Department of Economics Graduate Program Policies and Procedures: MS Program Last Updated: January 14, 2015

Department of Economics Graduate Program Policies and Procedures: MS Program Last Updated: January 14, 2015 Graduate study in economics leads to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. The graduate program develops theoretical and quantitative skills in economic theory and in applying economic theory to analyze a broad range of contemporary policy issues in order to prepare students for careers in teaching, research, business and government. This document discusses policies and procedures for the MS Program in Financial Economics and Econometrics. Policies and procedures for the Ph.D. program are discussed in a separate document. Students applying to the M.S. program in economics would ideally present undergraduate credits in economics as well as substantial coursework in mathematics and statistics. An undergraduate major in economics is not necessary. The department has no foreign language requirement for a graduate degree in economics. I. The Degree of Master of Science in Economics with a concentration in Financial Economics or Financial Econometrics Master of Science (MS) in Economics students have the option to adopt the curriculum of the traditional thesis-based Master of Science program, or a non-thesis Master of Science degree with a concentration in Financial Economics or Financial Econometrics. Students in the thesis option are required to complete a minimum of 32 semester credit hours of approved courses along with their research for the thesis option. The 36 semester credit hour non-thesis option concentration offers students a terminal, professional science master s degree designed to prepare them for immediate jobs in applied economic, econometric and statistical analysis in the private, public and non-profit sectors. This degree emphasizes quantitative and financial applications. The non-thesis program includes the opportunity to do an internship, and, in the last semester, requires all students to complete a capstone course comprised of a major applied group research project. This final project gives students the opportunity to connect their knowledge and skills to a real-world problem or issue. While the thesis option program maintains the standard committee structure for graduate research, the non-thesis concentration option has reduced committee size as outlined below. A. Residence Requirements a. In partial fulfillment of the residence requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Economics, the student must complete 9 resident credit hours during one regular semester or one 10-week summer semester. Upon recommendation of the student s advisory committee, department head or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Program, if appropriate, and with approval of the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies, a student may be granted exemption from this requirement. Such a petition, however, must be approved prior to the student s registration for the final 9 credit hours of required coursework. b. Students who are employed full-time while completing their degree may fulfill total residence requirements by completion of less-than-full time course loads each semester. In order to be considered for this, the student is required to submit a Petition for Waivers and Exceptions along with verification of his/her employment to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. 1

B. Student s Advisory Committee a. Thesis Option i. After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling for coursework, the student will consult with the head of his or her major or administrative department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable) concerning appointment of the chair of his or her advisory committee. The student s advisory committee for the master s degree will consist of no fewer than three members of the graduate faculty representative of the student s fields of study and research. The chair or one of the co-chairs of the advisory committee must be from the student s major department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), and at least one or more of the members must have an appointment to a department other than the student s major department. The outside member for students in an intercollegiate program must have an appointment to a department different from the chair of the student s committee. ii. The chair, in consultation with the student, will select the remainder of the advisory committee. The student will interview each prospective committee member to determine whether he or she is willing to serve. Only graduate faculty members located on the campuses at College Station, Galveston, Texas A&M University-Temple Campus or Institute of Biosciences and Technology-Houston, may serve as chair of a student s advisory committee. Other graduate faculty members, including the Texas A&M University System graduate faculty, may serve as co-chair with an individual located at College Station, Houston, Temple or Galveston. The chair of the committee, who usually has immediate supervision of the student s research and thesis, has the responsibility for calling required meetings of the committee and for calling meetings at any other time considered desirable. iii. If the chair of a student s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student wants the chair to continue to serve as the committee chair, the student is responsible for adding an additional member of the current University Graduate Faculty, from the student s academic program and located on the College Station campus, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. iv. If the chair of the student s advisory committee is unavailable for an extended time in any academic period during which the student is involved in activities relating to an internship, thesis or professional paper, and is registered for 684, 691, 692 or 693 courses, the student may request, in writing, that the department head appoint an alternate advisory committee chair during the interim period. v. The duties of the committee include responsibility for the proposed degree plan,, and, for thesis options students, reviewing the research proposal, the thesis and the final examination. In addition, the committee as a group and as individual members are responsible for counseling the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. vi. The committee members approval on the degree plan indicate their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. Although individual committee members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, a committee cannot resign en masse. 2

