M.A. (Thesis) Option Not Available

This option is designed for students who have a particular interest in one area. Students who are interested in this option should consult both the M.A. advisor and a potential thesis advisor before selecting this option. This is a rarely chosen option that is not recommended by the Department.

The program requires:

1. Successful completion of the following courses with a grade in each of at least a B- (65%)
   Six required credits
   • ECON 610 Microeconomic Theory 1
   • ECON 620 Macroeconomic Theory 1
   Twelve complementary credits with must include either
   • ECON 662D1 Econometrics / ECON 662D2 Econometrics, or
   • ECON 665 Quantitative Methods
   • Econometrics ECON 662D1/ECON 662D2 is strongly recommended.
   A minimum of 6 elective credits must be taken in the same field (for example, international economics, or labour economics, or industrial organization). The M.A. advisor must approve the courses that will be considered to satisfy this requirement.
2. Completion of a Master's thesis, the subject of which must be approved by a thesis committee, no more than 12 months after the student enters the M.A. program. Students should begin to plan the M.A. thesis early in the academic year. The M.A. Thesis is rarely an original contribution to knowledge, in the same sense that a doctoral dissertation is expected to be. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the student can design and complete a significant piece of research. The thesis should deal with a well-defined problem, with significant review of previous work. The M.A. thesis manuscript does not normally exceed 100 pages of typescript. Unlike the research report completed under the non-thesis option, an M.A. thesis is examined by an external examiner choosen by the candidate's supervisor and by an internal examiner from the Economics Department. The supervisor no longer grades the thesis an academic member from the department is choosen.
3. The Thesis program requirement is 48 credits (18 credits course work and 30 credits thesis). An average grade of B (70%) in approved courses is needed for graduation.
4. Residency requirement for the M.A. degree: Three full-time terms of residency, one of which can be the Summer Term. The thesis option can be completed in 12 months, although most students take until December of the second year to finish. Additional session fees are applicable.
5. A student who fails (receives a grade less than 65%) one graduate course may be asked to withdraw from the M.A. program. The Department may allow the student to write a supplemental examination, re-take the course or, if the course is not a required course, substitute the failed course with another course. A student who fails two or more approved courses in the graduate program must withdraw from the M.A. program.

Please consult the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website for details regarding formatting.