Phone: 703-993-1130
Web: economics.gmu.edu
Distinguished professor emeriti: Buchanan, Smith
Professors: Bennett, Boettke, Boudreaux (chair), Congleton, Cowen, Crain, Heiner, Houser, Iannaccone, Klein, Levy, McCabe, Nye, Richardson, Roberts, Rowley, Stratmann, Troesken, Tullock, Wagner, Williams
Associate professors: Caplan, Hanson, Meyer, Ramirez, Reid, Tabarrok, Thorbecke, Wiest
Assistant professors: Al-Ubaydli, Jones, Leeson
Instructor: Rustici
Professors emeriti: Chung (emeritus), Phillips (emeritus), Snavely (emeritus), Vaughn (emerita)
The Economics Department offers all course work designated ECON in the Course Description chapter of the catalog.
BA-ECON
This program is designed primarily for students with a stronger interest in the liberal arts. It is appropriate for those who prefer a less quantitative degree program and may be especially appropriate for students planning to attend law school or graduate programs in business or public administration.
In addition to satisfying the university-wide general education requirements and the requirements for a BA degree in CHSS, students pursuing the degree must complete the course work distributed as follows:
Students must earn a GPA of at least 2.00 in ECON courses.
Some economics courses may fulfill the university-wide general education requirement in global understanding or the CHSS requirement in non-Western culture. Check with the departmental advising office for more information. Economics majors can fulfill the university-wide general education synthesis requirement with ECON 309.
BS-ECON
The BS degree program is designed for students who desire a more technical program with a stronger emphasis on economic and quantitative analysis. It is especially appropriate for students who anticipate a career as an economic analyst in government, consulting, trade associations, or other private-sector positions that emphasize economic research and analysis. The requirements are also appropriate for students planning postgraduate education in economics or more quantitative business administration programs.
In addition to satisfying the university-wide general education requirements, students pursuing the degree must complete the course work distributed as follows:
Students must earn a GPA of at least 2.00 in ECON courses.
If ECON 340 Mathematical Economics is chosen as an elective, students need not take MATH 114; however, MATH 114 is strongly recommended for students considering graduate school in economics and is required for admission to most graduate programs. An additional calculus course beyond MATH 114 is also advisable for students considering graduate study in economics.
Some economics courses may fulfill the university-wide general education requirement in global understanding. Check with the departmental advising office for more information. Economics majors can fulfill the university-wide general education synthesis requirement with ECON 309.
The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated as “writing intensive” in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in economics fulfill this requirement by successfully completing ECON 320, 345, 350, 360, or 365.
Students pursuing this minor must complete 21 credits in economics with a minimum GPA of 2.00 distributed as follows:
A minimum of 9 credits of upper-level economics course work must be taken at Mason. With permission of the department chair or undergraduate director, a course in a closely related field may be substituted for 3 credits of economics electives. A course in statistics is highly recommended: OM 210, or STAT 250 or 344 may substitute for up to 3 credits of economics electives.
In accordance with university policy, at least 8 credits must be applied only to the minor and may not be used to fulfill requirements of the student’s major, concentration, or another minor. For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
The design of processes that efficiently allocate resources and foster exchange are crucial in society, organizations, personal interactions, and individual decision making. Economic systems design is the scientific study of the design, development, testing, and understanding of economic institutions. Economic systems design explores problems in the design of allocation systems and provides a method to develop and test the properties of such systems. A minor in economic systems design prepares students to undertake the scientific process of understanding and developing systems of exchange and their incentives. The skills offered through this minor can be of use to e-commerce designers, policy analysts, systems designers, engineers, and computer scientists.
Students pursuing the minor must complete 15 credits distributed as follows:
In accordance with university policy, at least 8 credits must be applied only to the minor and may not be used to fulfill requirements of the student’s major, concentration, or another minor. For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
Students who plan to seek teacher licensure and become K–12 teachers should consult the College of Education and Human Development chapter of this catalog and attend an information session early in their undergraduate career. For more information, call 703-993-2892, e-mail gseadmit@gmu.edu, or go to gse.gmu.edu.
