Terry College of Business - University of Georgia
Department of Economics
Prospective BBA

AB/MA in economics

The Economics Department offers a Bachelor’s/Master’s (AB/MA) degree for current UGA undergraduates through the Double Dawgs Program. Undergraduate students must have a 3.6 GPA to be considered. The AB/MA program is designed for students who plan to pursue a PhD program in economics, finance, public policy, or statistics or who are looking for private- or public-sector positions that require significant technical research skills.

The MA degree is not offered as a terminal or stand-alone graduate degree in economics. Only PhD students who discontinue work toward their doctorate are eligible to terminate their studies with the MA degree.

A combined bachelor’s/master’s degree calls for a carefully coordinated four-year or five-year plan of study and close cooperation among several academic advisors. This is especially true in economics where a joint degree student must take many math and statistics courses in his or her first few years at UGA. Therefore, students interested in the combined degree program should discuss the opportunity with a departmental advisor while they are first-year students, and these advisors will help each student develop a plan of study.

There are two tracks to obtaining the MA degree, a thesis track and a non-thesis track. For those students interested in attending graduate school, the thesis track is strongly recommended. The non-thesis track is more appropriate for students seeking a career in the private sector. The plan of study listed below provides details on the two-degree tracks.

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Departments and Program Offices

Plan of Study

Years 1-2

Students must take or earn AP credit for at least one course in each of these 2 groups:

Group 1
  • MATH 2250 Calculus I for Science and Engineering
  • MATH 2300H Differential Calculus (Honors) (4 credits)
  • MATH 2400H Differential Calculus with Theory (Honors)
Group 2
  • MATH 2260 Calculus II for Science and Engineering
  • MATH 2310H Integral Calculus (Honors) (4 credits)
  • MATH 2410H Integral Calculus with Theory (Honors)

Students must take one of the following options:

Option 1
  • MATH 2270 Calculus for Science and Engineering III OR MATH 2500 Multivariable Calculus
  • MATH 3200 Introduction to Higher Mathematics (Prerequisite for Math 3000)
  • MATH 3000 Introduction to Linear Algebra
Option 2
  • MATH 3500 Multivariable Mathematics I (Honors)
  • MATH 3510 Multivariable Mathematics II (Honors)

Year 3

Thesis Track

Fall Term

Spring Term

*Although we permit students to take STAT 4520 contemporaneously with ECON 8080, some of 8080 utilizes concepts that are taught throughout 4520.
Non-Thesis Track

Fall Term

Spring Term

*Although we permit students to take STAT 4520 contemporaneously with ECON 8080, some of 8080 utilizes concepts that are taught throughout 4520.

Year 4

Thesis Track

Thesis (9 credits)
ECON 7000 (6 credits)
ECON 7300

Electives (6 credits)
Any 2 other 8000-level courses

Non-Thesis Track

Thesis (0 credits)

Electives (15 credits)
Any 5 other 8000-level courses (excluding 8980)

Notes:

  • This plan shows how to complete the program in four years. However, students usually take five years to complete the requirements.
  • In the spring of Year 2 each student should meet with the graduate coordinator and complete the proposed plan of study.
  • Students are permitted to take no more than 12 graduate credit hours before being fully admitted by the UGA Graduate School.

Admissions

All graduate program admissions are handled by the UGA Graduate School. Once the graduate school reviews your application, it is forwarded to the Economics Department for further review. Final decisions will be issued by letter from the UGA Graduate School.

Required Documents

  • 2 official transcripts from institutions you’ve attended
    (UGA students and alumni are exempt as their records are on file.)
  • GRE scores
  • 2 letters of recommendation
    (Letters should be from individuals who have knowledge of your academic and/or professional capability. The application will prompt your recommenders to submit their letters electronically.)  

Additional Documents for International Applicants

Application Fee

You must submit a one-time application fee via credit card online in order to complete your application — $75 for domestic applicants, $100 for international applicants.

Placements

Our AB/MA students have had excellent placements in both graduate school and the job market.

View a complete list of placements