b. Non Thesis Option i. For students in the MS in Economics with a concentration in financial economics or econometrics non-thesis option, advisory committees will consist of one individual, either the Program Director, or another member of the graduate faculty from the department agreed upon by both the Program Director and the student. The Director or alternate faculty member has the responsibility of approving the proposed degree plan for the student. In addition, they are responsible for counseling the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. ii. The committee member s approval on the degree plan indicates their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. If they resign or voluntarily leave the University, the student will work with the Program Director to designate a replacement member from the current University Graduate Faculty, from the student s academic program and located on the College Station campus. Students may replace committees by petition for valid reasons. C. Degree Plan a. Students in both options, in consultation with their advisory committee will develop the proposed degree plan. After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling for coursework, and no later than the beginning of the student s second semester, the MS in Economics non-thesis option student will confirm their enrollment in the financial economics or financial econometrics concentration, and file a degree plan based on their decision with the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. b. A student should submit the degree plan using the online Automated Degree Plan Submission System located on the website ogsdpss.tamu.edu. c. A student submitting a proposed degree plan for a Master of Science in Economics degree should designate on the official degree plan form the program option desired by checking thesis option, non-thesis option, or non-thesis option no committee. d. Additional coursework may be added to the approved degree plan by petition if it is deemed necessary by the advisory committee to correct deficiencies in the student s academic preparation. No further changes can be made to the thesis option student s degree plan once the student s Request for Final Examination or Request for Final Examination Exemption is approved. D. Credit Requirement a. A minimum of 32 semester credit hours of approved courses and research is required for the thesis option Master of Science in Economics degree. A minimum of 36 semester credit hours of approved coursework is required for the Non-Thesis Option. E. Transfer of Credit a. A student who has earned 12 hours of graduate credit in residence at Texas A&M University may be authorized to transfer courses in excess of the limits prescribed in the catalog upon the advice of the advisory committee and with the approval of the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. b. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater might be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar 3

degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Otherwise, the limitations stated in the preceding section apply. c. Coursework in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A or B) are given (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit. d. Courses appearing on the degree plan with grades of D, F or U may not be absolved by transfer work. e. Credit for thesis research or the equivalent is not transferable. f. Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours or equated to semester credit hours. g. An official transcript from the university at which the transfer coursework was taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. h. Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPR, with the exception of courses taken at the Texas A&M Health Science Center. F. Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension and Certain Other Courses a. Certain courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the Master of Science in Economics under the following limitations. i. The maximum number of credit hours which may be considered for transfer credit is the greater of 12 hours or one-third (1/3) of the total hours of a degree plan. The following restrictions apply: 1. Graduate and/or upper-level undergraduate courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution, or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the student was in degree-seeking status at Texas A&M University, or the student was in degree-seeking status at the institution at which the courses were taken; and if the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degreeseeking status at the host institution. 2. Courses previously used for another degree are not acceptable for degree plan credit. ii. The maximum number of credit hours taken in post-baccalaureate non-degree (G6) classification at Texas A&M University which may be considered for application to the degree plan is 12. iii. Not more than 12 hours may be used in any combination of the following categories: 1. Not more than 8 hours in the combination of 691 (research) or 684 (Professional Internship) may be used. 2. Not more than 8 hours of 685 (Directed Studies) may be used. 3. Not more than 3 hours of 690 (Theory of Research) may be used. 4. Not more than 3 hours of 695 (Frontiers in Research) may be used. 5. A maximum of 2 hours of Seminar (681).5. A maximum of 9 hours of advanced undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level). 6. No credit may be obtained by correspondence study. 7. For graduate courses of three weeks duration or less, taken at other institutions, up to 1 hour of credit may be obtained for each five-day week of coursework. Each week of coursework must include at least 15 contact hours. 8. Continuing education courses may not be used for graduate credit. 9. Extension courses are not acceptable for credit. 10. Exceptions will be permitted only in unusual cases and when petitioned by the student s advisory committee and approved by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. 4

