Economics DepartmentWe've compiled resources and links to assist you while working toward your master's. Click on the section headers below for more information.
The M.A. in Economics (MAE), M.S. in Economics & Computation (MSEC), and M.S. Quantitative Financial Economics (MQFE) programs require students to select one capstone course and receive a B grade or better in the course. The following courses have been approved as capstones, provided that a substantive research paper option is elected as part of their evaluation mechanism:
Economics
- ECON 593 Independent Study
- ECON 605 Advanced Microeconomic Analysis
- ECON 606 Advanced Macroeconomics II
- ECON 613 Applied Econometrics in Microeconomics
- ECON 642 Development Economics - Theory, Evidence, and Policy
- ECON 643 Gender and Family Economics
- ECON 644 Equality of Opportunity
- ECON 645 Economics of Crime
- ECON 651 Housing and the Economy
- ECON 652 Economic Growth
- ECON 665 Market Power and Public Policy
- ECON 672 Empirical Methods in Financial Econometrics (Note: This course was formerly ECON 690* Special Topics in Economics)
- ECON 690 Special Topics courses, by approval* (Find approved courses at this link)
- ECON 696 Master's Research Seminar 2 (Enrollment in ECON 696 requires completion of ECON 695 as a prerequisite.)
Business Administration
- BA 951* Introduction to Finance
- BA 952* Finance II
*Subject to DGS approval.
Additional courses meeting the 'substantive research paper' criteria may be counted as capstones upon request, subject to approval by the DGS.
Duke University and the Department of Economics have a wide range of resources to help students and graduates reach their career goals. Click on the tabs below to learn more:
Duke University Career Center
The Career Center provides services, programs, events, online tools, and resources for undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni up to four years after graduation.
Bloomberg Terminals
The Duke Financial Economics Center, in conjunction with Perkins Library, sponsors four Bloomberg terminals on West Campus. One terminal is located on the third floor of the Social Sciences Building, and three others can be found in The Edge (level 1 of Bostock). The terminals are available to everyone at Duke for both curricular and extracurricular financial market research and analysis.
- American Economic Association (for job listings catering mostly to Ph.D.s, but includes several quality listings for master's students)
- Idealist (for jobs and internships at nonprofits)
- National Association for Business Economics (search for jobs by country and type)
- Public Service Careers (for jobs in government, consulting, nonprofit, and education)
- USAJobs (a great database for U.S. citizens looking for a job in government)
- Association for Financial Professionals (for job listings for finance positions within Fortune 500 companies)
Employers of Interest
The following employers actively recruit students with advanced degrees.
Consulting
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Economic Development
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Finance
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Macroeconomics
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Microeconomics
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Research Institutes/ Public Policy
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U.S. Government
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Staff at the Economics Center for Teaching (EcoTeach) optimize student experiences by providing educational guidance, helping them navigate transitions within and beyond the department. Students can visit their respective program assistants to ask questions related to courses, program requirements and processes, EcoTeach-funded positions, and any university resources they may require.
During the academic year, The Graduate School supports various programs and services for international graduate students beyond the course offerings of the EIS program.
Writing Studio: Students can make appointments for both face-to-face and e-tutoring appointments. Several of the tutors have ESL experience and all tutors have had some training in working with international students. Students may request a specific tutor if they wish and can make multiple appointments.
Oral Skills Coaching: Students may make appointments with an experienced ESL speaking coach to develop and rehearse any type of oral presentation, practice discussing their field and research, or practice specific speaking skills. For more information, please follow this link.
Additional On-Campus Resources
- The Duke International Student Center (formerly iHouse) hosts several cross-cultural programs to help members of the Duke Community learn from each other.
- The Duke Language Partners program matches non-native speakers with native speakers of various languages for weekly conversation exchange.
- The English Conversation Club meets every Monday from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. This is a casual, small-group setting where all members of the Duke community can practice conversational English. Topics include American culture, social systems, and issues related to daily life.
