A One-Year Master's Degree in Applied Economics

The M.A. in Applied Economics offers a hands-on experience and a dynamic framework for economic analysis, aiming to improve understanding of complex systems, inform effective policies, and achieve sustainable outcomes while considering human dignity and the common good. The M.A. in Applied Economics is STEM designed, which offers international students up to three years of Optional Practical Training (OPT) permit.

30

credits to complete the degree.

1

Year to complete the degree.

24

Elective courses available to specialize your degree.

Students in the program will learn to:
  • More accurately create, analyze, and measure outcomes of economic activity.
  • Produce a better understanding of complex systems.
  • Motivate more effective economic policies and interventions.
  • Foster a more appropriate engagement of emerging new technologies.
  • Achieve more effective and sustainable outcomes that take into account the dignity of the human person and the pursuit of the common good of society.

Tuition is $1,350/credit.

  • Admissions Requirements

    Required Documents for Master's Degrees

    • A Completed Catholic University online application (No application fee is required.)
    • Official transcripts from all post-secondary instituitions (Unofficial transcripts can be used for the admissions review.)
    • English Proficiency test scores (International students only)

    Official transcripts and English proficiency scores must be submitted for full admittance to the University. Your official copies should be sent from the institution to em-operations@cua.edu.

    For international students, a credential evaluation of your coursework will be provided free of charge by the University.

    Recommended Documents for Master's Degrees

    • Resume or curriculum vitae
    • One letter of recommendation
    • A professional goal statement

    Application Deadlines

    • Fall Semester
      • July 1 for international students
      • August 15 for domestic students
    • Spring Semester
      • November 1 for international students
      • December 15 for domestic students
    • Summer Semester
      • April 1

  • Curriculum

    Coursework for the M.A. in Applied Economics is 30 credits. The program structure is designed to be completed in one-year, but also has an option to those who wish to pursue it at a slower pace in 1.5 years.

    Program Structure

    • Three 3-credit core courses in economics (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics). 
    • Seven 3-credit elective courses.

    In total, students take ten 3-credit courses to complete the 30 credits of the program.

    One-year Completion

    First Semester 

    (Fall or Spring)

    Second Semester

     (Spring or Fall)

    Summer Semester

    Advanced Microeconomics

    Elective 2

    Elective 6

    Advanced Macroeconomics

    Elective 3

    Elective 7

    Econometrics

    Elective 4

    Elective 1

    Elective 5
    One-and-a-half year Completion

    First Semester 

    (Fall or Spring)

    Second Semester 

    (Fall or Spring)

    Third Semester 

    (Fall or Spring)

    Advanced Microeconomics

    Elective 1

    Elective 5

    Advanced Macroeconomics

    Elective 2

    Elective 6

    Econometrics

    Elective 3

    Elective 7

    Elective 4

  • Course Descriptions

    Explore the comprehensive curriculum of our M.A. in Applied Economics through the detailed course descriptions. Each course is crafted to provide you with a well-rounded and practical education, equipping you with the tools needed to thrive in today's economic landscape. Learn More

  • Electives

    • Experimental Economics    
    • Economic Development    
    • Environment and Economics
    • Energy and the Environment
    • Technology and Economics
    • Urban Economics
    • Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing
    • Big Data for Economics
    • Cryptoeconomics and Blockchain
    • Ethical Challenges of AI
    • Survey Design 
    • Politics and Development
    • Global Agriculture and Food Security 
    • International Organizations and Development
    • Program Management
    • Data analysis
    • Softwares for visualization and data analysis
    • PSY - Psychology of Work (Partnership with Psychology)
    • PSY - Leadership in Organizations (Partnership with Psychology)
    • PSY - Personality Psychology (Partnership with Psychology)
    • DA - Introduction to Data Science and Python (Partnership with Computer Science)
    • DA - Introduction to Machine Learning (Partnership with Computer Science)
    • DA - Data Visualization with Tableau (Partnership with Computer Science)
    • DA  - Business Data Analytics (Partnership with Computer Science)