Master's in Econ Ranking?

[Pan123]

Does anyone know the rankings in terms of PhD placement?

I heard that the programs in Canada (UBC, U of T, Queen's) and U.K. (LSE) are the best. Are there any other top programs? How do they rank among one another in terms of PhD placement?

Also, is it hard to get admitted? What is the typical number of applicants, and how many are accepted?

[sting54911]

I dont think you can find rankings for MS programs. Rankings usually take into account research and papers, and at the Master's level these are very rare. So, your best bet is word of mouth. The places you listed are pretty good, and depending on your geography, the Delhi School of Economics, and Indian Institute of Statistics both place students very very well, usually into top phd programs worldwide.

[Jordan]

I know that Miami University, Ohio has a pretty good terminal masters program. They used to send out literature to people interested in the program that listed the Phd programs that recent grads had gone to. There were lots of schools in the top 20 or 30...probably at least 15 good, well-respected programs. It's pretty easy to get in and get funded too. I know I did, and did not have anything spectacular in my profile.

[reactor]

Indeed! The program looks solid.
http://www.sba.muohio.edu/economics/maecon/

any idea what are the tuition fees with no aid?

[Jordan]

I really don't remember any of the specifics. I remember the funding wasn't a whole lot. Free tution and maybe $3000 per semester, or something like that. Enough to pay rent, but I would have needed some loan money to make ends meet.

I decided to go somewhere that offered a bit more aid, but regret it now. It's been an okay program, but I didn't realize a couple of years ago that I would be considering Phd programs after my masters was complete. The school I'm finishing up at now has put a few people in programs, but mostly lower ranked programs...places like Northeastern U (in Boston), Southern Illinois, Utah, etc. A couple people have made it to Iowa and UIUC in past years, and one guy this year was accepted at Indiana, so I suppose not all hope is lost. I'll just wait and see what happens next year.

[asquare]

In my opinion, LSE has the best master's program for people who want to go on to do PhDs. There are a few caveats -- including that it's expensive and hard to get funding for Americans. Also, there are several relevant programs. The one-year MS in econ probably won't help you too much with future PhD admissions simply because your professors won't have had time to get to know you before you need recommendations. Either the two year MS or the research MS, or one of the mathematical economics programs, would probably work better for you.

Additionally, I think you mentioned an interest in finance. If that's correct, you might consider the Masters in Finance at the Bendheim Center at Princeton. It's a small, relatively new, but excellent program with a good placement record in industry and PhD programs (econ and finance) given its brief history. The faculty are top-notch. The program can be completed in one or two years, depending on your background. It's worth checking out.

[EconMist]

I am also considering a maste'rs in economcs, but I think a prior master's in economics just to go to universities like Southern Illinois and Utah will be a waste of time unless (like me) you feel like you need a "warm-up" degree. Pan123, if you don't mind going to a relatively lower ranked university, then you might as well go ahead and give it a shot after your bachelor's. Afterall, wherever you're going to go, you will have to get another master's from that insitution anyways.

[EE570]

asquare: you are absolutely correct about Princeton, but it is expensive and very very hard to get into. But if you got in, then even if you didn't get into a PhD program (though if you got in there you could more then likely get in to a PhD program) you are looking at probably a 6 figure income starting with just the Mfin.