Accelerated Economics Degree Requirements

The major in Economics provides a critical examination of how the economic system works in the United States and throughout the world. The introductory courses are surveys of economic problems, policies, and theory; the required courses in micro theory and macro theory give a deeper analytical foundation. Electives permit further study in a wide range of fields, including international trade and finance, public sector economics, economic development, economic history, capital theory and finance, labor economics, income distribution, political economy, financial markets, and public policy analysis. The major in Economics provides a general background that is useful to those planning careers in law, government service, or business, as well as those planning careers as professional economists. Professional economists work as college professors, as researchers for government agencies, in businesses and consulting firms, and as administrators and managers in a wide range of fields.

Required 120 credits (36 of which must be numbered 300 or above, and 30 of which must be from UND) including:

I. Essential Studies Requirements (see University ES listing: 39 credit hours)

II. Required Major Courses (24 credit hours):

*

This course satisfies part of the ES Social Sciences requirement and carries a Q designation.

**

This course satisfies part of the ES Math, Science, and Technology requirement and carries a Q designation.

III. Elective Major Courses: Choose from either Option A, Option B, or a 12 credit hour combination from Options A and B below.

Option A - Choose at least 12 credit hours from the following:

*

No more than 6 credit hours of electives from ECON 397 Cooperative Education, ECON 495 Readings in Economics, ECON 496 Research in Economics, and ECON 497 Internship may count toward the elective major courses.

Option B (Quantitative Option)* - Choose 12 credit hours from the following:

IV. Nistler College of Business & Public Administration Graduation Requirements:

1. Earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 (including transfer credits)
2. Earn a minimum UND GPA of 2.00
3. Earn a cumulative major GPA of 2.50 for all courses that apply toward the major (including transfer credits)
4. At least half of the  courses that apply toward the major must be from UND.

*

Students seeking to prepare for graduate school in Economics are advised to choose Option B.

Admission Requirements

1. A four-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university.
2. An overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 or greater for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.0 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (based on A=4.0).
3. Official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Students with strong quantitative backgrounds, including current and former UND undergraduate STEM majors, or, students holding a graduate degree in a business or STEM related field from an AACSB accredited institution, may request a waiver of the GRE/GMAT requirement. 
4. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog.
5. Complete undergraduate intermediate microeconomics, one semester of calculus, and one semester of probability and statistics, or equivalent.
6. Applicants may be eligible for admission in “Provisional” status with six credits of requisite undergraduate work provided that they meet all other stated admission criteria. In such cases, the student must satisfy all conditions in her/his admission letter in order to advance to “Approved” status. Failure to address the conditions of admission as stated in the admission letter will be viewed as unsatisfactory progress and could result in dismissal from the School of Graduate Studies.

Combined BS/MSAEPA Option: A combined BS/MSAEPA option is available to outstanding undergraduates who have completed 90 semester hours in a bachelor’s program at UND.

Interested students should consult with the MSAEPA Program Director.

Accelerated Bachelors/Masters (ABM) 5-Year Degree Option: The ABM degree program allows exceptional undergraduate students at UND an opportunity to complete the requirements for both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at an accelerated pace. Undergraduates in both the BBA in Business Economics and the BA in Economics are eligible for consideration for the ABM. All requirements for both the undergraduate and MSAEPA degrees must be met, and these students may double count up to 12 graduate-level credits towards the requirements for their undergraduate degree and their MSAEPA degree requirements. ABM students must obtain their MSAEPA degree within 12 months of completing their undergraduate degree, provided that the degree requirements can be completed in that timeframe. 

Admission to the ABM is a competitive process.  The following are minimum eligibility requirements:    

1. Students must meet the School of Graduate Studies admissions eligibility requirements. 
2. Students must have completed a minimum of 60 credits, including credits earned from advanced placement and dual credit.  Students must apply before completion of the undergraduate degree.
3. Transfer students with a minimum of 60 credits-whether from the transfer institution alone or in combination with UND credits-must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 at the time of admission to the ABM program.
4. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 at UND at the time of admission into the ABM program.
5. ABM program applicants must submit the standard application to the School of Graduate Studies, the application fee, a personal statement, and transcripts.  ABM program applicants do not need to take the GRE/GMAT.  
6. Additionally, ABM program applicants must submit a detailed Program of Study that describes the 12 credits of double counted courses, the courses that will be taken after being accepted into the MSAEPA program, the courses that will be taken before graduation from either of the eligible undergraduate programs, and the expected graduation date for each degree.  The submitted program of study must be signed by the student, the student's undergraduate advisor, the student’s graduate advisor, and the MSAEPA Program Director. 

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master of Science in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics (MSAEPA) degree through the Department of Economics & Finance at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Department of Economics & Finance.

The minimum number of credits for completing the MSAEPA is 30 credits. The MSAEPA curriculum consists of (i) an Economics Core, (ii) a set of Data Analytics courses, (iii) an Independent Study, and, (iv) a minimum of one 3-credit elective. The Independent Study serves as a capstone for the program and allows students to demonstrate their command of the methods and perspectives taught in the program in investigating a substantive problem. The program is designed to be completed within two academic years (5 semesters).

Economics Core (12 credit hours)

Required courses:

Data Analytics (12 credit hours)

Eligible courses:

Independent Study (3 credit hours)

*Electives (minimum of 3 credit hours)

*Examples shown; offerings may vary from semester to semester. Choices of cognate electives must be determined in consultation with and approved by the MSAEPA program director. Courses previously taken from UND for undergraduate credit may not be used to satisfy MSAEPA requirements.