Highly qualified Mason undergraduates may apply to the accelerated master’s degree program and obtain both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics after satisfactory completion of 144 credits. Well-prepared undergraduates are encouraged to apply as they near completion of 90 credits. Admitted students are able to use up to 6 graduate credits in partial fulfillment of requirements for the undergraduate degree. On completion and conferral of the undergraduate degree with satisfactory performance (3.00 in each course, grade of B or better) in graduate courses, students are given advanced standing in the master’s program. All other master’s degree requirements must be met. Graduates are exceptionally well-prepared for a professional school or a PhD program in economics or a related discipline. Interested students should contact the department for details about the application process.
MA-ECON
The MA in economics strengthens students’ knowledge of economic theory and improves their skills in applying the theory to economic problems. Graduates are qualified to read and judge other research and conduct their own research, either individually or as members of government or business teams. They are also prepared to write policy analysis articles. Students who plan to pursue a PhD in economics should apply directly to the doctoral program.
Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree, which does not have to be in economics, from an accredited institution. They should have satisfactorily completed intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics and MATH 108 or equivalent, and at least one semester of calculus before enrolling in any graduate courses. Students entering the master’s program should be familiar with basic statistics as well. Students also should have earned a 3.00 GPA in the last two years of undergraduate work and in all economics courses, as well as satisfactory scores on the GRE (subject exam is optional).
All applicants must submit two letters of recommendation and a brief personal statement explaining their interest in the program.
Students pursuing this degree must complete 30 graduate credits distributed as follows:
Although the department does not guarantee availability of courses every semester, a typical first-year sequence includes ECON 611 and 630, and an elective in the fall, and ECON 612 and 615, and an elective in the spring. If possible, part-time students should arrange their work schedules to take two courses per semester in the first year. Master’s degree students must enroll at the Arlington Campus for core theory courses.
A cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required, and no more than two courses with a grade of C may be applied toward the degree.
CERG-ECSD
This certificate provides graduate students with a program of courses and laboratory experience. Course work for the graduate certificate can be used for credit toward the MA and PhD in economics. The primary purpose is to provide a well-defined target for students who want to advance or update their knowledge in this fast-moving field.
Graduate students in economics, computer science, mathematics, systems engineering, and informatics find this certificate a strong complement to their major area of study. The courses and project work provide skills that can be used in electronic commerce, public policy, and internal firm resource-allocation processes.
The program is open to all students who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Interested students not already in a degree program should submit an application for graduate studies.
Students pursuing the certificate must complete 15 credits distributed as follows:
A cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required, and no more than one course with a grade of C may be applied toward the certificate.
PHD-ECON
This program prepares students for careers in academia, business, and government. Core courses train students in modern theory and quantitative techniques, while field courses stress the application of theory to relevant economic problems. Dissertation work requires students to master and apply the skills of original research. The department emphasizes publishing; many students have had articles accepted for publication in professional journals while in the graduate program. Research in the Department of Economics covers a broad spectrum, from problems of immediate policy importance to fundamental questions of economic and social organization.
Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree, which does not have to be in economics, from an accredited institution and have satisfactorily completed intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics. They also should have one year of calculus, one year of statistics, and one semester each of matrix algebra and econometrics. Applicants should have earned a 3.00 GPA in the last two years of undergraduate work and in all economics courses, as well as received satisfactory scores on the GRE (subject exam is optional).
Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation and a brief personal statement explaining their interest in the program. The department accepts doctoral students only for the fall semester.
Students who enter with a master’s degree in economics may have their credit requirement reduced by up to 30 credits at the discretion of the department with approval of the dean. Credit is not given for comprehensive and field exams from other universities.
In addition to satisfying the university requirements for all doctoral degrees, students must successfully complete 72 credits of course work plus exams distributed as follows:
A cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required, and no more than two courses with a grade of C may be applied toward the degree. Once enrolled in 998, a student must maintain continuous registration in 998 or 999 each semester until the dissertation is submitted to and accepted by the University Library.
Subject to course availability, the department offers exams in the following fields of study. Consult the department for the required courses for each field.
To advance to candidacy, students must complete all course work required on their approved program of study. Students must also successfully complete and pass comprehensive exams in microeconomics and macroeconomics, as well as field exams in two knowledge areas. In addition, students must have a dissertation committee appointed by the Dean’s Office as well as an approved proposal. Evidence of the approved proposal must be on file in the Dean’s Office before a student can advance to candidacy.
Four degree programs are offered jointly with George Mason University’s School of Law: JD/PhD, LLM PhD, JD/MA, and LLM/MA. Details are available at www.law.gmu.edu/econ/jointdegrees.html.