Economics (M.S.)
Economics (M.S.)

Paul College’s Master of Science in Economics program is one of the most rigorous in the country. Learn advanced economic theory, econometric and data analysis, and how to code in R and SAS all in one year. Its two tracks give students flexibility to pursue careers in academia or industry, with the industry track culminating in a corporate internship or consulting project.
Credit Hours: 32, academic track; 32-35, industry track | Program Length: 1 year
Why get a master’s degree in analytical economics?
You're a recent economics undergrad who wants to knock a few rungs off the career ladder. Or perhaps you have a liberal arts degree but you're strong in math and love to reason and problem solve. Maybe you have your sights set on research and teaching economics at the college level. If any of these describe your motivation, the UNH analytical economics M.S. will put you on the path to launch a high-value career. Monster.com data places a graduate degree in economics among the top 10 best-paying graduate degrees with a median pay of $134,000.
Why choose UNH’s M.S. in analytical economics program?
STEM designated: Perfectly positioned for international students. With a STEM-designated focus, you will graduate from the M.S. in analytics economics program and be able to apply for a 24-month OPT STEM Extension to your 12-month Optional Practical Training Program (OPT) period, allowing you to work in the United States for up to 36 months after graduation with no additional visa requirement.
Nationally ranked: Our M.S. in analytic economics is consistently ranked among the best, No. 37 in 2019 by TFE Times.
One year: Finish this program in just one year, saving you time and money.
Rigorous and relevant: You’ll master the quantitative and cutting-edge research skills to excel in your career. Learn advanced economic theory, econometric and data analysis, and code in SAS and R.
Industry track: Gain advanced quantitative economics and econometric skills in preparation for careers in applied economic professions.
Academic track: Prepare for Ph.D. programs in economics.
Faculty mentoring: Our faculty have a global reputation for outstanding research and teaching.
Capstone experience: For the industry track, students complete an applied project, summer internship or assist with faculty-driven research. For the academic track, students will complete the Ph.D. comprehensive exam in economic theory.
Excellent job placement: Ninety-three percent of 2018 graduates had jobs six months post-graduation.
Potential careers
- Business consultant
- Economic consultant
- Economist
- Data analyst
- Risk analyst
- Economic forecaster
- Policy analyst
- Market researcher
- Research associate
Contact
Michael Goldberg
1 Year
YOU'LL EARN YOUR DEGREE IN 12 MONTHS, MEANING LESS TIME IN GRADUATE SCHOOL AND MORE TIME IN THE MARKETPLACE
35th
M.S. PROGRAM RANKED NATIONALLY BY TFE TIMES
93%
JOB PLACEMENT FOR M.S. PROGRAM ALUMNI SIX MONTHS POST-GRADUATION
Curriculum & Requirements
Paul College’s STEM designated Master of Science in Analytical Economics is a breed apart. The program offers students a choice between an academic track and an industry track. Students also have the flexibility of pursuing a mixed track that combines courses from the academic and industry tracks.
The academic track provides a full year of doctoral-level economic theory, econometric analysis, and research seminar. It is designed for students whose goal is to become a research economist and possibly a Ph.D. economist.
The industry track’s curriculum is unlike any other Master’s program in the country. It is interdisciplinary, weaving together economic theory, data analytics, statistical methods, and data modeling. The program’s mix of doctoral-level and applied classes is also distinctive. Students learn economic theory and statistical methods at the doctoral level. They also use economic theory and data to understand a range of business decision problems. Innovative applied classes include Macroeconomic Consulting and Strategy Analysis: Games and Auctions.
Few other Master’s programs in the country provide a toolkit with comparable interdisciplinary range or rigor. Students learn economic theory and econometrics, code in R and STATA, and learn SQL, PowerBI, and Tableau all in one year. Graduates are uniquely trained to help business managers and project leaders not only formulate decision problems, but communicate with IT people on what data and analysis may be needed. People with this training are increasingly in high demand.
Students enroll in an intensive Math Economics course during the month of August. The program culminates with a capstone experience, which depends on a student’s chosen track.
The program requires a minimum of 32 credit hours of coursework and a capstone experience. All students must complete four core classes. The program can be completed in 12 months. It begins with an August term in which Mathematical Economics is taught in a concentrated manner over two to three weeks. The August term is followed by two semesters of coursework. Some of the industry-track courses are scheduled on the 8-week term calendar. These term classes entail 3-credit hours and meet 3.5 hours a week. A capstone experience completes the degree requirements. Industry track students pursue a corporate consulting project for their capstone in the spring, while academic track students take a comprehensive exam in microeconomic or macroeconomic theory in early summer.
