Master of Arts: EconomicsThe Department of Economics offers a master of arts degree. The M.A. program seeks to provide students with a broad level of competence in economics. Students are encouraged to extend the reach of their scholarship to acquire a wide-ranging foundation in addition to technical mastery of theory and quantitative methods. This is done through the combination of required and elective courses.
Career ImplicationsThe master of arts in economics is designed as a preparation for further graduate training at the doctoral level and for professional positions in industry, business, government, teaching and research. Courses may be taken in areas other than economics with the approval of the graduate adviser.The master of arts with an emphasis in applied economics is designed to prepare students for industry, business, government, trade, research and policy in urban-regional economic analysis.
Advising SystemStudents should consult with the graduate adviser, Frederic Lee , (816) 235-2543, leefs@umkc.edu, to plan their graduate program of study.
Admission RequirementsStudents may be admitted for graduate study in economics if they have a baccalaureate degree in economics from an accredited college or university with an overall grade-point average of at least 2.5 on the 4.0 scale (or the equivalent). Applicants whose undergraduate GPA is less than 2.5 may be considered for admission upon petition to the Graduate Admission Committee of the Department of Economics.Students who have a baccalaureate degree with an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or better and who did not major in economics may be admitted to the program upon consultation with the department's principal graduate adviser and on demonstrating proficiency in the following areas:
International students who have studied less than two years (full time) in a U.S. academic program or a comparable program in an English-speaking country are required to have TOEFL score of 550 or above or 213 on the computer-based test.
Degree RequirementsThirty hours of graduate work are required for the M.A. in economics. The following required courses (15 hours) and their prerequisites are listed:
(301 Macroeconomic Analysis) ECON 5502 Advanced Microeconomic Analysis (302 Microeconomic Analysis and 5521 Mathematical Economics) ECON 5521 Mathematical Economics ECON 5525 Econometric Methods (425 Int. Economic Statistics) ECON 5551 Advanced Institutional Theory (451 Institutional Economic Theory) ECON 5521 is waived if students have completed ECON 421 or its equivalent. In the event students have not had ECON 421 they should take ECON 5521. Calculus is strongly recommended as a prerequisite for ECON 5521. ECON 425 is required for all students who have not had it, or something very much like it. ECON 451 is required for all students who have not had an approved substitute - see graduate adviser. An additional 15 hours of coursework must be completed. Up to nine of these hours may be in selected 400-level courses in economics and related disciplines, upon consultation with the graduate adviser. Graduate credit toward the M.A. in economics is not given for courses at the 300 level. No more than 6 hours of ECON 5590, Special Topics, may be counted toward graduation. For students not entering in the fall semester, it is strongly recommended that ECON 5521 (Mathematical Economics) be taken at the first opportunity. The prerequisites for graduate courses are very important and must be completed prior to enrollment in courses with prerequisites. Graduate students in economics must also comply with the general graduate academic regulations as found in the School of Graduate Studies section of this catalog.
Requirements for RetentionStudents are expected to maintain a high degree of academic excellence. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 graduate grade-point average. A student who receives a grade of C+ or lower will receive an academic warning. Students who receive a grade of C or C- in two classes, or a grade of D+ or lower in one class, will be dropped from the program. A maximum of 3 hours of 2.0 (C) in graduate courses will be permitted to count toward graduation. A 3.0 (B) must be earned in all undergraduate courses approved for graduate credit and in ECON 5590 and ECON 5599.A student is required to fill out a "program of study" with the graduate adviser before the completion of 15 hours of coursework. At that time, the graduate committee will consider the student's performance and make a recommendation with regard to retention of the student. After being approved by the College of Arts and Sciences graduate officer, the program of study is filed with the UMKC Records Office and may be amended upon consultation with the graduate adviser.
Requirements for GraduationStudents on the elective courses track are required to complete 15 hours beyond the required courses. Of these, 6 hours must be at the 5500 level. Students on the project track complete a supervised applied research project which counts as part of the 15 hours beyond the required courses. The number of hours for the project depends on its scope and is determined by students and their project adviser. For more information about the project, see the graduate adviser. Depending on the scope of the project, students are required to take 3 to 6 hours from among the following courses:
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