Economics (M.A.)

The M.A. in economics provides students with advanced training in the theoretical foundations of economics with applications in fields such as financial, development, international, health, environmental and monetary economics, among other fields. This training provides students with the means to build a successful career within a diversity of industries and institutions. The program promotes creative, analytic thinking through application of the theoretical foundations to a wide variety of economic issues and problems. Students are taught by faculty with international reputations in their fields and who bring research excellence or industry experience to the classroom.

Learning Goals

Through the economics M.A. program, our students will:
 
  • Understand the historical and modern foundations and theories of micro and macroeconomics
  • Deepen their understanding of economic models of the household, firm, and institutions
  • Develop the ability to organize and analyze specialized data
  • Learn empirical methods to work with data applications in financial markets, international development, health, education among others. 
  • Learn about the social dimensions of economic policy and about policies to improve equity and efficiency of economic outcomes in a variety of contexts
  • Learn to effectively communicate their knowledge of economic issues to any audience via presentations, written reports, and projects

The master's in economics program requires 30 credits of coursework (10 classes) and the passing of a capstone project course. Full-time students usually complete the M.A. within a 12-month period. Classes are offered in the evenings at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Fordham University's Rose Hill campus. M.A. candidates must maintain a 3.0 (B) average in their course work.

Prerequisites

An undergraduate degree in a field emphasizing economics and/or quantitative skills—such as a degree in economics or international political economy; or a degree in math, finance, psychology, computer science, or business with a minor in economics—is expected. The following courses or equivalent should be taken prior to beginning the M.A. in economics program:

  • Intermediate-Level Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
  • Math for Economists OR Calculus I and Linear Algebra
  • Statistics I and Statistics II

If these classes were not completed with a previous degree, then the required classes will be added to a student's admission. These classes must be taken in the first semester or prior to beginning the program (e.g., during the summer or previous semester).

Curriculum

Course Title Credits
Core Courses
ECON 5710Mathematical Analysis in Economics 13
ECON 6010Microeconomic Theory I3
ECON 6020Macroeconomic Theory I3
ECON 6910Applied Econometrics3
or ECON 6950 Financial Econometrics
Six elective courses, selected from any mix of options within these thematic clusters: 218
Economic Theory
Economic Development
Quantitative Economics
Monetary Economics
Financial Economics
International Economics
Special Topics
Capstone Research Project
ECON 6999Research in Economics Capstone1
Total Credits31
1

ECON 5710 Mathematical Analysis in Economics must be taken in the first semester.

2

 Any graduate-level economics course fills this requirement; a list can be found on our department page.

Thematic Clusters

Economic Theory

Course Title Credits
ECON 5750Game Theory3
ECON 5760Computational Macroeconomics/Finance3

Economic Development

Course Title Credits
ECON 5415Gender & Economic Development3
ECON 5540Emerging Markets3
ECON 5600Health and Development3
ECON 6440Development Economics3
ECON 6460Agriculture and Development3
ECON 6490Foreign Aid and Development3
ECON 6530International Economics of Growth and Development3

Quantitative Economics

Course Title Credits
ECON 5730Econometrics and Finance Using R - Part I3
ECON 5735Econometrics and Finance Using R - Part 2: Topics3
ECON 5760Computational Macroeconomics/Finance3
ECON 6910Applied Econometrics3
ECON 6950Financial Econometrics3
ECON 6970Applied Microeconometrics3
ECON 6990Topics in Econometric Theory3
ECON 7910Econometrics I3
ECON 7920Econometrics II3

Monetary Economics 

Course Title Credits
ECON 6310Monetary Policy3
ECON 6320Monetary Theory3

Financial Economics

Course Title Credits
ECON 5040Strategic Financial Management3
ECON 5570Global Financial Markets *3
ECON 6240Financial Economics3
ECON 6340Financial Theory3

International Economics

Course Title Credits
ECON 6510International Trade3
ECON 6560International Finance3
ECON 8570Topics in Open Economy Macroeconomics3

Special Topics

Course Title Credits
ECON 5006Programming Economics and Finance3
ECON 5020African Economic Development3
ECON 5105Topics in Economic History3
ECON 5260Epidemics and Development Policy3
ECON 5280Urban Economics3
ECON 5590Health Economics3
ECON 5760Computational Macroeconomics/Finance3
ECON 6480Environmental and Resource Economics3
*

Economics M.A. and Ph.D. students cannot use a course marked with an asterisk (*) as an elective unless they obtain prior approval from the associate chair for graduate studies in economics.

Capstone Research Project

The capstone project course in economics provides students with additional skills in econometrics and data analysis and is taken after completion of ECON 6010 and ECON 6020. It is a project based course with a final paper and is offered twice per year, in late fall and spring.

CIP Code

45.0603 - Econometrics and Quantitative Economics.


You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.