Master of Arts Degree in Economics (MA)

California State University Los Angeles - College of Business and Economics

Master of Arts Degree in Economics

The degree curriculum consists of a core as well as two options: Global Economics and Financial Economics. The Global Economics option equips students with current knowledge of the global economy, together with investigative and technical skills, for business economic analysis desired by consulting companies, government agencies, multinational business corporations, and international organizations.

The Financial Economics option provides students with essential analytical and technical skills in both economics and financial analyses desired by consulting firms, securities companies, and other related businesses in investment services such as investment banking, mutual funds, and insurance.

Requirements for the Degree (45 units)

The 45-unit program consists of core requirements, which are to be taken together with either the Financial Economics or the Global Economics option. A minimum of 23 units must consist of 500-level courses.

Admission to Master of Arts Degree in Economics

Admission to the Master of Arts in Economics at the College of Business and Economics is a two-step process. Students must first be admitted to the University and then must satisfy the College's requirements for admission to graduate programs.

For admission to the University, applicants must have:

Submit an official CSU Graduate Application to the University
(You will need to create an account in order to fill out the application.)
A baccalaureate from an accredited institution, or equivalent academic preparation as determined by Admissions and University Outreach or another appropriate campus authority.
Two official transcripts, which must include verification of the bachelor's degree.
A grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 (4.0=A) in their latest 90 quarter (or 60 semesters) units attempted and good standing at the last college attended.
A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 79 (internet based test), 213 (computer version) or 550 (paper version) for those applicants who earned a bachelor's degree to a school where English was not the principal language of instruction.
In addition to University admission requirements, applicants to graduate programs in the College of Business and Economics must submit the following:
Separate Graduate Program Application to the College of Business and Economics.
(You will need to download the application and use MS Word to fill it out).
GRE needs to be taken at GRE (www.gre.org). A minimum cumulative score of 900 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE General Test, and a minimum score of 2.5 on the analytical writing portion of the GRE general test. Applicants must have a 2.75-grade point average in the last 90 quarter units attempted.
Statement of Purpose.

For admission to classified graduate standing in Economics, applicants must meet the above admission requirements plus the following prerequisites: equivalent of the baccalaureate in Economics at Cal State L. A. or completion with a B(3.0) average of a set of prerequisite courses selected by a Department of Economics and Statistics adviser at Cal State L. A.; filing of a program, including electives, with the College of Business and Economics Advisement Center.

If qualifying courses are required, they must be so designated in advance. They may include upper division and prerequisite courses.

The College examines each candidate's potential, taking into consideration all academic work experience, level of responsibility, and other factors that may have a bearing on the individual's potential for success. Applicants are evaluated on the merits of their own application in comparison with those of all other applicants for the quarter.

Students who are admitted but do not register in the quarter for which they applied must reapply to the University and pay another application fee if seeking admission to any future quarter. There is no deferred admission. Reapplication to the CBE is not necessary if readmission is sought within one academic year. Students who seek to reactivate their CBE graduate program application file for admission consideration must send a letter to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Resources, indicating the quarter for which they seek admission. For the letter, they must include information about any activities they have undertaken since the first application. Note that, unless granted a formal leave of absence, continuing graduate students who fail to attend at least two quarters in a given calendar year lose their continuing registration privileges and must compete for readmission with all other applicants.