G. Continuous Registration a. A student in the thesis option of the Master of Science in Economics program who has completed all coursework on his/her degree plan other than 691 (Research) is required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. H. Foreign Languages a. No specific language requirement exists for the Master of Science in Economics degree. I. Thesis Proposal a. For the thesis option Master of Science in Economics degree, the student must prepare a thesis proposal for approval by the advisory committee and the head of the major department or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable. This proposal must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies at least 15 working days prior to the submission of the request for the final examination. b. Compliance issues must be addressed if a graduate student is performing research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards and recombinant DNA. A student involved in these types of research must check with the Office of Research Compliance, Office of the Vice President for Research at (979) 845-8585 to ensure that he/she has met all compliance responsibilities. Additional information can also be obtained on the website researchcompliance.tamu.edu. J. Thesis Defense/Final Examination a. The Master of Science in Economics thesis option candidate must pass a final examination by dates announced each semester or summer term in the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Calendar. The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies must be notified in writing of any cancellation. To be eligible to take the final examination, a student s GPR must be at least 3.000 for courses on the degree plan and for all courses completed at Texas A&M which are eligible to be applied to a graduate degree, and there must be no unabsolved grades of D, F or U for any course listed on the degree plan. To absolve a deficient grade, the student must have repeated the course at Texas A&M University and have achieved a grade of C or better. b. All coursework on the degree plan must have been completed with the exception of those hours for which the student is registered. Additionally, all English Language Proficiency requirements must be satisfied prior to scheduling the examination. If applicable, an approved thesis proposal must be on file in the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies according to published deadlines. c. A request for permission to hold and announce the final examination must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date for the examination. Examinations which are not completed and reported as satisfactory to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies within 10 working days of the scheduled examination date will be recorded as failures. A student may be given only one opportunity to repeat the final examination for the master s degree and that must be within a time period that does not extend beyond the end of the next regular semester (summer terms are excluded). d. For thesis option students, the final examination covers the thesis and all work taken on the degree plan and at the option of the committee may be written or oral or both. The final examination may not be administered before the thesis is available to all members of the student s advisory committee in substantially final form, and all members have had adequate 5

time to review the document. The examination is conducted by the student s advisory committee as finally constituted. e. A thesis option student must be registered in the University in the semester or summer term in which the final examination is taken. f. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the major professor, attend final examinations for advanced degrees. g. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her exam. A department, or interdisciplinary degree program, may have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department or interdisciplinary program. h. A thesis-option candidate may petition to be exempt from his/her final examination provided his/her degree plan GPR is 3.500 or greater and he/she has the approval of the advisory committee, the head of the student s major department, or intercollegiate chair, if appropriate, and the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is required that the petition for exemption be submitted the same semester the student intends to submit the thesis. i. Exam results must be submitted with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. If an approved committee member substitution (1 only) has been made, his/her signature must also be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. j. For non-thesis option students in the Master of Science in Economics, a final comprehensive examination is not required. K. Thesis Requirements a. An acceptable thesis is required for the Master of Science in Economics degree for a student who selects the thesis option program. The finished work must reflect a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent literature and express in clear English, the problem(s) for study, the method, significance and results of the student s original research. Guidelines for the preparation of the thesis are available in the Thesis Manual, which is available online at thesis.tamu.edu. b. After successful defense (or exemption) and approval by the student s advisory committee and the head of the student s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if appropriate), the student must submit his/her thesis to the Thesis Office in electronic format as a single PDF file. The PDF file must be uploaded to the Thesis Office website, thesis.tamu.edu. Additionally, a signed approval form must be brought or mailed to the Thesis Office. The PDF file and the signed approval form are required by the deadline. c. Deadline dates for submitting are announced each semester or summer term in the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Calendar (see Time Limit statement). These dates also can be accessed via the website ogs.tamu.edu/current-students/dates-and-deadlines/. d. Before a student can be cleared by the Thesis Office, a processing fee must be paid at the Fiscal Department. After commencement, theses are digitally stored and made available through the Texas A&M Libraries. e. A thesis that is deemed unacceptable by the Thesis Office because of excessive corrections will be returned to the student s department head (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable). The manuscript must be resubmitted as a new document, and the entire review process must begin again. All original submittal deadlines must be met during the resubmittal process to graduate that semester. f. For the non-thesis option, a thesis is not required. 6

