Economics (M.S.)

Economics (M.S.)
Students in Masters Economics Program

Paul College’s Master of Science in Economics is pathbreaking. Its skills-based coursework has you learn advanced economic theory, data warehousing, data management and visualization, machine learning, econometrics and data modeling, and how to code in R, Python, and SQL all in one year. You will be uniquely prepared to help businesses make decisions in the landscape of AI and big data.

$118K

The average, non-bonus, salary of our 2023 graduates
 

100%

of 2023 MS graduates are employed in their field


  Credit Hours: 32, academic track; 32-35, industry track   |     Program Length: 1 year


WHY GET A MASTER’S DEGREE IN ECONOMICS? 

A master’s degree in economics will equip you with advanced analytical and quantitative skills necessary for evaluating complex economic problems and developing effective solutions. You will enhance your critical thinking, research proficiency, and data analysis abilities, enabling you to contribute to policymaking, consulting, research, and various roles in the public and private sector. An M.S. in economics provides a strong foundation for a wide range of careers, including economic analysis, financial management, consulting, and academia. 

WHY CHOOSE UNH’S M.S. IN ECONOMICS PROGRAM? 

Nationally Ranked: Our M.S. in economics is ranked No. 33 in 2024 by TFE Times.  
STEM Designated: Perfectly positioned for international students. With a STEM-designated focus, you will graduate from the M.S. in 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.  
One Year: Finish this program in just one year, saving time and money.  
Rigorous and Relevant: 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 has 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.

Potential Careers

  • Banking and financial services
  • Data science
  • Economic development
  • Economic forecasting
  • Economic policy
  • Entrepreneurial ventures
  • Government administration
  • Urban and regional planning
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1 Year

 YOU'LL EARN YOUR DEGREE IN 12 MONTHS, MEANING LESS TIME IN GRADUATE SCHOOL AND MORE TIME IN THE MARKETPLACE

33rd

 M.S. PROGRAM RANKED NATIONALLY BY TFE TIMES

93%

 JOB PLACEMENT FOR M.S. PROGRAM ALUMNI SIX MONTHS POST-GRADUATION
  • Karen Conway collaborates with students at Paul College.
    As urban planners and health officials seek ways to improve public health, UNH research provides compelling evidence on the benefits of walkable communities for expectant mothers and their babies. A study co-authored by Karen Conway, an economics professor at the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, reveals…
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  • Professor of Marketing Shuili Du examines a container of Stonyfield Farm yogurt, highlighting her research on corporate social responsibility initiatives of yogurt brands.
    Research on sustainability and societal impact
    Shuili Du remembers when business profit and social impact were widely perceived as mutually exclusive. As a professor of marketing at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, Du has dedicated her career to changing this perception, demonstrating through her research how corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability can benefit both society and businesses. …
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  • Loris Rubini
    As countries around the world grapple with childcare challenges for working parents, new research from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) provides crucial insights into potential government interventions to finance these costs. A study led by Loris Rubini, an associate professor of economics at the Peter. T Paul College of Business and Economics, highlights some unintended…
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  • Justine Jonathan graduation photo in front of pink flowers
    Master's Student Spotlight
    I've been blown away by how much I've learned in such a short amount of time.
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  • Michael Polizzotti "19, master's in economics
    Spotlight on Michael Polizzotti '18, '19G, Policy Analyst at New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute
    Michael Polizzotti earned his undergraduate degree in economics and political science at UNH Paul College and stayed on to get his master's degree. He says the person who influenced him the most was Professor Karen Conway, whose research and  way of connecting the topics students were studying back to real world applications helped him develop confidence in pursuing a career in public policy…
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Curriculum & Requirements

Paul College’s STEM designated Master of Science in Economics is a breed apart. The program offers 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 businesses understand the market context, formulate decision problems, and manage the data analysis. People with this training are in high demand by organizations in all sectors. 

The program can be completed in 12 months. It starts with an intensive Mathematical Economics course that is taught in a concentrated manner over the first two weeks of the Fall semester. It 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’ capstone entails a corporate consulting project 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.

The Core
ECON 825Mathematical Economics 14
ECON 926Econometrics I4
ECON 927Econometrics II4
ECON 976Microeconomics I4
Industry Track
DS 801Business Intelligence 23
DS 804Exploration and Communication of Data 23
ECON 890Analytical Economics in Practice (Capstone) 23
ECON 871Macroeconomic Consulting 23
ECON 875Strategy Analysis: Games and Auctions 23
Elective 3
Academic Track
ECON 972Macroeconomics I4
ECON 973Macroeconomics II4
ECON 977Microeconomics II4
ECON 988Graduate Economics Seminar (Fall and Spring)4
Capstone - Comprehensive Exam
Mixed Track
ECON 871Macroeconomic Consulting 23 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 the first two weeks of the Fall semester and involves in-class and online learning. 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.

Our Accelerated Master of Science in Economics (MSE) option provides an opportunity for UNH undergraduate students to begin graduate study while completing a bachelor's degree—making you stand out among other job applicants with advanced skills and increasing your earning potential. Qualified students can begin earning graduate credit during their undergraduate programs, allowing them to maximize their time on campus and return on their educational investment.

Eligibility:

  • Current UNH undergraduate student with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.
  • Apply before completing 90 undergraduate credits.
  • Acceptance into the Accelerated Master’s Program before taking 800-level courses.

Accelerated MSE Requirements:

  • Qualified students may complete up to 12 credits at the 800-level during their undergraduate studies, earning dual credit toward their B.S. and M.S. degrees.
  • Once a qualified student matriculates into the MSE program (after completing undergraduate degree), the student will take a minimum of 20 additional credits to complete the 32 credit MSE program requirement.
  • Students will be required to earn a B- or better in graduate courses to earn credits toward their degree.

Approved Dual Credit Electives 

To earn graduate credits, students need to enroll in the 800-level sections of approved dual credit courses. The 800-level sections require additional work beyond the requirements for the undergraduate versions.  The following is the list of approved dual credit courses for the accelerated path in the MSE program:   

ECON 871Macroeconomic Consulting3
ECON 875Strategy Analysis: Games and Auctions3
MATH 838Data Mining and Predictive Analytics3
Other approved 800-level electives

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.

Apply now

Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

  • Fall: June 1
  • 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 or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your 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.

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:

  1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
  2. 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.

Enrollment Deposit

This program requires an enrollment deposit of $500. If admitted the deposit will be due by the deadline specified in your admit letter. The enrollment deposit secures a seat in the program for an applicant and can be used towards tuition once the applicant starts the program. For more information please see our enrollment deposits help page.

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

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.

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