MA/MS econ programs

[jcm412]

I made a similar post in another section with no luck so i decided to try here. I am considering a master program in econ for use in the business/law field. I would like to get my masters in econ before i go to law school. So my question is how competitive are masters programs in econ? What does it take to get into programs like Duke, NYU, etc? Is there as heavy a pref on math as with Phd programs? What are admissions looking for in prosp students for masters programs? Are there any good rankings for econ masters programs in the US?

[YoungEconomist]

Originally Posted by jcm412

I made a similar post in another section with no luck so i decided to try here. I am considering a master program in econ for use in the business/law field. I would like to get my masters in econ before i go to law school. So my question is how competitive are masters programs in econ? What does it take to get into programs like Duke, NYU, etc? Is there as heavy a pref on math as with Phd programs? What are admissions looking for in prosp students for masters programs? Are there any good rankings for econ masters programs in the US?

What kind of job do you plan on getting in business/law?

In my opinion, masters programs (even the selective ones like Duke and NYU) are significantly easier to get admitted to in comparison to PhD programs. However, I do not want to give you the impression that they are easy to get admitted to (in absolute terms) because they still expect a pretty solid profile. The math at most masters programs is not as heavy, but it'd still be good to have calc (the whole one year series), matrix algebra, and some probability/stats. Adcoms are still looking for the QGRE score and grades in math and econ courses.

You should post your profile and we will be in a better position to give you advice about which masters programs you're likely to get into.

[jcm412]

Well I have a BA in economics and criminology. I come from a low ranked state school. I have a 3.7 gpa. I have taken a ton of econ courses including Micro and Macro Analysis/theory and Honors Econometics. I have also taken an econ honors thesis class which I worked along side a prof to write a thesis. My math classes were limited to prob/stat and calc I and II in which I got A's. I haven't taken my gre's yet. Could get research experience if I choose from a somewhat well known Phd.

I would possibly like to get into economic consulting, policy, corp law, or tax law.

Coming from a low ranked UG do i even have a chance of getting into schools like duke, nyu, or usc even with a high gre. I wouldnt be completely against top 20 or 30 schools either. Any sug?

I am also willing to take some summer math courses.

[YoungEconomist]

Originally Posted by jcm412

Well I have a BA in economics and criminology. I come from a low ranked state school. I have a 3.7 gpa. I have taken a ton of econ courses including Micro and Macro Analysis/theory and Honors Econometics. I have also taken an econ honors thesis class which I worked along side a prof to write a thesis. My math classes were limited to prob/stat and calc I and II in which I got A's. I haven't taken my gre's yet. Could get research experience if I choose from a somewhat well known Phd.

I would possibly like to get into economic consulting, policy, corp law, or tax law.

Coming from a low ranked UG do i even have a chance of getting into schools like duke, nyu, or usc even with a high gre. I wouldnt be completely against top 20 or 30 schools either. Any sug?

I am also willing to take some summer math courses.

Your profile looks solid and I really think you would likely be admitted to the higher ranked US masters programs (Duke, NYU, USC, Boston, etc). I don't think they will care too much about you coming from a lower ranked school (it seems this plays a bigger role for PhD admissions).

You should also consider taking some more math classes. Not neccessarily for admissions (although if you do well, that will definitely help for admissions), but because I think it will make the coursework easier. I know someone at the Duke program and they regretted not taking more math during undergrad. Do you know partial derivatives? If not, you'd need one more calc course. Definitely take matrix algebra. Then if you have more time, you might want to take a few more math classes, as it will make graduate level econ easier. These more optional classes would include diff eq, calc based probability, an intro proofs class, and real analysis. Once again, these optional classes are not at all neccessary, but they will definitely help you think more mathematically and they will definitely make grad level econ easier.

[jcm412]

Are there any other higher ranked US master programs you would recommend looking into?

[YoungEconomist]

I would check out Tufts. I looked into their masters program a year or two ago, and it seemed like a solid program. At the very least it's worth looking into.

[FilleNouvelle]

Just while we're on the subject, is there any kind of official ranking of US masters programs?

[YoungEconomist]

I've looked before and never came across any.

[sandman29]

YoungEconomist, since you seem to have a good amount of knowledge on this topic, I'd like to ask:

How plausible are my chances for admission to USC Economics M.A. with a 3.5 GPA, with an honors with highest distinction award (i wrote a senior thesis), and a 1420 on the GRe (800 quan/620 verbal)? I did well in my econometrics courses and calculus classes. If I'm really reaching, what schools should I consider realistic? Thanks.

[octavio]

Originally Posted by sandman29

How plausible are my chances for admission to USC Economics M.A. with a 3.5 GPA, with an honors with highest distinction award (i wrote a senior thesis), and a 1420 on the GRe (800 quan/620 verbal)? I did well in my econometrics courses and calculus classes. If I'm really reaching, what schools should I consider realistic? Thanks.

Your chances are fine. Here's an anecdote: a guy I know who had lower qualifications than you in all areas was offered admission (Fall 2007). I think their main concern was getting him to write them the tuition check. Aid was nonexistent, for him at least. He ended up going elsewhere.