UH Ranks 6th For Master's Degree in Applied Economics

The University of Houston (UH) Masters of Arts (M.A.) in Applied Economics ranked 6th among other applied economics master’s degree programs by The Financial Engineer’s 2015 Master of Economics Rankings and 34th overall for master’s degrees in economics in the nation.

According to The Financial Engineer’s website, these are the most comprehensive rankings for graduate economics programs in the United States.

“We are excited about this ranking and proud of our past graduates,” said Rebecca Achee Thornton, director of the M.A. in Applied Economics Program and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Economics at UH. “Our students have strong academic backgrounds, which sets the stage for progress in our program. Job placement has been strong, which is, of course, the ultimate goal of our graduates.”

Thornton says the two primary strengths of the program are the diversity of the students and the relatively small size of each class. The program attracts a mix of students from across the state and the U.S., as well as around the world.

“We aim to keep the class size around 20 - 25 students,” said Thornton. “This allows students the opportunity to learn from each other, interact with classmates with varied backgrounds and work closely with faculty instructors and mentors in the program. It gives our students the advantages of learning to work on diverse teams and allows them more individual attention from instructors when needed,”

The M.A. in Applied Economics is a one-year degree designed to prepare students for jobs as data analysts in various private industries and government.  Decisions in today’s economy, both private and public, are increasingly data driven. This degree provides a solid foundation in economics and data analysis with applications in health, energy, public finance, and financial markets, but the tools obtained in the program can be applied to virtually any industry or career, says Thornton.

The M.A. in Applied Economics degree includes the following courses:

  • Microeconomics Analysis
  • Macroeconomic Analysis
  • Econometrics
  • Energy Economics
  • Health Economics
  • Economic Modeling and Forecasting
  • Capital Market Economics

Students must complete six hours of summer internship or an applied project course after all other coursework is completed. Learn more about the M.A. in Applied Economics at its website at http://www.uh.edu/class/economics/graduate/master/

Graduates of the UH M.A. in Applied Economics have been hired as analysts at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Angelou Economics, BBVA Compass, KPMG, Houston-Galveston Area Council, HIS, Constellation Energy, Mercer, and many other employers. In addition, a few graduates have been admitted into Ph.D. programs in public health, finance, and economics.

The Financial Engineer is an Internet based source of information for finance and economics. They serve as a resource for students seeking masters programs in business, finance, financial economics, and general applied economics. They rank programs based on academic qualify of students at admission and job placement rates upon graduation. To learn more, visit https://thefinancialengineer.net/economics-rankings/

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About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 40,900 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.