g. A student pursuing the non-thesis option is not allowed to enroll in 691 (Research) for any reason and 691 may not be used for credit toward a non-thesis option Master of Science degree. A maximum of 8 credit hours of 685 (Directed Studies) or 684 (Professional Internship), and up to 3 credit hours of 690 (Theory of Research) or 695 (Frontiers in Research) may be used toward the non-thesis option Master of Science degree. In addition, any combination of 684, 685, 690 and 695 may not exceed 25 percent of the total credit hour requirement shown on the individual degree plan. All requirements for the non-thesis option Master of Science in Economics degree other than those specified above are the same as for the thesis option degree. L. Time Limit a. All degree requirements must be completed within a period of seven consecutive years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until seven years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework which is more than seven calendar years old at the time of the final examination (oral or written) may not be used to satisfy degree requirements. b. A student who has chosen the thesis option must have the final corrected version of the thesis cleared by the Thesis Office no later than one year after the final examination, or approval of a petition for exemption from the final exam, or within the seven-year time limit, whichever occurs first. Failure to do so will result in the degree not being awarded. M. Application for Degree a. A graduate degree is conferred at the close of each regular semester and 10-week summer semester. A candidate for an advanced degree who expects to complete his/her work at the end of a given semester must apply for graduation by submitting the electronic application for degree to the Office of the Registrar and by paying the required graduation fee at the Fiscal Department no later than the Friday of the second week of the fall or spring semester or the Friday of the first week of the first summer term. b. A cancellation made after the application deadline will not receive a refund of the diploma fee. Students who have completed all their degree requirements will not be allowed to cancel their graduation. The electronic application can be accessed via the student s Howdy portal. The Registrar attempts each semester to balance the size of each ceremony. A student should check the website of the Office of the Registrar at graduation.tamu.edu/ceremon.html to determine the date and time of his/her graduation ceremony. N. Steps to Fulfill Master s Degree Requirements 1 2 3 Meet with departmental graduate advisor to plan course of study for first semester. Establish advisory committee. Submit a degree plan.* If thesis is required, submit thesis proposal to the Office of Graduate Studies. 7 When: Before first semester registration. Approved by: Graduate advisor or chair of the intercollegiate faculty. When: Prior to the deadline imposed by the student s college and no later than 90 days prior to final oral or thesis defense. Approved by: Advisory committee, department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, and Office of Graduate Studies (OGS). When: At least 25 working days prior to the submission of the Request for the Final Examination.

