htm. (Keep in mind that to maintain your full-time status as an international student, you have to be registered for a minimum of ten credit-hours per quarter, excepting summer.) Once the I-20 form is issued, you can take it and other necessary documents to the US Consulate or Embassy to apply for the student-visa.

Important information on funding for International Students:

In order to obtain a Visa, international students will need to prove that they have sufficient funding to cover all of their expenses while in school. This means that even if a student receives funding from our department, she or he will still need to provide personal funds. International students may apply for GTA positions as well as departmental scholarships; please keep in mind, however, that even the most generous award (one full-GTA position) will not fully cover all expenses. A full-GTA position covers only tuition expenses (a full load of 10 credit hours)  for an academic year and pays a small stipend, but does not cover any other expenses. This means that no international student can entirely count on financial support offered by DU to obtain a student-visa. 

Online Application

Reminder:
To ensure proper and timely processing of your application,
send all of the above application materials in ONE packet to:
University of Denver, Office of Graduate Admissions
2197 S. University Blvd., University Hall, Room 216, Denver, CO 80208

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