{"id":31318,"date":"2011-08-10T09:38:40","date_gmt":"2011-08-10T13:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/?page_id=31318"},"modified":"2026-03-18T16:00:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T20:00:52","slug":"ma-economic-policy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/grs\/programs\/economics\/ma-economic-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"MS in Economic Policy &#038; Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Master of Science in Economic Policy &amp; Practice (MSEPP) program is an intensive three-term course of study combining a strong foundation in economics with the management methods appropriate for students interested in careers as policy analysts and decisionmakers in government, nonprofit institutions, international organizations, and the private sector. The core of the program provides a foundation in economic theory and its application, quantitative methods, and the basic tools of management analysis. The MSEPP permits in-depth specialization in two policy and management fields drawn from courses offered in both the Department of Economics and Boston University\u2019s Questrom School of Business. Subject to department approval, up to 4 course units can be earned through an internship providing on-site working experience relevant to economics research and policymaking. The MSEPP is a STEM-designated degree program.<\/p>\n<p>Applicants to this program should have, or be expecting, a bachelor\u2019s degree in economics, economics and mathematics, or a closely related discipline (from an institution recognized by the Graduate School of Arts &amp; Sciences).<\/p>\n<h2>Learning Outcomes<\/h2>\n<p>The learning objectives of this program are to enable its graduates to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Demonstrate a thorough understanding of fundamental economic principles and be able to apply these ideas to analyze public policies, business practices, and real-world events.<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Have the ability to apply mathematical methods, through modeling and large-scale data analysis.<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Acquire fundamental understanding of management science or economic policy sufficient to be well prepared for a professional career in the public or private sector.<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Be able to conduct scholarly and\/or nonacademic work in a professional and ethical manner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Course Requirements<\/h2>\n<p>Candidates must complete a minimum of 12 term courses (48 units). Requirements in quantitative methods and micro- and macroeconomic theory, statistics, and econometrics are the same as those for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/grs\/programs\/economics\/ma\/\" data-gc-link=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/grs\/programs\/economics\/ma\/\">MS in Quantitative Economics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The MSEPP requires:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Four economics core courses (CAS EC 501, EC 502, EC 507, and EC 508) plus, if needed, EC 505<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These courses provide the basic analytic and quantitative training needed for the entire program. See the MSQE program description for details. CAS EC 505 Elementary Mathematical Economics is an elective course that provides the essential mathematical background needed for the core, field, and other elective courses. A mathematical placement exam is administered to all incoming master\u2019s students to offer guidance whether they should take EC 505.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Two management core courses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These courses cover some fundamental aspects of management methods, including data analysis, financial analysis, and accounting principles.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Two fields, each consisting of two appropriate courses selected from the economics MSQE offerings in the Graduate School of Arts &amp; Sciences (GRS) and the MBA offerings in the Questrom School of Business. Possible fields include:\n<ul>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Economic Development<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Finance<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Health<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Industry<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">International Trade and Finance<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Labor Economics<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Marketing<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Money and Capital Markets<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Public Economics<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Environmental Economics<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"2\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Markets and Regulation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li data-gc-list-depth=\"1\" data-gc-list-style=\"bullet\">Two additional elective courses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The field and elective courses make effective use of the students\u2019 analytic and quantitative skills acquired through the economic core courses, and reinforce this training by providing further opportunities for the application of mathematical modeling and quantitative methods. All field and elective courses emphasize critical thinking and problem solving; some of these courses also aim to advance the students\u2019 knowledge of quantitative methods, and many of them require students to undertake independent research, scholarship, or field projects.<\/p>\n<h2>Core Competency Requirement<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to passing the necessary number of eligible course units, students in all five master\u2019s programs (MSQE, MSEPP, MAGDE, BA to MS in Quantitative Economics, and MBA\/MS in Quantitative Economics) must demonstrate core competence in microeconomics, macroeconomics, statistics, and econometrics. Prior to academic year 2024\u20132025, they are required to do so by passing the MA Comprehensive Exam. For students who start the master\u2019s programs in or after the spring term of 2024, the core competency requirement will be satisfied by taking and earning passing grades in all four master\u2019s core courses\u2014CAS EC 501, CAS EC 502, CAS EC 507, and CAS EC 508.<\/p>\n<p>For exact GPA requirements, see the department rules and regulations, available on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/econ\/academics\/masters-programs\/ms-economic-policy-practice\/\" data-gc-link=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/econ\/academics\/ma-economic-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Department of Economics website<\/a> and by request.<\/p>\n<h2>Language Requirement<\/h2>\n<p>There is no foreign language requirement for this degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Master of Science in Economic Policy &amp; Practice (MSEPP) program is an intensive three-term course of study combining a strong foundation in economics with the management methods appropriate for students interested in careers as policy analysts and decisionmakers in government, nonprofit institutions, international organizations, and the private sector. The core of the program provides [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2696,"featured_media":0,"parent":3527,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31318"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2696"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31318"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100229,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31318\/revisions\/100229"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}