Economics, MS (Boston)

The Master of Science in Economics program focuses on applied economic policy analysis, with broad specialization areas. The program is large enough to support a full slate of core and area courses each year, yet small enough to maintain a sense of community among the students. The program is especially appropriate for those who wish to work in or return to positions in government, teaching, finance, or industry while providing a rigorous basis for those who want to continue their studies to the doctoral level.

The Master of Science in Economics offers master's students an opportunity to apply for paid work positions through Northeastern University's world-famous co-op program. Qualified and approved master's students may participate in co-op as practicing economists for up to six months as part of their academic program. (Note that a minimum GPA of 3.000 is required in order to apply; co-op placement is not guaranteed.) This paid work experience enhances the degree and its emphasis on application. Students may learn how to apply their knowledge, solve problems, and make a difference in the world before they graduate. Our graduates have gone on to find full-time work in their area of specialty or to earn additional graduate degrees, though the program does not guarantee employment or graduate school admission upon completion. For more information, please visit the Master of Science in Economics website. 

Beginning with students admitted in the fall of 2026, all students pursuing on-ground master's degree programs must complete a university-level experiential learning requirement. This requirement may be fulfilled through the curriculum, co-op, or other work- or industry-integrated learning experiences.

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Core Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Quantitative
ECON 5105	Math and Statistics for Economists	4
or ECON 6105	Advanced Mathematics and Statistics for Economists
ECON 5140	Applied Econometrics	4
or ECON 6140	Advanced Applied Econometrics
Theory
ECON 5110	Microeconomic Theory	4
or ECON 6110	Advanced Microeconomic Theory
ECON 5120	Macroeconomic Theory	4
or ECON 6120	Advanced Macroeconomic Theory

Concentration or Electives Option

A concentration is not required. Students may complete the electives option in lieu of the  Data Science for Economics concentration.

• Data Science for Economics

• Electives Option

Optional Co-op Experience

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
INSH 6964 and EESH 6000	Co-op Work Experience and Professional Development for Co-op	0

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

• 32 semester hours required
• Minimum 3.000 GPA required

• ---

• Data Science for Economics Concentration

  Course List

  Code	Title	Hours
  Required
  CS 5200	Database Management Systems	4
  or DAMG 6210	Data Management and Database Design
  or IE 6700	Data Management for Analytics
  OR 6205	Deterministic Operations Research	4
  or CS 5130	Applied Programming and Data Processing for AI
  or CS 5180	Reinforcement Learning and Sequential Decision Making
  or CS 5800	Algorithms
  or IE 6400	Foundations for Data Analytics Engineering
  Complete 4 semester hours from the following:		4
  CS 6140	Machine Learning
  or EECE 5644	Introduction to Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition
  CS 6220	Data Mining Techniques
  ECON 5210	Machine Learning in Economics
  ECON 5220	Computational Finance and Financial Econometrics
  IE 6600	Computation and Visualization for Analytics
  IE 7275	Machine Learning and Data Analytics
  Economics Elective
  Complete 4 semester hours from the following range:		4
  ECON 5200 to ECON 7772

•  

• Electives Option

• With prior approval from the graduate program director, the following courses may substitute for electives: Thesis (ECON 7990) or Internship In Economics (ECON 8550). Additionally, a student may select a maximum of 8 graduate semester hours offered by other departments.

• The advanced 6000-level core courses (ECON 6105, ECON 6110, ECON 6120, ECON 6140) may be taken as electives only after the corresponding 5000-level course has been used to fulfill a core course requirement. Reverse sequencing is not allowed.

  Course List

  Code	Title	Hours
  Complete 16 semester hours from the following range (excluding any class taken to fulfill core requirements above):		16
  ECON 5200 to ECON 7772

•  
•