Economic Policy Analysis, M.A.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 36 credit hours of course work is required. These 36 credits include 15 credit hours of required core economics courses and six credit hours of required public policy courses. The remaining 15 credit hours are electives, of which at least two must be ECON courses. For UMBC undergraduates in the accelerated pathway, at least three of the elective courses must be ECON courses. Possible electives from other departments include courses in computer science, engineering, geography, life sciences, mathematics, public policy, political science, sociology or statistics. Elective packages of courses also may include appropriate courses from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) or other University System of Maryland campuses.

Core Courses (15 credit hours)

Public Policy Core Courses (6 credit hours)

Two courses (six credit hours). (For full course descriptions, see Course Descriptions course listings).

Elective Courses (15 credit hours)

Students are required to complete a package of five elective courses, at least two of which must be ECON courses. The program is designed to give students flexibility in the choosing of the five courses. The elective courses may include appropriate courses from economics, public policy or other programs at UMBC, UMB, College Park or other University System of Maryland campuses. For UMBC undergraduates in the “accelerated pathway,” at least three of these elective courses must be ECON courses.

Grade Requirements

To complete the requirements of the M.A. in Economic Policy Analysis, students must have a “B” average overall and in the four core economics courses:

Note:

In addition, a student can have no more than one “C” in these four courses. Students may retake any course to attain the “B” average or to replace a “C” in one of the core courses.

Comprehensive Exam for the M.A. Degree

Students will write and present a major paper in ECON 699 , the capstone seminar. In this paper, students must analyze a policy issue from an economic perspective and use empirical analysis to shed light on important, underlying economic relationships and, when possible, suggest future directions for policy. This paper will allow students to pull together the skills and insights they have gained in the master’s program. Each student will have a faculty advisor in addition to the instructor in ECON 699 for this paper. If the ECON 699 instructor and the faculty advisor are the same, the student must have a second reader. To complete the M.A. degree, students must receive a “B” or better on this paper from both the faculty advisor and the instructor for ECON 699 .

Seminar Requirement

Master’s students will be required to attend at least four professional seminars on economics or policy issues during the last two semesters of the program. Evidence of this attendance will be part of their grade in the capstone course, ECON 699 .