- The Global Café, an informal gathering that brings together members of the Duke community, convenes every Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The Thompson Writing Program's Writing Studio offers a limited number of appointments — 18 per week — for international students in Graduate School master's and Ph.D. programs.
A Guide to Writing in Economics by Paul Dudenhefer
A Short Guide to Writing in Economics by the Thompson Writing Program and Paul Dudenhefer
The Young Person's Guide to Writing Economic Theory by William Thomson
Summer internships offer relevant learning experiences for students. They can provide context for your academic studies, practical experience, and contacts that are extremely valuable, and sometimes may lead to a full-time job offer.
Internship procedures vary for domestic and international students.
Domestic students: Domestic students may work in an internship at any time during their program. They do not need to enroll in a course in order to have an internship. However, if an employer requires academic credit for an internship they can enroll in ECON 799, the Master's Internship course. The procedures for enrolling are described in Step 1 and Step 2 below.
International students: Because of visa regulations, international students have limited requirements:
- Work in off-campus internships is allowed only in the summer between the first and second year.
- CPT or OPT work authorization is required before the internship can begin.
- To use OPT, please consult the Duke Visa Services OPT webpage for the application procedure. OPT is generally used after graduation.
- To use CPT, you must read and complete all of the directions below.
- Enrollment in ECON 799 for Summer Term I is required. Read and complete all of the directions below.
- The departmental deadline to apply for enrollment in Econ 799 will be in May 5, 2025. This deadline ensures that you will have ample time to apply for and receive your CPT work authorization and meet external deadlines.
Internship Application Directions
The Internship Application involves three steps. International students must complete all three steps. Domestic students must complete Steps 1 and 2. Click on the tabs below to read details about each step. Directions are also outlined in this pdf, which you can download for reference:
Gather together these required materials before you begin the application:
- Internship offer letter. The letter must include these things:
- Specific start and end dates.
- Description of your responsibilities as an intern.
- The location where you will be working
- Your total weekly hours.
- Completed Internship Proposal document. You will complete all sections above the grey line, and your DGS will complete the rest.
- An email from an Economics department faculty member who has agreed to be the instructor for the internship course. The faculty instructor must have a primary or a secondary appointment in Economics. The faculty member must have reviewed your internship offer letter and proposal.
- An email from the DGS approving your internship proposal. The DGS must have reviewed the offer letter and signed your internship proposal.
Save all four required documents together as one pdf. You will upload this pdf to the survey in Step 2 – Apply for ECON 799.
You must be aware of two deadlines while enrolling in ECON 799:
- May 5, 2025 – The deadline for completing the survey to enroll in ECON 799. Submitting your survey response after this deadline may prevent you from being able to enroll in ECON 799 by the drop/add deadline.
- May 16, 2025 – The drop/add deadline for Summer Term I.
Steps to Apply for ECON 799:
- Complete the survey by May 5, 2025 (see link below)
- After May 5, the Master's Program Assistant will contact you with your ECON 799 section number for enrollment.
- Enroll in ECON 799 through DukeHub.
- International students only: Take a screenshot of your DukeHub account showing your successful enrollment, and save it as a pdf. You will use this screenshot in Step 3 – Apply for CPT.
Before proceeding with Step 3, you must complete Step 1 and Step 2, otherwise you will delay processing of your application.
CPT is for international students only.
Before applying for CPT please read all of the information below and the CPT FAQs on the Duke Visa Services CPT website. Do not begin your application until you have read the notes below.
Notes about the CPT application:
- Required documents for the CPT application:
- Your Internship Proposal (this is completed in Step 1)
- Your internship offer letter from the employer
- Your proof of enrollment in Econ 799 (screenshot from DukeHub - this is completed in Step 2)
- When you get to the question that asks for your DGS email address, enter your program’s DGS’s name and the email address for ma-assistant@econ.duke.edu. Do not enter your DGS’s email address.
- Once you complete the online CPT application with Visa Services, a recommendation email will be automatically sent to the Masters Program Assistant (ma-assistant@econ.duke.edu) to complete the departmental form.
