Graduate
Studies
MS in Applied and Resource
Economics | Requirements for Admission | The Program |Course Syllabi | Financial Assistance | The University and the
Community | For More Information
MS in Applied and Resource Economics
The
master of science program in Economics at East
Carolina University combines the analytical framework of modern economic
theory and the quantitative methods of applied econometrics with special
emphasis on the following areas: coastal resources and environmental economics;
economic forecasting, financial economics; health care; and issues of poverty
and regional development. All students take a common core of courses in
neoclassical theory and analytical technique and then apply these tools in a
variety of field courses. The experience culminates in the completion of a
research project in which the student designs an analytical project, collects
that the required data, and then tests and reports the results of the model.
The
program is designed to be completed in two semesters and two summers. The
program is sufficiently flexible to include part-time students and "spring
starters."
The
program provides an ideal background for work in industry, government, and
non-profit positions requiring the combination of analytical skills and
institutional background. The degree was designed as a terminal one, rather
than an intermediate stage of a Ph.D. program. Although it is an excellent
preparation for further graduate work in economics, it was conceived
specifically to provide graduates with up-to-date and marketable skills. One of
the strengths of the program is in the small class sizes and a close working
relationship with the faculty. Faculty who are active contributors to the areas
in which they teach conducts all graduate field courses.
The
structure of the program reflects the research interests of the faculty. Some
of the faculty conduct research and teach in areas of macroeconomics, but the
preponderant emphasis within the department is on neoclassical microeconomics applied
to areas such as coastal and marine resources, environmental economics, health
care, labor economics, regional development, and income distribution.
Requirements for Admission
The
program will admit students from a variety of undergraduate majors provided
your undergraduate preparation has included at least one course each in
statistics and differential calculus. Undergraduate courses in intermediate
microeconomics and intermediate macroeconomics are also strongly recommended.
Applicants
should submit the following:
- A completed online application from ECU Onestop after obtaining an application ID through
its admissions checklist.
Alternatively, you can request the Graduate School Application packet to be sent to you.
- Two copies of official
transcripts of all prior academic work
- Score on the General Portion
of the Graduate record Examination
- Three recent academic letters
of recommendation.
Promising
applicants who do not currently meet all formal criteria may be granted
provisional admission.
The Program
The
program design includes a healthy measure of theory and econometric technique.
The core courses develop those aspects of neoclassical price and welfare theory
that are essential to deal with the policy issues encountered in resource and
environmental economics and in related fields of applied microeconomics. The
structure of the program reflects the conviction that people best learn
economics by doing economics: our elective courses are taught as applications
of the theory and technique courses and encourage students to define all
research questions in a manner that will permit empirical testing. A successful
working economist must not only master the statistical techniques of modern
empirical research, but must also be able to convey the results of this
research in a persuasive and articulate manner. Our program accordingly gives
students ample opportunity to develop necessary analytical and presentation
skills. The Department also conducts regular Economics Seminars at which our faculty and invited
external speakers present their latest research.
Some
useful links:
·
Searchable Graduate Catalogs
·
Typical Graduate Program Course Sequence
·
Certificate in Applied Economics
·
Jobs of
Graduate Program Students
Financial Assistance
A
limited number of graduate assistantships are available that involve up to a
twenty hour per week time commitment. Graduate assistants typically become
involved in faculty research projects that may help them identify topics for
their own Research Seminar project. In addition to these Graduate School
Assistantships, there frequently are paid research assistantships available
from faculty external research grants. International Students are eligible for
graduate assistantships. The Office of Student Financial Aid
at East Carolina University
is responsible for administering and processing all Federal Title IV aid for students enrolled at ECU.
The website they maintain includes extended information on financial aids from both ECU and off-campus sources.
East Carolina University is a constituent
institution of the University of North Carolina with a total enrollment of
17,500, including an enrollment of approximately 3,000 in graduate and MD
programs. Students come from forty-four states, the District of Columbia, U. S.
possessions abroad, and forty-four foreign countries. The city of Greenville
has a population of approximately 50,000 and is the commercial and cultural hub
of the eastern portion of the State. The
University is located adjacent to downtown, with restaurants and shops within
easy walking distance. The Medical Center campus is adjacent to Pitt Memorial
Hospital in west Greenville. It is located eighty miles from Raleigh and is
accessible by four-lane highways and nearby airports. It is also within easy
driving distance of coastal beach resorts and the Outer banks, as well as
Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The mountain areas of western North
Carolina are a bit farther--but still within an easy one-day drive--and contain
some of the most spectacular hiking and camping vistas in the land. The
adjacent states of Virginia and West Virginia offer convenient winter skiing. The
climate in eastern North Carolina is pleasant, with an annual mean temperature
of 60 degrees. The beautiful spring foliage of dogwood and azalea gives way to
a warm and humid summer. Falls are usually cool and dry and frequently last
well into November. Winters are brief and mild with snowfall being an unusual
event. All
applicants must complete a formal application available from the Graduate
School. More information about the MS Program in Applied and Resource Economics
is available from: Dr.
John A. Bishop, Graduate DirectorThe University and the Community
For More Information
Department of Economics
Brewster A-436
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina 27858-4353
Phone: 252.328.6006 or 1082 or 6756
Fax: 252.328.6743
BishopJ@mail.ecu.edu