4 5 Apply for degree**; pay graduation fee. Check to be sure degree program and advisory committee are up to date and all ELPE requirements (if applicable) and coursework are complete. 6 Complete residence requirement. 7 8 9 Submit request for permission to schedule final examination. If required, upload one approved final copy of thesis as a single PDF file (thesis.tamu.edu) and submit signed approval form to the Thesis Office. Graduation; arrange for cap and gown. Approved by: Advisory committee, department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty and OGS. When: During the first week of the final semester, see OGS calendar. When: Well before submitting request to schedule final examination. When: If applicable, before or during final semester. Approved by: OGS. When: Must be received by OGS at least 10 working days before exam date. See OGS calendar for deadlines. Approved by: Advisory committee, department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, and OGS. When: See OGS calendar for deadlines. Approved by: Advisory committee, department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty and OGS. For more information, contact the University Bookstore. O. Master of Science in Economics Course Requirements a. Non-thesis Option - a 1.5 year program requiring 36 hours of coursework. The curriculum consists of 27 hours of required core courses that teach students analytical and quantitative skills and their real-world applications. These skills are showcased during a capstone course (ECON 675) in their last semester of the program. Students will choose a concentration in either financial economics or financial econometrics and take 9 additional hours of elective credit related to their specialization. b. Thesis Option - a minimum of 32 semester credit hours of courses with accommodation for courses of interest and relevance for the thesis, along with their research for the thesis. P. Normal Progress Guidelines a. M.S. Students: Students making normal progress complete the M.S. degree program in 1.5 to 2 academic years. Normal progress guidelines for each year are given below. b. M.S. students complete microeconomics (Econ 607), macroeconomics (Econ 611), econometrics (Ecmt 660), and three electives in the first year of the program. The normal course load is 3 or 4 regular courses during each semester. A student making normal progress will complete a minimum of 18 credits by the end of the first year in the program and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. Students making normal progress form their Advisory Committee and file their Degree Plan before the end of the second semester of their first year. 8

Financial Economics Track Credits Course Fall I 3 ECON 607: Foundations of Microeconomic Theory 3 ECMT 674: Economic Forecasting 3 FINC 629: Financial Management 3 FINC 632: Investment Management Spring I 3 ECON 689: Economic Analytics 3 ECON 617: Strategies of Multinational Corporations 3 ECON 6XX (elective) Summer I 1-6 ECON 684: Internship (1-6 Credit Hours; Not required) Fall II 3 ECON 675: Capstone 3 ECON 618: Behavioral Economics of Financial Markets 3 ECON 6XX (elective) 3 ECON 6XX (elective, if necessary) Spring II 3 ECON 6XX (elective, if necessary) Total 36 Financial Econometrics Track Credits Course Fall I 3 ECON 607: Foundations of Microeconomic Theory 3 ECMT 674: Economic Forecasting 3 FINC 629: Financial Management 3 FINC 632: Investment Management Spring I 3 ECON 689: Economic Analytics 3 ECMT 680: Financial Econometrics 3 ECON 6XX (elective) Summer I 1-6 ECON 684: Internship (1-6 Credit Hours; Not required) Fall II 3 ECON 675: Capstone 3 ECMT 681: Econometric Analysis of Financial Data 3 ECON 6XX (elective) 3 ECON 6XX (elective, if necessary) Spring II 3 ECON 6XX (elective, if necessary) Total 36 9

