Master of Arts in Economics

• ECON 8230: Microeconomics for Public Policy or ECON 8500: Price Theory for Business
• ECON 8430: Strategy, Markets and Competition
• ECON 8510: Master's Economic Research
• ECON 8700: Economic Analytics for Business

The following are the currently approved economics electives.

• ECON XXXX: Financial Economics
• ECON XXXX: Personnel Economics
• ECON 6240: Organization of Industries
• ECON 6280: Cost-Benefit Analysis
• ECON 6020: Law and Economics
• ECON 6290: Economics of Energy Markets
• ECON 6220: Monetary Economics
• ECON 6400: Game Theory
• ECON 6570: Natural Resource Use, Technology, and Policy
• ECON 6100: Economic Development
• ECON 6110: Economics of Education
• ECON 6120: International Microeconomics
• ECON 6130: International Macroeconomics
• ECON 6230: Economics of Health
• ECON 6250: Antitrust Economics
• ECON 6260: Seminar in Sports Economics
• ECON 6270: Development of the American Economy
• ECON 8110: Economics of Environmental Quality
• ECON 8150: Economic History of the United States
• ECON 8260: Economic Theory of Regulation
• ECON 8270: Economics of Institutions and Organizations
• ECON 8600: Data Analysis for Economics
• ECON 8610: Advanced Data Analysis for Economics
• ECON 8710: Advanced Data Analytics for Business

NOTE: Please see the M.A. Economics handbook for the electives offered outside the economics department.

The program takes a broad view of applicants. There are no limits on the number of students that can be accepted. Students accepted into the program have demonstrated the preparation and ability to be successful.

Accepted students will typically have the following qualifications:

• A four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0.
• Taken intermediate microeconomics and earned 3.0 or above.
• Taken a statistics course and earned 3.0 or above.
• Taken univariate and multivariate calculus and earned 3.0 or above.

Students who majored in economics, agricultural economics, mathematics or statistics and took intermediate microeconomics will have adequate backgrounds.

Students who have not achieved all of the above will still be considered, but students need to then provide evidence that they will be successful in the program. This could be by explaining exceptional circumstances or by describing the subsequent steps that students have taken to improve or demonstrate competency in each of these areas.

Excellent students with inadequate backgrounds in economics may be admitted but may also be required to take extra, co-requisite undergraduate courses, such as intermediate microeconomics or calculus. Domestic students with inadequate backgrounds may also apply as non-degree seekers, take co-requisite undergraduate or even core graduate courses, and then apply to the program.

To apply for admission to the M.A. in Economics program, please follow these instructions and start the online application. Applications should be completed by March 15 to guarantee a decision and notification before April 15.

Complete applications should include the following:

1. Complete official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions.
2. A personal statement that includes the applicant's reasons for pursuing a master's degree and why they believe their preparation is sufficient to be successful. The applicant must write this personal statement.
3. Two letters of recommendation should be from academic sources for undergraduate applicants. For currently employed applicants, please include one academic and one employment reference. The letters should specifically address the applicant's ability and preparation to be successful in a master's program.
4. A curriculum vitae or resume.
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are NOT required, but they are encouraged. For students who do not meet the admission requirements described above, a GRE score would be an acceptable way to address shortcomings. Median scores of students recently admitted to the M.A. in Economics are 158 (61st percentile) for the quantitative, 154 (62nd percentile) for the verbal, and 4 (54th percentile) for the analytical writing parts of the GRE. (U.S. citizens and resident aliens may request a discount on the fees for the GRE from the Fee Reduction Program of the Educational Testing Service.)
6. International applicants must take an English test and submit official scores unless exempted. Admitted international students have earned at least 90 on the Test of English as a 4 Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT and at least 20 for listening and 20 for speaking. If an admitted international student has not taken the TOEFL, she instead has earned a score of at least 60 on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic, 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or 115 on Duolingo's test. An applicant with a low TOEFL, PTE Academic, IELTS, or Duolingo score can still be admitted conditional on completing Level 112 of an ELS course and retaking the GRE. International applicants who have studied abroad for at least two years in the U.S. or other English-speaking countries and completed their undergraduate education there are not required to retake an English test. International applicants who have graduated from "exempt institutions" should contact the Graduate School to request an exemption from the English test.

In 2024-2025, full-time graduate students will pay tuition of $5,610 per semester if they are residents of South Carolina and $11,686 per semester if they are non-residents. All full-time students will pay $713 per semester in fees. To be full-time, a student must take at least nine credit hours in each Fall and Spring semester.

Part-time students will pay $772 per credit if they are residents and $1,548 per credit for non-residents. Part-time students also pay $121 in additional fees.

International students typically pay out-of-state tuition. However, students from Taiwan, Queensland (Australia) or the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Thuringia and Brandenburg are eligible for in-state tuition due to Sister-State Agreements with South Carolina.

All graduate students are required to have health insurance.

Check our online tuition and fee calculator for the latest cost information.

Please see the M.A. Economics handbook for more information.

Unfortunately, the M.A. in Economics program does not offer grading, research or teaching assistantships. Additionally, scholarships, fellowships and tuition waivers are not available for M.A. students in this program. Find more info on the Graduate Student Financial Aid website.

Below are employer and job title placement outcomes for some of our M.A. graduates.

Employers:

• Bank of America
• Bates White Economic Consulting
• Capital One
• Deloitte
• ERM
• GE
• George Mason University
• InterPrice Technologies
• John Burns Research and Consulting
• National Valuation Consultants
• NC General Assembly
• Northwestern Mutual
• Spectrum Ai
• TISCO Financial Group
• United Bank

Job Titles:

• Assistant Manager Accounting Research
• Chief Product Officer
• Cost Management Analyst
• Credit Analyst
• Economist
• Financial Advisor
• Fiscal Research Division Analyst
• Law Student
• Ph.D. George Mason
• Ph.D. Health Economics student
• Ph.D. University of Southern California
• Project Manager
• Senior Appraiser
• Senior Business Director
• Senior Consultant
• Senior Investment Analyst
• Sustainability Consultant
• Tax Accounting Intern
• Technical Solutions Engineer
• Transfer Pricing Manager
• VP, Credit Strategy Senior Analyst

Graduate students can access the services and programs of Clemson's Center for Career and Professional Development.

Clemson has "great career services" among colleges and universities in the U.S., according to the 2021 Princeton Review, and has earned this superlative rating for the past ten years. According to the Review, Clemson also ranked 3rd best among public universities for internships.

The Michelin Career Center, part of the Center for Career and Professional Development, has various informational services for graduate students.

The Graduate School has online professional development and career planning resources called Grad360°. Although graduate students are responsible for their job searches, the graduate coordinator and departmental chair might occasionally provide them with information about job openings.

Tom Evans, Ph.D., coordinates the program for individuals not currently attending Clemson.

Scott Templeton, Ph.D., coordinates the program for current Clemson undergraduate students.