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Ness School of Management and Economics Accelerated Master's Program

Accelerated Masters program

The Ness School of Management and Economics offers an accelerated master's degree program to qualified undergraduate students who maintain at least a 3.5 GPA in their economics major or a major in a related field.  These students may begin their graduate studies while they complete their undergraduate degree. Students may apply for admission to the accelerated master's degree program when they have completed 60 undergraduate credits. A student admitted to the accelerated program may complete, as an undergraduate student, up to twelve credits of the Ness School’s 500-level (graduate) courses that also list as 400-level (undergraduate) courses; and the student may count these courses on both their graduate and undergraduate transcripts. For example, the Ness School’s graduate course, Risk Management, lists as both Econ 553 and Econ 453. So, an accelerated undergraduate student may register for Econ 553 and count the completed course on their graduate transcript as Econ 553 and on their undergraduate transcript as Econ 453. 

Thus, the accelerated program provides an early gateway into either of the Ness School’s analytically rich and highly marketable graduate programs: the program in business economics (which consists of 32 graduate credits) and the program in economic theory and applied research (which consists of 30 graduate credits).  Because the accelerated program allows an undergraduate student to complete graduate courses, the accelerated program allows students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years.

The graduate program in business economics provides the essential analytical skills and builds confidence in applying those skills, to support decision making in a rapidly changing business environment. In order to enhance analytical breadth, industry knowledge and awareness and business networking, elective courses build on the expertise of resident and visiting faculty members. The Ness School offers courses associated with this program in flexible formats that allow students, including working professionals who wish to continue their careers, to pursue this advanced degree.

Meanwhile, the graduate program in economic theory and applied research prepares students for analytically oriented professions in business and government as well as for advanced studies in economics and finance.  The program includes courses in advanced microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics; and the program emphasizes applied economic research in the way of a six-credit research thesis. 

Research and teaching assistantships and scholarships may be available to qualified graduate students enrolled in these programs.

For more information about the Ness School’s accelerated program, or the school’s graduate programs more generally, please contact our graduate-programs coordinator, Joseph Santos

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