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Economics students listen to professor give a lecture

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.

Economics Students

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.

Students Attending an Info Session

Register for an Info Session

Interested in learning more about UTSA’s Carlos Alvarez College of Business Master of Science 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

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

Please note: The MS in Economics is available starting Fall 2025. Students interested in Spring 2025 must apply for the MA in Economics.

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 (MS)
  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. Otherwise qualified individuals with a GPA below 3.0 may still be eligible for admission consideration. For further information, please contact Graduate.Business@utsa.edu.
  Coursework Completed adequate credit hours or foreign institution equivalent coursework as preparation for the program.
  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.
Apply 2024-25 Application Apply 2025-26 Application

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 (MS)
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
Spring 2025 November 1 December 1
Summer 2025 Not Available Not Available
Fall 2025 June 1 August 1
Spring 2026 November 1 December 1
Summer 2026 Not Available Not Available

Funding Opportunities

Resources Assistantships

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."
Keith Phillips, PhD · Assistant Vice President and Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
  • 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
Leslie Brilliant, UTSA Senior Program Manager, Carlos Alvarez College of Business

Senior Program Manager

Leslie Brilliant

210-458-7301

Graduate.Business@utsa.edu