Duke Economics

The Duke MA Difference

The variety of courses and opportunities available at Duke provided an excellent foundation for Ph.D.-level study. Without the mathematical rigor of the MA program, as well as the ability to take additional math classes outside of the department, I would not have been prepared for my doctoral coursework.             - Adam Aiken (’05), Assistant Professor of Finance, Quinnipiac College

Master’s programs in Economics vary widely. A common misconception is that MA programs either are consolation prizes for failing PhD students or are “soft,” offering little more than advanced undergraduate coursework.

These stereotypes are dead wrong.

Duke’s Master’s Program in Economics is designed to give students a quantitative approach to Economics, but with enough flexibility to allow students to tailor their degree to fit future goals. It fills a wide range of needs, and produces graduates capable of applied research, financial analysis, or progression to doctoral study.

This is accomplished through rigorous core coursework in Economics and flexibility in electives. In addition to taking a variety of Master's level courses, students are expected to enroll in a combination of doctoral level courses in Economics or graduate-level courses in Political Science, Public Policy, Finance, Statistics, and Mathematics.

In addition to coursework, students are expected to produce a portfolio that showcases their accomplishments. This portfolio is composed of research papers, presentations and other professional documents produced during the course of study.

The Duke Economics MA may be the best program of its kind – but we emphasize that there are many other outstanding programs as well, most with slightly different foci than ours. We take pride in recent graduates' placement and encourage you to apply.

Application Deadlines for Master's Program

Spring 2013 Admission - Application Deadline Oct. 15, 2012

Fall 2013 Admission - Application Deadline January 31, 2013.  However we strongly urge submission by January 16, 2013

Please visit the Graduate School's website for the online application and further instructions on the admissions process.

MA Program Continues to Increase Diversity

Our recent admitted classes of master's students are diverse groups spanning various educational backgrounds, workplace experiences, and countries of origin. We have Master's students from the following countries: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, United States of America and Vietnam. See a list of current students. We encouage students worldwide to apply to our program now.