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Master's in Economics and Quantitative Analysis

Woolsey Hall, current home of the Department of Economics in the W. Frank Barton School of Business

Discover a degree that can ignite your spark!

Effective CurriculumSTEM DesignationImpactful Research

The master’s program in Economics and Quantitative Analysis at Wichita State University offers a diverse set of approaches to the study of economics, emphasizing critical interaction among quantitative economics and their industrial and analytical application. The students join a close-knit community of faculty and peer collaborators. Our graduate program has been classified as STEM (CIP Code 45.0603). Students in our program can apply for a 24 month STEM extension of F1 Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Students in Woolsey Hall

Explore your opportunities

Economists are problem solvers. They collect and analyze data, research trends, and evaluate economic issues for resources, goods, and services. Get set up for success with jobs as researchers, consultants, analysts, data scientists, and government advisors. Check out the field’s classification system (called JEL codes) for more topics that economists study.

When you study economics, you will develop a wide range of analytical and critical thinking skills. As a result, you will be positioned for a wide variety of careers. Our alumni that have success after graduation include areas as diverse as:

  • Technology
  • Business
  • Government
  • Public Policy/Public Administration
  • Law
  • Journalism and Media
  • Education

"The professors in the economics program are top-notch and helped me understand and internalize complex ideas and theories. They really care about the growth and knowledge of each student." Robert Freeman Senior Technical Consultant at Salesforce Wichita State Alum, Class of 2014 Master of Arts in Applied Economics

A history of excellence

Wichita State's Master of Arts in Economics and Quantitative Analysis program has a rich history of attracting outstanding domestic and international students. This program plays a critical role in AACSB-accredited Barton School of Business and offers you a general economics track and three specialized tracks to choose from — data analytics, financial economics, or international economics. All tracks will equip you with a broad understanding of the overall economic environment, which will help you as you advance your career or pursue your Ph.D. in economics.

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Economics department faculty and staff

Concentrations

  • Data Analytics

    Ideal for students who wish to become a data scientist or an analyst in the industry or public sectors.

  • Financial Economics

    Ideal for careers in the financial institutions, including banks, investment companies, insurance companies, and real estate firms.

  • International Economics

    Ideal for students with an interest in the international economy.

  • General

    Available for students who want to to customize their program of study and take courses from Economics, and any other concentrations. 

Curriculum and courses

The program consists of 30 credit hours. The graduate coordinator or the department chairperson must approve the candidate’s plan of study.

Core Courses (18 credit Hours in Total)

  • ECON 722. Topics in Microeconomics (3 credits)
  • ECON 731. Applied Econometrics (3 credits)
  • ECON 801. Macroeconomic Analysis (3 credits)
  • ECON 803. Quantitative Analysis of Business Conditions and Forecasting (3 credits)
  • ECON 704. Behavioral Economics and Managerial Decisions (3 credits)
  • ECON 893. Research Project (3 credits)

Elective Courses (12 credit Hours in Total)

The Department of Economics offers a variety of traditional and contemporary courses for electives. Students can also take courses from Data Analytics, MIS, Finance, Marketing and Management as electives with the Graduate Coordinator's approval.

More details can be found here (Elective Courses)

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. Criteria for receiving one are primarily a student’s performance in economics and math/statistics classes. A full (100%) assistantship currently provides a stipend of $6,000 per academic year and an international student tuition reduction of about 50 percent. Students who have been accepted into the program can be considered for an assistantship at their request. The deadline to apply for graduate assistantships is March 30 for the fall semester and Oct 30 for the spring semester. Decisions will be made after the deadline. We courage early applications. To apply, fill out the application form for GA assistantship online. Note that this form doesn't need to be filled until you are admitted to the program. There is no need to contact individual professors for graduate assistantships, as decisions are made jointly by the department.

Scholarships

Global Select Scholarship

If your GPA is above 3.3 (out of 4.0) or its international equivalent, you are eligible for Global Select Scholarship. In order to apply, you only need to answer one scholarship question on the application for admission. The Graduate School will determine the student's eligibility for a scholarship.

Other Scholarships

There are also various other opportunities of scholarships for Economics students at Wichita State University. Please check the information here.

Cost Estimate

Visit the link below for an estimate of specific tuition and fee costs.

Basic Costs for Graduate Studies

Career Outlook

The following national information is from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The numbers may vary with the region you live.

Economists Career Outlook (New window: Bureau of Labor Statistics website)

What do economists do?

Economists collect and analyze data, research trends, and evaluate economic issues for resources, goods, and services.

How to become an economist?

Most economists need a master’s degree or Ph.D. However, some entry-level jobs—primarily in the federal government—are available for workers with a bachelor’s degree.

Job outlook

Employment of economists is projected to grow 13 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.

Admissions

If you have questions regarding the application process, the graduate school provides clear instructions regarding how to apply. Requirements:

  • Have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Admission is based primarily on GPA and background in economics.
  • Admission to full standing requires at 2.75 GPA for the last 60 credit hours and for courses in economics and required mathematics.

  • International applicants need to submit an official and acceptable English proficiency scores less than two years old (TOEFL (iBT) – 79, TOEFL (PBT) – 550, IELTS – 6.5 overall band score, PTE Academic – 58, Duolingo English Test – 115). Exceptions are applicants from certain English speaking countries.

  • The Graduate Record Examination is not required.
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