II. Economics Fastrack Five-Year Dual Degree Program B.S./M.S. in Economics This is a joint BS/MS program that allows students to complete both a B.S. and M.S degree in five years. We outline below the individual degree requirements, and the recommended undergraduate course of study for meeting M.S. prerequisites and preparing for the more rigorous, professional MS courses. In total, the student completes 150 credit hours of course work for the combined program; 6 credit hours of coursework will be double-counted for both degrees the B.S. and M.S. Students in the Fastrack pay undergraduate tuition rates for their first four years, and then pay graduate rates, including the MS program fee of $3,000 both semesters, in their fifth year. A. Eligibility and Application Requirements - Economics majors interested in the five-year dual degree Economics Fastrack program should: a. Be a B.S. in Economics major with junior standing, b. Have a minimum GPA of 3.25, c. Be within reach of earning at least 96 credit hours by the end of their third year, d. Have completed specific required mathematics and economics courses to prepare for quantitative graduate-level analytical work including: i. MATH 151 and MATH 152 Calculus Sequence ii. MATH 323 Linear Algebra, iii. ECMT 461 Economic Data Analysis, or its equivalent, and iv. ECMT 463 - Introduction to Econometrics, or its equivalent. e. Eligible students apply to the five year BS/MS program during their junior year, and submit the following materials: i. An Application Checklist form, ii. An official GRE or GMAT score (Note: the GRE/GMAT test submission requirement will be waived for joint degree applicants with a cumulative grade point average of 3.40 or higher at the time of application.) iii. A letter of recommendation from an economics department faculty member who has been an instructor in one of your courses (Note: if you intend to apply for the PhD program later you will need three letters, a personal statement and a writing sample at that time,) iv. A copy of your current unofficial Texas A&M University transcript, and v. A copy of your up-to-date Undergraduate degree plan. f. Students must also schedule an interview with the Program Director once their application is complete and before the application deadline. g. Students may open their application file anytime by submitting material to program administrators, 3102 Allen Building, or by email at: doug.eckel@tamu.edu. Applications must be completed, with all supporting materials, by February 1 st. Students will be notified of the admissions decision by March 1 st to allow ample time for fall course planning and registration. B. BS/MS Combined Course of Study a. Admitted students begin taking Masters-level courses in the fall of their fourth year with an undergraduate classification (U4). They are re-classified as degree seeking master s students (G7) upon completion of 120 credit hours. This usually occurs after the spring semester of their fourth year. b. Students complete the 36 hours of graduate-level courses required of all students admitted to the Masters of Science in Economics program. Many students in the MS in Economics program complete their degree in 4 consecutive semesters (fall/spring/summer/fall), although others often extend their course of study to an additional spring semester. BS-MS students take the required graduate courses in a modified order over two years to complete both degrees simultaneously. 10

c. BS-MS students double count 6 hours of graduate coursework in both their 36-hour graduate degree and 33 hour undergraduate Economics major. Students typically use ECON 607 and ECMT 674 for this purpose, but the 6 hours can be chosen from any ECON or ECMT courses taken at the graduate level. (Please see: Appendix 1 at the end of this program description for the standard course requirements for both the B.S. and M.S. in Economics.) d. The Bachelor of Science requirements for BS-MS joint degree students include: Bachelor of Science requirements for BS-MS joint degree students Major Coursework Credits Course 3 ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics 3 ECON 203 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 ECON 323 Microeconomic Theory 3 ECON 410 Macroeconomic Theory 3 ECON 460 Introduction to Mathematical Analysis (counts as economics elective) 12 Economics electives 3 ECON 607 Foundations of Microeconomic Theory* 3 ECMT 674 Economic Forecasting* * Masters-level course double-counts as a BS elective and core MS course. Supporting Coursework 3 ACCT 209 Survey of Accounting Principles 3 ACCT 210 Managerial & Cost Accounting Principles University and College of Liberal Arts Requirements 6 English writing and speech 6 English literature 12 Mathematics (See note below): Joint degree students must take MATH 151: Engineering Mathematics I, MATH 152: Engineering Mathematics II, ECMT 461: Economic Data Analysis & ECMT 463: Introduction to Econometrics prior to starting the BS-MS program. (1 hour from MATH 151 & 1 hour from MATH 152 will count toward general electives) 6 American History 6 Political Science and Government 6 Social and Behavioral Science 9 Language, Philosophy and Culture and Creative Arts 6 International and Cultural Diversity 9 Life and Physical Sciences 18 General Electives 11

