There are two general ways that a student can earn a Master’s degree in Economics at FSU. One way is to complete the requirements for the terminal M.S. program, including a thesis or an applied project (see option one and two below). The terminal Master’s program is discussed in this section. The other way is to complete the first one and half years of the Ph.D. program (see option three below). The course details of such a Master’s degree is discussed in the next section.

The M.S. program at FSU is designed so that it is a self-contained program in its own right that gives the successful student valuable skills as an applied economist. Graduates with such skills are in demand by both the public and private sectors.

To satisfy the requirements of a Master’s degree a student needs to complete the six core courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0, two or three elective courses (depending on if the thesis or applied project option is chosen), and an applied project or thesis. Note that the elective courses have to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, and should be relevant economics courses or other graduate courses that are an integral part of the students’ program of study. The program can be completed in a calendar year if the student takes a course load of 12 hours each semester and 6 or 9 hours in the summer. Registration for any course must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

• Required Courses
• Complementary Courses and Research
• Normal Progress
• Time Limit
• Transfer Credit
• Student Guide

Required Courses

There are six required courses (18 semester hours) for the M.S.; two each in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and quantitative methods.

Fall

Spring

Complementary Courses and Research

This component of the program can be satisfied in one of three ways:

• Option One. The student completes at least 6 hours of graduate-level course work beyond the required courses and in addition writes a thesis, for which at least 6 hours of ECO 5971 credit are granted. The thesis committee consists of a major supervisory professor and two other members of the Department (or, if appropriate, one other member and one "outside" professor), subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. An oral defense of the thesis is required (ECO 8976), and to this all members of the Department are invited. Option one requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit in total, required courses included.

• Option Two. Here at least 9 hours of graduate-level courses beyond those required must be completed. In addition, an applied project needs to be completed. The applied project is offered in the summer term directly following the completion of the core courses. The applied project carries a 6 hour course credit divided up into a first and second part of the summer. Option two entails a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate credit in total, including the required courses.

• Option Three. A student will be awarded the M.S. after completing the Ph.D. core micro, macro, and quantitative methods courses, History of Economic Thought (ECO 5405), and two elective courses (total of 33 semester hours graduate credit) with a minimum of GPA of 3.25.

Courses in supervised research or supervised teaching (ECO 5914 or 5940) do not count toward the hours requirement for any of the three options.

Normal Progress

To maintain normal progress, a student must maintain a 3.0 GPA, and must complete all degree requirements within four semesters of first enrolling. Graduation is not automatic; students must apply to the Registrar for graduation at the start of the semester they expect to graduate.

Time Limit

All work for the Master's degree must be completed within seven years from the time that a student first registers for graduate credit.

Transfer Credit

Transfer of credit to a maximum of 6 semester hours is allowed, provided that the courses were earned from an accredited institution, at the graduate level, in economics or in an allied discipline and have a letter grade of at least B. Courses taken more than seven years before completion of the Master's cannot be transferred.

Student Guide

The information on this page provides a brief summary of our program. The complete set of regulations that govern the program is provided by the Student Guide ( PDF).