Economics DepartmentThe 4+1 MAE program offers an opportunity for Duke undergraduates to earn a Master’s degree in Economics with an extra (fifth) year at Duke. The MAE degree is in addition to your undergraduate degree. This 4+1 program may be a good path for you if you are able to take at least two (or preferably more) “extra” graduate courses as an undergraduate, beyond any courses you need for your undergraduate degree. The 4+1 MAE program is suitable for Economics majors and minors, but any student with a strong quantitative background can apply regardless of major.
Application Process
Junior students pre-apply between January and early March (through the Friday before Spring break) using a Qualtrics survey (link coming soon). Required documents include a resume, transcripts, a statement of purpose, and at least one recommendation letter. The Director of Graduate Studies will evaluate these materials and discuss with candidates their fitness to the program and a recommended course selection for their senior year that will make the timely completion of the Master’s program feasible.
Please indicate your tentative course plan (including extra graduate courses to be taken as an undergraduate) in your Statement of Purpose when you apply. Check the MAE requirements carefully. In particular, note that any course you plan to count toward the Master’s degree – even if it is taken as an undergraduate -- must be a graduate course (numbered 500 or higher) and not also used to meet any requirement for the undergraduate degree.
- The formal application is completed in the senior year by the published MAE application deadline using the Graduate School’s portal (Slate). Required documents at this point include a resume, transcripts, a statement of purpose, and three recommendation letters. A Diversity Statement and GRE scores are optional. Detailed application instructions, including forms, documents and dates can be found in the Graduate School webpage. Please check the Economics Master’s webpage for answers to questions about the program and application process.
Admission
Pre-approval is not a guarantee of acceptance into the 4+1 program.
In deciding if this program is suitable for you, please keep in mind that this is a complete Master’s program on a compressed timeline and therefore is demanding in terms of time and effort. Admission is based in part on whether your record shows that you can meet the demands of the program.
Admission to 4+1 is provisional and contingent on completing your undergraduate degree with an acceptable performance in the extra graduate courses taken during the senior year. By the end of your senior year you should have completed all requirements for the undergraduate degree, including any major and minor requirements. As a 4+1 student, you are considered an undergraduate until the completion of your undergraduate degree, after which you are a graduate student.
MAE Degree Requirements
In order to obtain a 4+1 degree, you must fulfill the requirements of the regular MAE program as listed here. Our Master’s program requires 30 credits of graduate coursework -- the equivalent of 10 graduate courses. After the completion of your undergraduate degree, you will have two semesters as a graduate student to fulfill the remaining MAE degree requirements. See the Bulletin of the Graduate School for information and policies from Duke’s Graduate School.
The 4+1 program allows you to count up to 4 graduate courses taken during your undergraduate years towards the Master’s degree. Duke does not allow double-counting. Therefore, a course can be counted either towards the undergraduate degree or the Master’s degree, but not both. Successful completion of the 4+1 program requires that you take a minimum of two extra graduate courses as an undergraduate, but we recommend that you take at least three so that your workload will be more manageable during the fifth year.
Tuition and Financial Aid
You are charged undergraduate tuition until the completion of your undergraduate degree, and Graduate School tuition subsequently. MAE 4+1 students will typically incur two full-time semesters of tuition (flat rate) to the Graduate School in year five. Financial aid during that period can be discussed with the Director of Graduate Studies. Undergraduate financial aid does not continue after completion of your undergraduate degree. As a graduate student, you will also be eligible for research and teaching assistantships when available.
Contact
For questions about the program or the application process please contact the Economics graduate program office: ma-assistant@econ.duke.edu
For questions about course planning please contact the Economics undergraduate program office: dus_asst@econ.duke.edu
Please direct questions about the graduate application process to The Graduate School.