Expenses

For the 2023/2024 academic year, estimated tuition and fees for full-time students in Economics MA programs total $71,980. Full-time students are those enrolled for three or more courses (12 or more credits) per semester. Additional tuition is charged for students enrolled for more than 18 credits.

Full-time tuition and fees include full-time tuition, the Full-Time Student Services Fee of $200 per semester, the Health & Wellness Fee of $257 per semester, and the Economics Service Fee of $1,994 per semester.

Students must also either purchase student medical insurance or waive this insurance, showing evidence of comparable health coverage. For details, please click here.

Part-time students enrolled in fewer than 12 credits are charged $1,994 per credit, plus a Student Services Fee of $60 per semester. Continuing students not taking courses are charged a fee of $3,988 per semester.

For an estimate of room and board expenses for students and their dependents, please refer to the BU International Students & Scholars website.

Financial Aid

Departmental Merit Scholarships for Master’s Students

The Economics Department offers a limited number of partial scholarships to a very select group of applicants with outstanding academic merits. All applicants to the MA, MAEP, MAGDE, and MA/MBA are automatically considered for these awards; no further application or request for financial aid is required.

Lu Lingzi Scholarship

Some international applicants to the MA, MAEP, and MAGDE programs may be eligible for consideration for the Lu Lingzi Scholarship, which commemorates a talented BU master’s student whose life was tragically cut short in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. If you wish to be considered, your complete application and credentials must be received by December 1. Please see the Lu Lingzi Scholarship announcement published by the Office of the Provost for additional information and eligibility requirements.

Institute for Economic Development Grants

Through the Economics Department’s Institute for Economic Development (IED), graduate students are eligible for travel grants and journal submission grants. Please visit IED for more information.

First-Year PhD Summer Stipend for Graduates of the Economics Master’s Program

Graduates of BU’s Economics master’s program are automatically considered for a special prize which provides a summer stipend of $4,125, payable the first summer in the PhD program. This prize was made possible by a generous donation from the family of an MA alumnus. The recipient will be selected on the basis of merit by the PhD admissions committee. All applicants to the PhD program who have earned (or will earn before joining the PhD program) an MA, BA/MA, MA/MBA (in Economics), MAEP, or MAGDE degree—within the three previous years—are automatically eligible for consideration. For admissions in 2023/2024, this means that an eligible applicant must earn his or her master’s degree from Boston University sometime between May 2020 and August 2023.