University General Course Catalog 2021-2022 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
University General Course Catalog 2021-2022 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

Economics, M.A.


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The Department of Economics offers three graduate degrees in Economics: Master of Science (MS), Master of Arts (MA), and a PhD. The general requirements of the Graduate School must be satisfied by all candidates for graduate degrees in Economics.

The mission of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Master of Arts program in Economics is to provide advanced training in economics, to prepare students to be economic analysts in either the public or private sector in fields such as regional economics, data analytics, health care, or similar fields. The Master of Arts program provides the flexibility for students to choose a more policy-oriented or applied approach by allowing more electives than the MS. The MA degree in Economics has two options, a research-based Thesis Masters (Plan A), and a non-Thesis Masters (Plan B).

Contact Information


Sankar Muknopadhyay, Professor
Graduate Director, Economics
sankarm@unr.edu
(775) 784-8017

Economics Department website:
https://www.unr.edu/business/departments-and-disciplines/economics
(775)784-6850

Graduate Handbook

Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes


Outcome 1: Advanced Economic theory

Students will be able to:

  • demonstrate their understanding of economic theory.

Outcome 2: Quantitative Skills and Analytic Methods

Students will be able to:

  • identify correct econometric methods to analyze data, test hypotheses, and analyze economics issues.
  • demonstrate their understanding of various econometric techniques, including OLS, instrumental variables, discrete variable methods, panel and time series techniques and be able to identify which technique to employ in the Applied Econometrics course and various electives.

Outcome 3: Literature Research and Communication Skills

Students will be able to:

  • clearly communicate, either in writing or verbally when called upon, the results of an economic analysis.
  • present their work by effective written communication in the form of scientific papers and reports, and by oral communication in the form of scientific seminars.
  • critically analyze and extract information from papers in the scientific literature.

Admission Requirements


The Department of Economics advises all students enrolled in the master of arts or master of science programs majoring in economics.  Graduate students are also required to take one credit of ECON 794  in addition to the credits required below unless this requirement is waived by the graduate advisor.  ECON 794 is a one-credit, pass/fail course that consists of a math workshop that is offered the week before classes begin.  Students also participate in a student orientation, departmental seminars, and a job-skills workshop.  All students are required to participate.

The standards for admission into the Graduate Program in Economics are as follows:

  • A baccalaureate (or an advanced) degree from an accredited college or university, or its equivalent
  • An overall grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • International students must have a minimum TOEFL score of 500
  • Intermediate Microeconomics or comparable undergraduate course
  • Intermediate Macroeconomics or comparable undergraduate course
  • One semester of calculus
  • Official test scores

Applicants not meeting all of these requirements may enroll with Graduate Special status until they have completed a remedial course of study. Admission is competitive and meeting minimum qualifications is not a guarantee of admission.

Application Deadlines

  • To be considered for Fall semester, all materials must be received by April 15.
  • To be considered for Spring semester, application materials must be received by October 15.

Application Procedure

The Master of Arts and Master of Science in Economics programs are governed by University of Nevada, Reno Graduate School requirements. All material should be submitted online through the graduate school.

Applicants should submit the following:

  1. All required application materials as required by the Graduate School admissions requirements, including official transcripts from all previous educational institutions and GRE scores.
  2. A minimum of two and preferably three letters of recommendation.
  3. A letter of intent describing research interests, background preparation, and experience.
  4. Optional: Prospective students may elect to submit resumes and short examples of written work (articles published and/or working papers).

Candidates seeking assistantships should indicate their preference for teaching versus research assistantships in the University’s application for graduate school admission.

International Students

For international student information, please consult the Office of International Students and Scholars.

I. Plan A (Thesis) Course Requirements (30 units)


Specific course requirements include:

B. Quantitative Methods (6 units)


C. Elective or Tracks (12 units)


Students will take additional units in a particular field as approved by advisor. These may include areas such as Data Analytics, Regional Economics, Health Care Economics. Units must include at least six credits of economics.

D. Thesis (6 units)


E. The following is a typical schedule of courses for the Plan A (Thesis):


b. Second Semester (9 units)


  • 700-level elective (9 units)

c. Third Semester (12 units)


  • Thesis (6 units)
  • 600-level or 700-level electives (6 units)

Note(s):


The Master of Arts Plan A degree requires a thesis which must be approved by the student’s faculty advisory/ examining committee. Each candidate’s program of study must be approved by the student’s departmental advisor and the College of Business Director of Graduate Studies. Students must also meet all university and college requirements for the master’s degree.

II. Plan B (Non-Thesis) Course Requirements (30 units)


B. Quantitative Methods (6 units)


C. Elective or Tracks (15-18 units)


Students will take additional units in a particular field as approved by advisor. These may include areas such as Data Analytics, Regional Economics, Health Care Economics. Units must include at least nine credits of economics.

D. Applied Research (0-3 units)


Students may elect to pursue an internship and/or write a professional paper as part of their course of study.

E. The following is a typical schedule of courses for the Plan B (Non-Thesis):


b. Second Semester (9 units)


  • Quantitative methods course (3 units)
  • 600-level or 700-level elective (6 units)

c. Third Semester (12 units)


Note(s):


The Master of Arts Plan B degree does not require a thesis. However, additional course work approved by the students faculty advisory/examining committee must be completed. Each candidate’s program of study must be approved by the student’s departmental advisor and the College of Business Director of Graduate Studies. Students must also meet all university and college requirements for the master’s degree.

III. Program Total Hours (30 units)


Plan A requires - 30 units

Plan B requires - 30 units

Note(s):


* Curriculum requirements in the catalog supersede the Graduate handbook.

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