M.A. En Route to Ph.D.

Doctoral students enrolled at Duke University can pursue a master's degree en route to the Ph.D. without paying for an additional 30 units of graduate credit. (Please note: Ph.D. students who wish to receive more than one master's degree en route to the Ph.D. will incur additional tuition charges.) Sometimes doctoral students from other programs at the university wish to earn a master's degree in a different department or school, typically in a field related to the discipline of their Ph.D. For those who would like to pursue an M.A. Economics degree to supplement their Ph.D. in another program, the following steps are required:

  1. Students must meet with the director of M.A. studies, Assistant Professor Nelson Sa, to discuss their academic plan for the M.A. Economics degree.
  2. Students must satisfy all of the M.A. program requirements for the degree in economics.
  3. Students must complete and submit The Graduate School's application to earn a M.A. degree in another discipline en route to the Ph.D. The application includes a rationale for the intellectual relationship between the two programs, a transcript, and two letters of recommendation from Duke faculty speaking to and supporting the relationship between the doctoral and M.A. Economics program. Students need to obtain the required approval signatures prior to submitting the application to the Graduate School.
  4. The application must be completed and submitted to the Graduate School well in advance of the graduation deadline dates in order for students to be formally approved. Once approved, they must apply to graduate as M.A. Economics students by deadline.
  5. After they have applied to graduate, students must complete a portfolio as their written M.A. Economics completion examination requirement. Please review information about portfolio requirements. The M.A. program assistant will notify students by email of semester portfolio deadline dates.
  6. Students must submit a list of courses to the director of M.A. studies indicating which courses will be completed to fulfill the M.A. program requirements. Courses on the list will be approved by the director of M.A. studies on a student-by-student basis and must form part of a coherent curriculum that fits with the student's area of concentration for the Ph.D.