Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Economics at The University of Texas at San Antonio is to offer courses and degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels that provide students with the opportunity to gain the necessary theoretical and quantitative tools in economics such that they can understand and apply economics in their daily lives, seek advanced degrees in economics, pursue careers in the global marketplace, and engage in public policy-making. It is also the mission of the department to provide an environment for its faculty and students to engage in research that will further the understanding of economics and enhance the reputation of the Department, the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, and the University.
Master of Science Degree in Economics
The Master of Science degree in Economics (M.S.E.) offers a program with modern quantitative methods and analytical tools suitable for a business-oriented or a social science-oriented study of economics. The program covers the essential theory of economics and econometrics but is primarily focused on applications and skill development. The program's design accommodates both students seeking a terminal degree in economics and students wishing to lay the groundwork to pursue a Ph.D. degree. Enrollment may be full-time or part-time.
There are three concentrations—General Economics, Financial Economics, and Business Data Analysis and Forecasting—to choose from. The General Economics concentration is designed to offer flexibility in course planning and is suitable for students preparing for doctoral studies in economics or related disciplines, as well as for those with interdisciplinary interests. Under the General Economics concentration, students with outstanding coursework or research experience may choose to write a thesis, though it is not required for the degree. The concentrations of Financial Economics and of Business Data Analysis and Forecasting are each designed with a selection of courses to offer students seeking careers in the private or public sectors the opportunity to learn and develop concentration-specific knowledge and practical skills. These two concentrations do not allow for a Master's Thesis. The program is supervised by the Economics Graduate Director together with the Economics Graduate Programs Committee.
Program Admission Requirements
For admission to the M.S.E. program, applicants must meet University-wide graduate admission requirements. Applicants are further considered on the basis of potential for success in graduate study in economics as indicated by a combination of records in the application package, including:
- A completed application form.
- Transcripts from all universities attended.
- A statement of purpose.
- A letter of recommendation (additional letters are welcome but optional).
- (Optional) A résumé or curriculum vitae.
At least one letter of recommendation from a university professor or instructor is appropriate, particularly for applicants with fewer than three years elapsed since the last semester of enrollment in an institution of higher education. Personal references should be avoided.
The Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates each applicant individually based on the stated records. Accepted students are required to have completed an undergraduate degree before the start of the master’s program.
Foundation Requirements
To facilitate good progress in the degree program, students will require the following three bodies of knowledge upon enrollment in the program:
- Economic Theory: Undergraduate level of economic theory, including Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics.
- Mathematics: An ability to apply calculus and linear algebra to equilibrium and optimization models in economics.
- Statistics: A basic knowledge of statistics, including probability distributions, sampling, and hypothesis testing.
The Graduate Admissions Committee examines the application package to evaluate whether an applicant meets the foundation requirements, with significant consideration given to the record of courses taken and grades earned in the three areas. Students who are admitted to the program but determined not to meet adequately the foundation requirements may be required to fulfill conditions as stipulated by the Graduate Admissions Committee in order to provide the necessary foundation prior to or within the first year of enrollment into the program.
The program admits students in both the Fall and Spring semesters. The core courses are scheduled on an annual basis in the form of a two-semester sequence beginning with the Fall semester.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete 33 semester credit hours and a comprehensive examination. Students must earn 15 of the 33 semester credit hours from the core courses required for the program. The remaining 18 semester credit hours may include the credits that students can earn from an internship and a directed research project or a Master's Thesis, depending upon a student's chosen concentration.
Comprehensive Examination. Students must pass a comprehensive examination administered by a graduate committee. This examination is normally taken in the semester in which degree requirements are completed. The student informs the Economics Graduate Advisor of the intent to take the examination during the first month of the graduating semester.
Internships. Students are encouraged to pursue an internship (in the U.S. or overseas) that would substitute for an elective course (3 semester credit hours) upon approval by the Graduate Advisor.
Directed Research Project. Students are encouraged to undertake a research project in their area of concentration. To do so, a student seeks out an Economics faculty member willing to advise the student on developing practical and relevant ideas for a research project in a shared area of interest. The project can be conducted as a course of independent study and substitute for an elective course (3 semester credit hours).
Master's Thesis. The Master’s Thesis option is only available in the general economics concentration and requires outstanding coursework or research experience. After successfully seeking out an Economics faculty member to serve as thesis advisor, students pursuing the Thesis Option will register in the Master's Thesis course (3 semester credit hours) in each of their final two semesters of the program. The thesis advisor supervises the writing of the research paper/project that involves a command of relevant economic theory, statistical methods, or field-research methodology. The Master’s Thesis will be copyrighted and made available to the public in the UT San Antonio library.
Students may do both an internship and a directed research paper (6 semester credit hours in total), or both an internship and a Master’s Thesis (9 semester credit hours in total), but not both a directed research paper and a Master's Thesis.
Master of Science Degree in Economics – General Economics Concentration
This concentration offers students the flexibility to tailor the course plan to their specific interests. It is particularly recommended for students interested in pursuing doctoral studies in Economics or a related discipline. This concentration may also be attractive to students seeking careers in government, politics, or the public sector, or pursuing interdisciplinary interests.
Students who select this concentration must complete the 15 semester credit hours of core courses and 18 semester credit hours of electives, with a plan of study designed in collaboration with the Graduate Advisor/Graduate Program Director. This concentration allows for, but does not require, a Master's Thesis.