The program requires a minimum of 32 credit hours of coursework and a capstone experience. All students must complete four core classes.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
The Core | ||
ECON 825 | Mathematical Economics 1 | 4 |
ECON 926 | Econometrics I | 4 |
ECON 927 | Econometrics II | 4 |
ECON 976 | Microeconomics I | 4 |
Industry Track | ||
DS 801 | Business Intelligence 2 | 3 |
DS 804 | Exploration and Communication of Data 2 | 3 |
ECON 890 | Analytical Economics in Practice (Capstone) 2 | 3 |
ECON 871 | Macroeconomic Consulting 2 | 3 |
ECON 875 | Strategy Analysis: Games and Auctions 2 | 3 |
Elective 3 | ||
Academic Track | ||
ECON 972 | Macroeconomics I | 4 |
ECON 973 | Macroeconomics II | 4 |
ECON 977 | Microeconomics II | 4 |
ECON 988 | Graduate Economics Seminar (Fall and Spring) | 4 |
Capstone - Comprehensive Exam | ||
Mixed Track | ||
ECON 871 | Macroeconomic Consulting 2 | 3 or 4 |
or ECON 972 | Macroeconomics I | |
At least 15 credits of classes (if ECON 972 is selected) or 14 credits of classes (if ECON 871 is selected) from either the industry or academic track. Students are recommended to take at least 5 credits of classes beyond the core during the fall semester and 8 credits of classes beyond the core during the spring semester. |
- 1
Course is offered in E-term 1 beginning mid-August with intensive in-class learning combined with online activity for the balance of E-term 1. It provides the mathematical foundation needed for the fall theory and econometrics classes.
- 2
Course is scheduled on an 8-week term calendar and entails 32 hours of contact time.
- 3
Electives include ECON 928 Econometrics III, Time Series Econometrics, DS 809 Time Series Analysis, DS 807 Modeling Unstructured Data, MATH 838 Data Mining and Predictive Analytics, ACFI 810 Big Data in Finance, ADMN 863 Marketing Analytics, and other approved classes. The number of credit hours will vary depending on the choice of the elective.
Core Competencies
- Utilize economic theory to formulate and solve optimization problems for consumer and firm decision making (e.g., marginal analysis).
- Apply statistical and econometric methods using programming languages to analyze and draw valid conclusions from data.
- Demonstrate an ability to formulate well-designed research projects.
Industry Track
- Apply principles of data analytics to store, manage, and visualize large datasets.
- Identify and demonstrate how economic theory, econometrics, and data analytics can be applied to decision making at an enterprise level.
Academic Track
- Apply advanced graduate-level microeconomic and macroeconomic theory to understand markets and the economy.
- Demonstrate an ability to comprehend and critique current scholarly research in macroeconomics and microeconomics.
Deadlines
Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:
- Fall: April 15th (to be considered for merit based financial assistance); June 1 (regular)
- Spring: N/A
- Summer: N/A
- Special: N/A
Application fee: $65
Campus: Durham
New England Regional: RI VT
Accelerated Masters: Yes (for more details see the accelerated masters information page)
New Hampshire Residents
Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.
Transcripts
If you attended UNH after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester and UNH Non-Degree work.
If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your official transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.
If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:
- Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
- Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.
Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.
Letters of recommendation: 3 required
Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.
Test Scores: GRE Required
GRE required. Request official test scores to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service. Test scores more than five years old are not acceptable. Student copies and photo copies of scores are not considered official. Our CEEB code is 3918.
Applicants without GRE scores will not be considered for any graduate assistantship opportunities
For general information about test scores, including waiver requests and current COVID related impacts, please visit our Test Scores webpage.
Personal Statement/Essay Questions
Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:
- Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
- Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.
Resume
A current resume is required with your submitted application.
Important Notes
All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.
International Applicants
Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.
Explore Program Details
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Richard England
PROFESSOR EMERITUS -
Stacy Hokinson
Administrative Assistant III -
Neil Niman
Associate Professor/Fac Dir of BIPAssociate Professor of Economics, Faculty Director of Business in Practice
Career Outcomes
Where are they now?
Paul College M.S. analytical economics graduates have launched successful careers with organizations including:
- Fannie Mae
- National Association of Manufacturers
- ITR Economic
- Amazon
- John Hancock
- U.S. Federal Reserve Board
- Global Economics Group
- University of Utah
- Brown University
- Public Consulting Group
Meet Our Faculty
Watch this video to learn more about the economics program faculty, including Michael Goldberg, Todd H. Crockett Professor of Economics and winner of the 2016 UNH Graduate Faculty Mentor Award.