Master's Degree

The department does not admit students who plan to terminate their graduate study with the MA degree. A master’s option is only available to currently enrolled Econ PhD candidates, or PhD candidates from other departments at Stanford.

The MA degree for PhD candidates is not automatic. PhD candidates must file a master’s degree program proposal and a graduate authorization petition in order to obtain the degree. The Registrar’s office charges a fee to add an additional degree. A grade point average of ‘B’ must be maintained for all master’s level work. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Requirements—A master’s program must satisfy these criteria:

  1. Completing, at Stanford, at least 45 units of credit beyond those required for the bachelor’s degree, of which at least 40 units must be in the Department of Economics. Students must complete ECON 202 and at least three other 200-level courses. They must receive a grade of ‘B-’ or better in ECON 202. Undergraduate courses must be numbered 105 or higher. No seminar courses numbered 300 or above can be counted.
  2. Demonstrating competence in empirical methodology by receiving a grade of ‘B-’ or better in both ECON 270 and 271, or by receiving a grade of ‘B-’ or above in each of ECON 102A, B, and C.
  3. Submitting two term papers (or a thesis of sufficient quality). At least one of these papers must be deemed to represent graduate-level work. Normally, this means that it is written in connection with a 200-level course. A maximum of ten units of credit can be earned for a thesis toward the 45-unit degree requirement.
  4. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 must be maintained for all master’s level work. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Any exceptions to the above requirements must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Study.