Why Pursue an Economics Master's Degree
An economics degree is considered a high-value area of study with an excellent return on investment. Job candidates with a master’s degree in economics earned an average annual wage of $91,860 in 2012. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics). And economics is ranked the 10th best master’s degree for jobs. (Source: Forbes)
This program can also to lay the groundwork for students who wish to pursue a PhD degree.
A Flexible Curriculum that is Highly Marketable
There are three concentrations that were designed based on the input of professionals in various industries:
- General Economics
- Financial Economics
- Business Data Analysis & Forecasting.
The General Economics concentration allows students to take 21 credits of electives from a large inventory of courses. Students in the Financial Economics and Business Data Analysis & Forecasting concentrations can choose 6 credits of electives.
Register for an Info Session
Interested in learning more about UTSA’s Carlos Alvarez College of Business Master of Arts in Economics program? Register to attend an upcoming Information Session where you’ll have the opportunity to review application procedures, learn admissions requirements and ask questions.
STEM Designated Degree Program
This program in the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business is included on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s STEM Designated Degree Program list.
STEM Designated Degree Programs provide several benefits, including:
- High career growth potential and competitive salaries
- Development of transferrable skills such as adaptability, critical thinking, research and analysis
- International students on an F-1 visa are eligible for up to 24 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UTSA Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UTSA Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UTSA by the appropriate application deadline.
| Economics (MA) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours | |
| Coursework | 18 credit hours in an area related to this graduate degree and at least 12 hours must be at the upper-division level. | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) directly from the graduate admission application platform | |
| English Language Proficiency | 550 TOEFL Paper / 79 TOEFL Internet / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 | |
| Purpose Statement | Required | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 1 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time)(letter should be from a university professor or instructor; optional 2 letters of recommendation can be submitted) | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Economics (MA) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Completed applications will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis. Decisions generally will be made and sent to applicants within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the application. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Fall 2024 | June 1 | August 1 | |
| Spring 2025 | November 1 | December 1 | |
| Summer 2025 | Not Available | Not Available | |
Career Options
UTSA prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below is data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
"When the Federal Reserve hires analysts, it looks for candidates with strong technical skills who are adept at gathering and analyzing large amounts of data using R, SAS, and Python. The program at UTSA produces those types of candidates."
The tuition cost and related fees indicated below will vary by semester, number of courses taken, residency status and enrollment level (full-time or part-time). The table below is based on the 2023-2024 graduate student fee schedule. For the current fee schedule, reference: utsa.edu/financialaffairs/services/fiscal-services/tuition-fees
Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024 Tuition and Fees (subject to change)
| Resident | University Tuition and Fees1, 2, 3 | Business Differential Tuition ($129/credit hour) | Semester Fee for Master’s Students | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | $1,772.07 | $407.10 | $150.00 | $2,329.17 |
| 6 hours | $3,101.67 | $814.20 | $150.00 | $4,065.87 |
| 9 hours | $4,473.27 | $1,221.30 | $150.00 | $5,844.57 |
| 12 hours | $5,844.87 | $1,628.40 | $150.00 | $7,623.27 |
| 15 hours | $6,977.07 | $2,035.50 | $150 | $9,162.57 |
1Note: additional $75 fee for each online/hybrid course
2Additional $10 in first semester
3Does not include parking or health insurance
Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Summer 2024 Tuition and Fees (subject to change)
| Non-Resident | University Tuition and Fees1, 2, 3, 4 | Business Differential Tuition ($129/credit hour) | Semester Fee for Master’s Students | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | $4,863.63 | $407.10 | >$150.00 | $5,420.73 |
| 6 hours | $9,284.79 | $814.20 | $150.00 | $10,248.99 |
| 9 hours | $13,747.95 | $1,221.30 | $150.00 | $15,119.25 |
| 12 hours | $18,211.11 | $1,628.40 | $150.00 | $19,989.51 |
| 15 hours | $22,434.87 | $2,035.50 | $150 | $24,620.37 |
1Note: additional $75 fee for each online/hybrid course
2Additional $10 in first semester
3Does not include parking or health insurance
4International students are assessed an additional $125 per semester
- Andeavor
- AT&T
- BBVA
- Capital Asset Exchange and Trading, LLC
- Federal Reserve Bank
- Frost Bank
- Goldman Sachs
- H-E-B
- JPMorgan Chase
- Marathon Petroleum
- Oracle
- SWBC
- USAA
- Valero Energy Corporation
