Economics

Master of Science in Social and Applied Economics

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Why Choose Social and Applied Economics?

A degree in economics provides you with a solid foundation for a career in business, government, or nonprofit sector. Economists are vital in helping predict and study responses to changes in policy and the market and our program boasts a placement rate of nearly 100 percent in occupations requiring a master’s degree. You will study research methods and how social factors influence and shape our economy and apply those analytical skills to working in business, government, and nonprofit sectors.

This program develops professional economists who can solve contemporary problems with a unique skill set created by a curriculum that bridges the gap between research and the application of research. Our curriculum stresses applied research using traditional and nontraditional methods and takes advantage of our faculty’s diverse teaching and research activities. You are encouraged to develop and evaluate new approaches to economic problem solving while building the skills to work in business, government, and nonprofit sectors or continue your education.

This program is flexible, offering evening classes, and full-time students can complete it in 12 months. You can also combine your social and applied economics degree with your undergraduate degree in economics to graduate faster or with the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program or Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program.

STEM Designation

This degree program classifies as STEM (CIP Code 45.0603: Econometrics and Quantitative Economics), and students in this program can apply for a 24-month STEM extension of F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT)
 

Careers

Graduates from the Department of Economics go on to make a positive impact in both the Dayton area and beyond. The master’s program is exceptionally versatile and graduates have gone on to work in a wide array of industries and jobs.  If you are interested in further education, this master’s program provides a solid foundation for several doctoral programs like economics, finance, accountancy, and political science.

Our graduates work for:

  • City of Hamilton
  • Cardinal Health
  • CareSource
  • Citigroup Financial Services
  • Dayton Power and Light
  • Dole
  • EBS Asset Management
  • Evenflo
  • Goodrich
  • Kroger, Inc
  • Novogradac
  • Optica Consulting
  • Robert Half International
  • Total Quality Logistics
  • Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
  • United Technologies
  • U.S. Census Bureau
  • Vanderbilt University

Our graduates work as:

  • Acquisitions manager
  • Assistant vice presidents
  • Business analyst
  • City managers
  • Contract negotiator
  • Data analyst
  • Forecast and analytics specialist
  • Forecasting analyst
  • Financial analyst
  • Financial systems analysts
  • Market analyst
  • Process analyst
  • Program managers
  • Research analyst
  • Senior financial analyst
  • Senior policy analyst
  • Workforce developer

Real-World Experience

In this program, you will build a portfolio of applied analytic reports that will demonstrate your excellent practical and theoretical skills to future employers.

Success Stories

Daniel is currently a Senior Financial Systems Analyst at Cardinal Health.  Previously, Dan was an Assistant Vice President at Citigroup Financial Services.

Academics and Curriculum

View Master of Science in Social and Applied Economics program information and degree requirements in the Academic Catalog.

Admission

If you have already completed your undergraduate degree, you must apply for admission to the Graduate School and be accepted by the graduate studies committee of the Department of Economics. You do not need an economics undergraduate degree to enter the program, but your undergraduate GPA is considered.

If you are a current undergraduate economics student, you must be a junior and have 30 credit hours remaining to complete your degree to apply for the combined B.A./B.S.B.–M.S. program. This accelerated path will allow you to take two graduate-level economics electives during your senior year that will count towards your undergraduate and graduate degree.

Program Outcomes

If you complete this program, you will graduate with a Master of Science in Social and Applied Economics. This graduate program equips you to solve contemporary economic problems with a unique set of skills created by a curriculum that combines applied economics with social economics. This program bridges the gap between research and the application of research in business, government, and nonprofit sectors. In this program, you will be encouraged to develop and evaluate new approaches to economic problem-solving.

 


Take the Next Step

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