Masters Programs
SMU’s highly ranked economics master’s programs, consistently ranked as top 25% per the TFE Times, help transform business oriented and tech savvy students into professional economists, business analytics experts and business leaders. Flexible and innovative programs emphasize theoretical rigor as well as a comprehensive quantitative and analytics training across a wide array of courses, including computational economics, international trade, and financial economics. Evening classes accommodate students with regular employment.
With domestic and international students from more than 20 countries over recent years, the SMU master’s student body is very diverse. SMU master’s graduates have access to a wide variety of job opportunities and typically hold various managerial and economist positions in the Dallas-Fort Worth corporate sector.
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M.A. in Applied Economics
This degree program has two tracks:
The Applied Economics track emphasizes the application of economic theory with quantitative skills and computer literacy as required by corporations and financial institutions in their economic decision-making processes. A rigorous theoretical economic framework is established for the study of government policy and the growing openness of the U.S. economy to international competition and economic events. At the same time, mathematical rigor is not compromised. The necessary concepts are developed from the basics, but at a more deliberate pace than in a Ph.D. program.
The Law and Economics Track is designed to suit the need of lawyers for more knowledge of economics, particularly applied microeconomic analysis of problems commonly encountered by lawyers and judges, and includes econometric analysis often encountered by the courts from expert witnesses on both sides of a case.
M.S. in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics
The Master of Science in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics (MSAEPA) is a relatively new degree offered by the Department of Economics. Predictive Analytics refers to the process of building models that predict consumer behaviors under different circumstances, and help customize product offerings that better suit the tastes and preferences of consumers. It also refers to building models to predict time series variables of importance to businesses and governments like product sales and tax revenues, and to evaluate competing government programs and business strategies.
The MSAEPA is designed to help meet the burgeoning demand for analytics training on the part of business, government, and non-profits. This degree focuses on economic analysis and decision making, along with strong quantitative training, and brings additional skills not typically provided in analytics programs in Statistics, Engineering, or Business programs. The MSAEPA is a 30 credit hour degree.
4+1 Master's Degree Program
The 4+1 program offers current students an opportunity to earn both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree within five years, at a lower cost compared to doing both degrees separately. This program will allow students to save money, time, and to complement their SMU undergraduate degree.
Contact Information
For more information about the Masters' program, please contact us at ECOmastersinfo@smu.edu.