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| Microeconomic Theory | |
| Macroeconomic Theory | |
| Applied Econometrics I | |
| Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis | |
| Statistical Methods in Research and Practice I | |
| Introduction to Statistical Inference |
| |
| Industrial Organization | |
| Public Economics | |
| Applied Econometrics II | |
| International Trade Theory and Policy | |
| Financial Economics | |
| Labor Economics | |
| Healthcare Economics and Policy | |
| Urban and Regional Economics | |
| Game Theory and Business Strategy | |
| Special Topics in Econometrics/Forecasting | |
| Economic Design of Markets and Platforms | |
| Causal Inference and Machine Learning | |
| Data Analytics with Python | |
| Economics Internship | |
| Independent Study | |
| Independent Study | |
| Special Topics | |
| Master's Thesis | |
| |
| |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 |
Master of Science Degree in Economics – Financial Economics Concentration
This concentration helps to prepare students seeking careers in the banking or financial sector that require finding solutions to real-world financial problems. This concentration facilitates the acquisition of both quantitative analytic skills in economics and financial modeling tools. The concentration-specific requirements offer students the opportunity to study domestic and international financial markets, as well as the principles of financial decision-making in the banking, investments, and corporate financial management professions.
Students who select this concentration must complete the 15 semester credit hours of core courses, 15 semester credit hours of concentration-specific courses, and 3 semester credit hours of electives. A Master's Thesis Option is not available for this concentration.
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| Microeconomic Theory | |
| Macroeconomic Theory | |
| Applied Econometrics I | |
| Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis | |
| Statistical Methods in Research and Practice I | |
| Introduction to Statistical Inference |
| Financial Economics | |
| Derivatives Markets and Instruments |
| Applied Econometrics II | |
| Special Topics in Econometrics/Forecasting |
| Causal Inference and Machine Learning |
| Financial Management | |
| |
| Investment Theory and Problems | |
| Banking and the Financial Services Industry | |
| Corporate Valuation | |
| International Financial Management | |
| Modeling of Financial Decision Making | |
| Financial Data Analytics and FinTech Lab | |
| |
| |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 |
Master of Science Degree in Economics – Business Data Analysis and Forecasting Concentration
This concentration helps to prepare students seeking careers in the private or public sector that require analyses of economic or business data for the purposes of facilitating managerial decision-making, prediction, and causal explanation, by facilitating the acquisition of both quantitative modeling skills in econometrics and computational data analytics tool. The concentration-specific requirements offer students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in working with data and selecting appropriate econometric tools to tackle issues of causal inference, prediction, and theory-testing arising in economic, business, and policy contexts.
Students who select this concentration must complete the 15 semester credit hours of core courses,15 semester credit hours of concentration-specific courses, and 3 semester credit hours of electives. A Master's Thesis Option is not available for this concentration.
Course List | Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| Microeconomic Theory | |
| Macroeconomic Theory | |
| Applied Econometrics I | |
| Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis | |
| Statistical Methods in Research and Practice I | |
| Introduction to Statistical Inference |
| |
| |
| Applied Econometrics II | |
| Special Topics in Econometrics/Forecasting | |
| Causal Inference and Machine Learning | |
| |
| |
| Data Analytics with Python | |
| SAS Programming and Data Management | |
| R Programming for Data Science | |
| |
| |
| Economic Design of Markets and Platforms | |
| Data Foundations | |
| Applied Econometrics in Marketing and Business Research | |
| Introduction to Statistical Learning | |
| Advanced Topics in Statistical Learning | |
| |
| |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 |
Accelerated Master of Science in Economics
The Department of Economics offers an Accelerated Economics Program tailored to UT San Antonio students who demonstrate exceptional motivation and qualifications and aspire to develop marketable skills in data-centric economic analysis and decision-making. Designed to facilitate a seamless transition into the Master of Science program and provide an expedited admission process, this program allows participants to initiate their graduate studies as early as the senior year of their undergraduate education.
The benefit of the accelerated program is it allows students to complete some graduate courses while still earning their undergraduate degree. In addition, students have the potential to reduce their time until graduation (e.g., students can start completing their graduate-level coursework during their senior year) and save money (e.g., students are not charged an application fee and potentially could double count one course); the program also creates an easier transition into graduate school (i.e., a known admission into graduate school while in their undergraduate education and a constant connection with UT San Antonio faculty and staff).
Program Admission Requirements
An individual seeking admission into the Accelerated Program in Economics must meet the following minimum requirements: 1) be a current UT San Antonio student enrolled in a bachelor's degree program, 2) complete 90 semester credit hours in their bachelor's degree program by the end of the semester of application, and 3) have an overall UT San Antonio grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
A free application must be completed and submitted online. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for admission, they will be contacted for a meeting to review the applicant file, to provide the undergraduate degree plan expected of the applicant if admitted to the accelerated program, and to discuss the expectations of the program for eventual admission into graduate student status, which will include completion of the requirements for the applicant's undergraduate degree.
Applicants may be enrolled in any bachelor's degree program at UT San Antonio. However, applicants pursuing a business degree, a STEM degree, a social science degree, or a public administration degree are likely to meet the Foundation Requirements of the master's program in Economics by the time of completion of the applicant's undergraduate degree.
Degree Requirements
Bachelor's Degree Requirements
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program in Economics are required to complete all the degree requirements associated with their bachelor's degree.
Master of Science Degree Requirements
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program in Economics are required to complete the standard degree requirement of the Master's in Economics.
Bachelor's/Master of Science Classification
Upon acceptance into the Accelerated Program in Economics, students are granted permission to enroll in graduate-level courses while still classified as undergraduates. Upon completing their bachelor's degree, students will receive a Keep Running with Us (KRWU) application to transition from undergraduate to graduate student status.
