Master of Arts Program

Whether you're seeking a career in business, government, academics or other industry, the K-State Master of Arts in Economics prepares you for a rewarding career.

Curriculum Tracks and Required Courses

The Master of Arts in Economics program offers three curriculum tracks that allow you to align your degree with your career goals:

Applied Economics
Econometrics
Ph.D. Preparation

Of the 30 credit hours needed for the degree, only nine hours are from required courses — obtained via the three courses listed below. Students are free to choose their additional courses in alignment with their tracks, tailoring the degree to individual interests and goals. Up to nine credit hours can be taken from outside of economics. This allows students to build expertise in a complementary field such as business or statistics.

Straight from a Student

Noah Enders' K-State journey started with pursuing dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science, leading him toward a career in research and real-world policy. Along theway, he made lifelong connections, tackled challenging classes and even created a new method to measure “Quality of Life” for state projects. Now working at the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, he’s mixing his passion for research with practical public policy to make a difference for Kansans.

“My academic experiences at K-State opened my mind to new perspectives and paved the way for innovative approaches in public policy.”

Noah Enders
Bachelor's degrees in economics and political science, May 2022
Master of Arts in economics, coursework finished in summer 2023, thesis in progress

Straight from a Student

Leaving Lagos, Nigeria, for Manhattan, Kansas, was a big leap, but K-State quickly became home for Victoria Popoola. She found friends through participating in student organizations, support from faculty, and plenty of challenges in the classroom. With her sights set on a future Ph.D., she’s excited to explore research during her master's program while keeping her options open between academia and industry.

“Grad school is tough, but K-State gave me the support and friendships I needed to thrive.”

Victoria Popoola
Master of Arts in economics student

Degree Culmination Options

Three degree culmination options also provide you an opportunity to customize your experience.

Thesis Option
Enrolling in the thesis option is recommended for students wishing to focus on research. In writing a thesis, students earn six credit hours while working closely with a faculty member on an original research project.

Report Option
Recommended for industry-bound students, the report option requires a two credit-hour research project and allows time for an additional four credit hours of coursework, expanding exposure to the variety of courses and topics offered.

Exam Option
Students continuing on in the Ph.D. program often take the exam option, which allows uninterrupted progress toward the Ph.D.

World-class research and teaching faculty

Research published in top-tier journals and publications

Graduates working in industry across the globe

Graduates Working in Industry

Students find jobs with a wide variety of private and public sector employers including:

MetLife
Casey Research
Economic and Policy Resources
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Edward Jones
G.L. Huyett
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Brattle Group
Suruga U.S.A
Koch Industries
Huron Consulting Group
Kansas Legislative Research Department
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
AVM Ltd
Sprint Corporation
Kansas Corporation Commission
Kansas Department of Administration.

Speak Directly with a Member of Our Faculty

Mohaned Al-Hamdi
Admission Coordinator and Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
785-532-6962
alhamdi@k-state.edu

Dr. Al-Hamdi's research interests include Conflict Theory, Defense Economics, Mathematical Economics, Political Economy, and History of Economic Thought.