Joint Program MS Course of Study (Undergraduate Year 4): Credits Course Fall I 3 ECON 607: Foundations of Microeconomic Theory * 3 ECMT 674: Economic Forecasting * 3 ECON XXX (UG upper level elective) 3 UG General Elective course Spring I 3 ECON 689: Economic Analytics 3 ECON XXX (UG upper level elective) 3 UG General Elective course At the end of their fourth year, students will choose their MS concentration area. They will select either Financial Economics or Financial Econometrics and take one of the subsequent course plans: Financial Economics Track Credits Course Summer I 1-6 ECON 684: Internship (1-6 Credit Hours; Not required) Fall II 3 ECON 675: Capstone 3 ECON 618: Behavioral Economics of Financial Markets 3 FINC 629: Financial Management 3 FINC 632: Investment Management Spring II 3 ECON 617: Strategies of Multinational Corporations 3 ECON 6XX (elective) Financial Econometrics Track Credits Course Summer I 1-6 ECON 684: Internship (1-6 Credit Hours; Not required) Fall II 3 ECON 675: Capstone 3 FINC 629: Financial Management 3 FINC 632: Investment Management 3 ECMT 681: Econometric Analysis of Financial Data Spring II 3 ECMT 680: Financial Econometrics 3 ECON 6XX (elective) * Masters-level course double-counts as a core Masters course and as an Undergraduate Economics elective. + Graduate Electives are chosen in consultation with advisor. C. Advising Issues 12

a. Students who choose not to finish the MS-ECON degree after being admitted may withdraw from the program at any time. Completed MS courses are applied to a student s undergraduate degree as appropriate. Failure to complete the MS-ECON program does not interfere with a student s ability to complete the BS in Economics once all requirements for that degree are met. b. Advising for the joint-degree program is handled in a coordinated effort between the Undergraduates and Graduate Advisors in the Department of Economics. Each counterpart ensures that requirements are met for their respective degree. Departmental advisors coordinate to ensure timely completion of both degrees. III. MISCELLANEOUS A. Funding Students initially admitted to the M.S. program do not normally receive funding from the department as teaching or research assistants. Students can apply for various fellowships and assistantships from the university, and any student who obtains university support for their graduate education in the form of a teaching or research assistantship will receive direct and indirect benefits from the university. The most important indirect benefit is the tuition waiver B. Departmental Office Space Only students funded by the Department will typically receive office space. M.S. students typically do not receive dedicated office space. C. Computers and Printers Computers and printers are available in the Department s Computer Lab. Each student is allotted 1000 pages for printing in each Fall and Spring semester, and 800 pages in the Summer. The Department s IT staff in Room 3108 can help with this. Students may obtain additional pages for their printing quota if the chair of their Advisory Committee or the Director of Graduate Programs provides a letter supporting this request to the IT staff. Students with school work (homework, research, teaching) have a higher priority than internet or e-mail users, and students with a lower priority should yield as necessary to students with a higher priority. D. Address/phone number/email address Each student is required to furnish the department with a current phone number, street address and email address in case of an emergency and for routine announcements. The email address must be a university email address (i.e, not hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc). Please keep this information current -- let the department staff know if there is any change. Finally, students leaving town for 1 week or more should let the department staff know of your absence, how you can be reached, and when you expect to return. E. Mail Room/Email Account Students will be provided a Department mail box, and must obtain at least one University email address. Students are responsible for information conveyed to them via their Department mail box and their University email account(s). The Department considers a note left in your mailbox or an email to your University email account to be official notification to you. F. Department Webspace The department will provide students with webspace upon request. Its address will be of the 13

form http://econweb.tamu.edu/username. All content must be professional and reflect well on the University, Department, and student. Instructions on how to modify it are available at http://econweb.tamu.edu/misc/web-account.htm. G. Miscellaneous Registration Information (i) If you are graduating in August, you can register during the first or second summer session. If you are graduating in December and lack only your research hours, you do not have to register during the summer. (ii) You do not have to register for the summer to satisfy continuous registration requirements. Continuation registration only applies to Fall and Spring semesters. (iii) If your thesis has been cleared by the Thesis Clerk prior to the beginning of the semester, you do not have to register. International students should check with ISS for any registration requirements that may affect their visa status. (iv) To register for more than the maximum course load allowed i.e. 15 in Spring/Fall, 10 in the 10-week summer term, or 6 in each 5-week summer term, you will have to obtain approval from the Office of Graduate Studies by filing a petition. More information on these and other rules and requirements can be found on the University s website at: http://student-rules.tamu.edu/, or in the Graduate Catalog. Any other questions should be directed to the Graduate Program Office Associate in the department. 14