College of Management


Masters' Degrees in Economics

Three master's degree programs in economics are offered at NC State:

  • Master of Economics (M.E.)
  • Master of Arts (M.A.) in Economics
  • Master of Science (M.S.) in Agricultural Economics

The Master of Economics degree does not require a thesis; the M.A. and M.S. do require a thesis.

Each Master's program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours. Students are required to complete core courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. Remaining hour requirements are fulfilled through a combination of graduate level economics electives and, optionally, graduate level courses in complementary areas.

Up to nine of the required 30 hours may be in complementary areas. Many students choose to use their non-economics electives to complete an outside minor. Students should expect to take three to four semesters to complete the degree.

Students completing the M.A. or M.S. degree in economics must submit a thesis and complete a final oral exam. Specific requirements for each master's degree are outlined below and in our Graduate Program Handbook.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for the Master's programs are intermediate level courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics plus one semester of calculus. Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts and three letters of recommendation.

Submission of GRE scores is strongly encouraged. International students must submit TOEFL scores unless they have successfully completed at least one year as a full-time student at a U.S. university or college or have a degree from an institution of higher learning in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or New Zealand.

Domestic students needing prerequisite courses may undertake academic work part-time through the Lifelong Education (LLE) program administered by the McKimmon Center for Extension and Continuing Education. Up to 12 graduate credit hours taken through LLE may be transferred into a degree program upon formal admission. To ensure that enrollment in courses is appropriate for a degree plan, students using LLE registration should seek advice from the program office at (919) 515-7156 or ecg@ncsu.edu.

Financial Aid

Unfortuantely, we cannot offer departmental financial aid to our master's students. The NCSU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid can offer assistance in applying for academic loans and/or grants.