Economics, M.A.

Economics (M.A.) 45 units

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, students must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have a grade point average of 2.75 or better over the last 90 quarter units or 60 semester units of their undergraduate program. A student who does not meet the grade point requirements may be admitted at the discretion of the department pending receipt of other evidence of the student’s academic achievement.

International students must show English proficiency by posting an official TOEFL score of 580 or above (237 on the Computer-Based TOEFL), or by posting an official transcript showing graduation with a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university, or an international college or university where English is the principal language of instruction, or by an official letter from the college or university certifying that English was the language of instruction.

Students enrolling in the program are expected to have completed the equivalent of MATH 1810  and ECON 4000  (mathematical economics) or a two-course sequence in calculus; STAT 1000  or STAT 2010  or equivalent; and at least one course in intermediate micro-economics and one course in intermediate macro-economics. These course prerequisites must have been completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better and within 5 years of starting the program. Rare exceptions can be granted with permission from both the Department Chair and Graduate Advisor. Students who have not completed the Economics prerequisites may enroll in the undergraduate courses to fulfill the prerequisites.

Advancement to Candidacy

There are three levels of advancement for students within the M.A. program: “Conditionally Classified Graduate” standing, “Classified Graduate” standing, and “Advancement to Candidacy.” Note: If a student is in post-baccalaureate status but has not been accepted into a graduate degree program s(he) is an “Unclassified Post-baccalaureate” student. Admission to the university as an “Unclassified Post-baccalaureate” student in no way implies acceptance to a graduate degree program.

To be Advanced to Candidacy in the M.A. program a student must:

1. be a “Classified Graduate” student in good standing;
2. have filed an approved program of study with the department;
3. have completed at least 12 quarter units in Economics considered applicable by the department toward the M.A. degree requirements, including at least 8 quarter units of graduate level (6100-6999 series) work in residence at Cal State East Bay; and
4. have been recommended for Advancement to Candidacy by the department.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with an M.A. in Economics from Cal State East Bay will be able to:

1. Show an advanced understanding of economic theory.
2. Show an advanced understanding of econometrics.
3. Apply economic theory and methods to strategic and policy issues.
4. Examine and Analyze economic data using appropriate specialized software.

There are three levels of advancement for students within the M.A. program: “Conditionally Classified Graduate” standing, “Classified Graduate” standing, and “Advancement to Candidacy.” Note: If a student is in post-baccalaureate status but has not been accepted into a graduate degree program s(he) is an “Unclassified Post-baccalaureate” student. Admission to the university as an “Unclassified Post-baccalaureate” student in no way implies acceptance to a graduate degree program.

Requirements for Graduation

To be eligible for the M.A. degree in economics a student musthave been Advanced to Candidacy

Have completed 45 quarter units of graduate work as indicated and of which:

1. all must have been earned within the five years just preceding the completion of the requirements for the degree;
2. not fewer than 32 must have been completed in residence;
3. not fewer than 28 must have been in Economics courses in the 6100-6999 series;
4. not more than 5 may have been for a thesis (ECON 6910);
5. not more than 13 have been taken in “Unclassified Post-baccalaureate” status and/or for extension and/or transfer course credit, as approved by the department;
6. each course must have a grade of “C” or better and all 45 units must result in at least a 3.00 GPA

Course Descriptions

Use this link to see all Course Descriptions  available throughout this catalog.

Other Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

In addition to departmental requirements, every student must also satisfy the university requirements for graduation which are described throughout this catalog. These requirements include the 32-unit residence requirement, the five-year rule on currency of subject matter, the minimum number of units of 6000-level courses, the 3.00 grade point average, and the University Writing Skills Requirement. For information on meeting the University Writing Skills Requirement, see the Testing Office website or call 510.885.3661.