- After the Masters Program Assistant has submitted the form, stay in touch with Duke Visa Services about your application status.
To apply for CPT, using the link on the Duke Visa Services CPT Application page. Incomplete applications and failure to follow the directions above and on the CPT site will delay the CPT review process.
For questions about your CPT application, please contact at Duke Visa Services at VisaHelp@duke.edu.
The purpose of the portfolio requirement and strengthened capstone is to ensure that all master's students engage in creative learning and the production of knowledge, rather than simply absorbing material. These additions also encourage students to reflect during their period of study on the appropriateness of their chosen courses, internships, and other activities. The material gathered will be of value as well in applying for jobs or doctoral programs; it also will assist Duke Economics in evaluating the effectiveness of its programs.
Portfolio Overview
- All student (final) papers and slides from oral or written presentations, both from capstone and other courses, as well as relevant computer programs. Material created by the student as a research or teaching assistant also may be included.
- Updated resume.
- A document (expected two to five pages) that examines the student’s objectives upon arrival into the master's program and at the conclusion. This self-assessment statement also should include a discussion of the student’s long-run plans, and a discussion of the effectiveness and limitations of the master's program in helping meet these goals.
- If the student undertook an internship as part of his or her academic program, a written description of the project, including a discussion of how the experience relates to the student’s field and a summary of what was learned, must be included in the portfolio, along with copies of any non-proprietary documents or presentations created by the student during that period.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that a given capstone course — since these are subject to modification by different instructors — will contain material appropriate for the portfolio.
The portfolio must contain at least one substantial research paper. This paper is typically from a capstone course, but can be from any course which counts towards the degree and in which the student earned a grade of B or better. Acceptable papers for the portfolio must do the following:
- Clearly state a research problem and put it in the context of the relevant literature.
- Demonstrate the value of the solution to the research problem.
- Apply sound methods/tools and describe them effectively.
- Analyze and interpret data.
- Communicate ideas clearly and professionally.
- Demonstrate the capability for independent research.
Due to their varying nature, not all papers will need to meet all of these criteria. For example, a theory paper might not analyze and interpret data.
Portfolio Evaluation
Determination that the content of the portfolio is sufficient to merit recommendation for graduation is made by an Examining Committee three faculty members, including the student’s academic advisor and the director of graduate studies.
- Students should make a note of the deadlines for submission of the preliminary and final versions of the portfolio. The dates are posted on Canvas (MAE and MAPE) or GradCentral (MSEC) and will be strictly adhered to. Students are expected to meet all deadlines punctually. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- Precise directions WITH DEADLINES for the structure and composition of the portfolio are posted on Canvas for MAE and MAPE students. MSEC students will receive directions from the Computer Science DGSA. For reference, general directions are here:
- The preliminary version of the portfolio should be uploaded to a special Canvas (MAE or MAPE) or GradCentral (MSEC) site set up for this purpose. Uploads must be completed by the posted date for approval.
- After approval of the preliminary portfolio, a final version of the portfolio should be uploaded to the Portfolio site on time.
The director of graduate studies (DGS) is the first appropriate channel of redress for various kinds of grievances. If the complaint cannot be resolved by the DGS, the student may appeal to the department chair. The chair will hear the complaint, review all material and the DGS decision, and then uphold or overrule it in writing as the chair sees fit. If a student does not accept the departmental decision, they can appeal to the associate dean of the Graduate School. All documentation of the grievance will be required. The associate dean will make a judgment in writing to the student and department. If further appeal is desired, the student may request that the dean of the graduate school hear the case, OR appoint a Judicial Board to hear the case. By either route, this shall be the final avenue of appeal and the decision binding.
If the student feels they will not receive a fair hearing in the department, or their grievance is such that raising it in the department could, in their view, jeopardize their graduate careers, they should go directly to the associate dean of the Graduate School. The Graduate School will protect the confidentiality of student complaints as fully as possible.
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