Admission Requirements
Admission to the M.A. program requires a bachelor’s degree with evidence of scholastic distinction. Applicants to the program must be familiar with elementary calculus, elementary statistics, and microeconomic theory at the intermediate undergraduate level.
Degree Requirements
To qualify for the M.A. (Econ) degree, a student must successfully complete a program of studies approved by the Department. A student may choose from either of two tracks:
- The thesis track consists of 24 units of formal course work, a master’s qualifying examination, and a master’s thesis of six (6) units. Acceptance of the thesis is based on the recommendation of the adviser and the endorsement of the reader.
- The non-thesis track consists of 30 units of course work, a master’s qualifying and comprehensive examinations and a research seminar course (Economics 299) in which a paper is required.
These requirements are normally completed in three semesters of full-time study. In the first year, the student is required to complete 24 units of formal course work at the 200 level, including Macroeconomic Theory I and II, Microeconomic Theory I and II, Economic Statistics, and Econometrics I.
The Master’s qualifying examination which is given at the end of the second semester, consists of a four-hour test in economic theory and another two-hour test in quantitative methods.
Completion of at least 24 units of course work is a requirement for taking the examination. Students who fail the examination may retake it only once.
In addition to the Master’s qualifying examination, non-thesis track students will take a Master’s comprehensive examination on a chosen field in Economics. It may be taken by a student only after completing the course work and obtaining a cumulative weighted average of 2.0 or better.
Grade Requirements
University rules require a student to maintain a cumulative weighted average of 2.0 in each academic year to remain in good standing.
To successfully complete the program, a student should earn a grade of 2.5 (equivalent to satisfactory) or better in each course, and a weighted average of 2.0 or better for the courses contained in the study program.
Program of Study
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1st Semester |
2nd Semester Master’s qualifying examination |
| 3rd Semester (Thesis Track) Master’s Thesis (Econ 300) |
3rd Semester (Non-thesis Track) Elective* Elective* Research Seminar I (Econ 299)M.A.Comprehensive Examination |
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| **Electives are available in the following fields: Agricultural Economics, Demographic Economics, Health Economics, Human Resource Economics, International Economics, Monetary Economics, Public Economics, and Industrial Economics. |
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Application Requirements
The following documents must be submitted with the accomplished application form:
- Transcript of Records on the courses taken by the applicant at the undergraduate and graduate levels
- Diploma or equivalent document certifying that the applicant has completed a Bachelor’s degree
- For foreign applicants whose native language is not English, a certification of scores obtained in TOEFL with a minimum required score of 250 in the computer-based test
- For foreign applicants without fellowship assistance, a certification from a reputable bank in their country attesting to their capability to finance the travel, education, personal and other expenses they are expected to incur while studying in the Philippines
- A fee of PhP1,000 (or US$40 for foreign applicants) for processing of the application
Shortlisted applicants to the M.A. Economics program shall be required to take the entrance test usually scheduled in May prior to the start of the academic year in August. Alternatively, they may submit their GRE or GMAT scores obtained within the last two years. The interview for the shortlisted applicants is scheduled a few days after the test.