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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Master of Arts in Economics

Up one level:

Graduate Programs in Economics

University requirements for the master's degree are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

The department does not admit students who plan to terminate their graduate study with the M.A. degree. Students may, but need not, elect this degree in preparation for the Ph.D. degree. A master's option is also available to Ph.D. candidates from other departments.

Admission—Prospective students must have completed the Stanford requirements for a B.A. in Economics or approximately equivalent training. Since students are required to take some of the same courses as Ph.D. candidates, similar preparation in mathematics and statistics generally is expected. Prospective applicants should submit their credentials together with a plan of study to the Director of Graduate Study for approval.

Requirements—A master's program must satisfy these criteria:

  1. Completing, at Stanford, at least 45 units of credit beyond those required for the bachelor's degree, of which at least 40 units must be in the Department of Economics. Students must complete ECON 202 and at least three other 200-level courses. They must receive a grade of 'B-' or better in ECON 202. Undergraduate courses must be numbered 105 or higher. No seminar courses numbered 300 or above can be counted.
  2. Demonstrating competence in empirical methodology by receiving a grade of 'B-' or better in both ECON 270 and 271, or by receiving a grade of 'B-' or above in each of ECON 102A, B, and C.
  3. Submitting two term papers (or a thesis of sufficient quality). At least one of these papers must be deemed to represent graduate-level work. Normally, this means that it is written in connection with a 200-level course. A maximum of 10 units of credit can be earned for a thesis toward the 45-unit degree requirement.
  4. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 must be maintained for all master's level work. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

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