FAQ

What are the minimum requirements for admission to the M.S. Economics program?

For an unconditional acceptance, you must have a minimum 3.00 GPA from an accredited undergraduate institution from the last 60 credits of your degree, and a minimum GRE score of Verbal 150, Quantitative 150 OR a minimum GMAT score of 500.

How do I apply for admission to the M.S. Economics program?

All applications are completed online. Please click here for the application center.

When is the deadline for applications?

For Fall admission, U.S. students must apply by July 1 and International students must apply by February 15. For Spring admission, U.S. students must apply by November 1 and International students by July 15. For Summer admission, U.S. students must apply by April 1 and International students by January 15.

What if I do not meet the minimum requirements for admission?

If you do not meet the GPA or GRE/GMAT requirement for unconditional admission, you may still be able to enroll in graduate-level economics courses as a non-degree seeking student (with permission from the instructor and graduate director). Non-degree seeking students who perform well in graduate-level courses (minimum B+ in all courses agreed upon with the graduate director) will be invited to re-apply for full admission into the program. These applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed admission but are considered based on the likelihood of completing the program. Credits earned as a non-degree seeking student may be transferred into the program upon receiving full admission.

How many credits do I need to complete the M.S. Economics degree?

A minimum of 30 credit hours is required.

What is the minimum GPA required to graduate?

An overall GPA of 3.00 is required. Any grade below “C” is considered a failure and does not count toward the Master’s Degree.

What times and days are classes typically held?

Most graduate classes in Economics are held once a week in the evenings (6:30pm to 9:40pm) on the Boca Raton campus, with a live remote attendance option. However, various field and elective courses may be held during the day, online, or on other campuses.

Can I complete the M.S. Economics degree entirely online?

All graduate economics (ECO 6000-level) classes provide the option to attend in person on the Boca Raton campus or to attend via live streaming (e.g., Zoom) at the designated class time. Students attending classes remotely are expected to have their video (webcams) turned on during class. The remote attendance option does not apply to non-Economics courses, such as those offered in the Finance, Information Technology, and Management departments (though some courses in those departments may have online options). Therefore, the only guaranteed way to complete the entire program online is to take all economics courses (i.e., the General Economics track). However, it may be possible to complete a concentration online if the required non-Economics courses are offered online, though this is not guaranteed.

Must I have an undergraduate degree in Economics to apply?

No! Prospective students with undergraduate degrees in any discipline are allowed to apply. However, those without an Economics background are required to take a few prerequisite classes before enrollment in graduate coursework in Economics. It is strongly recommended that students have the following courses before entering the Master’s in Economics program: Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Calculus, Introduction to Statistics, Econometrics, and Mathematical Economics. To be clear, it is not necessary to complete all of these courses before beginning your studies at FAU, but it is suggested that all of these courses be completed by the end of your first semester of the Graduate Program.

Is there a lot of math in the graduate classes?

Because Economics is an analytical science, it does require extensive math skills. However, these skills can be learned via the prerequisite classes noted above.

How large are the classes in the graduate program?

Graduate classes in Economics typically range from 12 to 20 students.

Do I have to write a Masters Thesis?

The Master’s Thesis is optional. Should you pursue it, it will count as 6 credit hours of your 30 needed to graduate. If you do not wish to pursue the Master’s Thesis, you would simply take classes in its place in order to earn the required credits.

What are the steps to pursue a Masters Thesis?

To pursue a Master’s Thesis, you must have a clearly written proposal outlining your topic, data sources, and methodology. Then, you must find a Thesis advisor (any graduate faculty member in the Department of Economics) along with two additional professors (one of whom may be from another department) willing to supervise your thesis. Please note that professors are under no obligation to supervise, and most will supervise only if your topic is aligned with their research interests. Once the thesis committee is formed, the expectations and timeline will be agreed upon between you and your committee, and you must satisfy all requirements set by the Graduate College. If you are unable to form a committee, an alternative is to pursue a Directed Independent Study (3 credits), which is a less formal research arrangement between you and one professor. There is no guarantee that a professor is willing to supervise a Directed Independent Study.

Are there funding opportunities or assistantships?

Yes, the Department of Economics offers Graduate Assistantships (GA) on a competitive basis to outstanding full-time graduate students. GAs work 20 hours a week assisting faculty with various teaching activities and earn a stipend of approximately $4,000 per semester along with a tuition waiver of up to 9 graduate credit hours (required university fees of $70 to $100 per credit hour excluded).

Are there opportunities to attend International Study Tours?

Yes! Each May, the College of Business offers several one-week study tours where students can earn three credits towards their graduate degrees. In recent years, tours have visited Costa Rica, Brazil, Greece, Argentina, and Great Britain. Each tour is scheduled during the one-week break between Spring and Summer semesters, so that you will not miss any classes to attend these tours.

Are there other interesting things to know about the program?

Graduate students are encouraged to be an active component of the department. Graduate students are encouraged to attend bi-weekly research seminars, a forum where leading academic faculty present their current research. Students are also encouraged to join the FAU Economics Club.

I have more questions. Who do I contact?

You may contact Michaela Smolka, Graduate Advisor, at msmolka2014@fau.edu or at (561) 297-2775, or Dr. Eric Chiang, Graduate Director of Economics, at chiang@fau.edu.