An M.A. degree in Economics may be obtained by successfully completing five graduate classes and writing a thesis, or by taking eight graduate classes and submitting a research paper. The average completion time of the Department of Economics M.A. program is less than two years.

The Department of Economics admits new students only in the fall (September) each year, because a number of prerequisite theory classes are only offered in September. There is no January admission.

Students need to take courses in economics theory and quantitative courses, as well as in fields of specialization. The core course requirements are:

• ECON 800 (Micro Economic Theory)
• ECON 801 (Macro Economic Theory)
• ECON 805 (Mathematical Analysis in Economics)
• ECON 808 (Econometrics)

In addition, we offer a selection of courses from among: ECON 804 (Advanced Empirical Economics), ECON 809 (Econometrics II), ECON 811 (International Trade Theory), ECON 822 (Development Economics), ECON 823 (Labour Economics), ECON 825 (Energy Economics), ECON 834 (Health Economics), ECON 850 (Game Theory), ECON 870 (Behavioural Economics), ECON 873 (Micro II), & ECON 874 (Macro II).

Additionally, elective courses are available from the Department of Finance (Edwards School of Business), Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (College of Agriculture and Bioresources), and Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.

Program of Study for MA students with thesis option: In addition to the four core courses above, students are required to take at least one elective graduate level courses. A thesis must be completed and successfully defended in partial fulfillment of the MA degree. Each student must have a thesis supervisor and two additional faculties as members of his/her advisory committee.

NOTE: Student requires approval of the Graduate Chair for this option. By default, students are admitted to the project stream, and switched to the thesis stream after Graduate Chair approval. 

• Handbook for MA Students
• Guide to Preparation of Theses

Information for Economics Majors

Applicants must have completed a four-year Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan or its equivalent. A minimum of 70% cumulative average is required during the final two years of the program, but to be competitive applicants will have maintained an average of 80% or better.

International Grade Conversions can be found here. We expect that students should have taken the following undergraduate level courses;

Econ 305 (Linear Algebra), or an equivalent course.
Econ 306 (Intermediate calculus), or an equivalent course.
Econ 408 (Econometrics), or an equivalent course.
Econ 411 (Advanced Macroeconomics), or an equivalent course.
Econ 473 (Advanced Microeconomics), or an equivalent course.

Information for Economics Majors

Students whose undergraduate training is in an area of specialization other than economics are advised to take about one year of additional training in economics at the undergraduate level prior to applying.

Application Deadlines

September 2024 Admissions

September 21, 2023 - February 1, 2024 - Applications for the Master of Arts in Economics are accepted.

February 1, 2024 – Deadline for applying online, paying application fee, and uploading required documents online. 

Do not send any documents in the mail unless requested by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

There is no January admission.

February and March - The Admissions Committee reviews applications.

April - The Admissions Committee informs candidates of their application status.

• Admission Requirements
• Application Process
• Tuition and Funding

The PhD in applied economics is a collaborative program offered by the Departments of Economics, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Finance and Management Science, and the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan.

The PhD program combines advanced courses in applied economics with a major research dissertation. The core of the program focuses on microeconomic theory and quantitative methods, with one advanced course in macroeconomics. The student and their advisory committee determine the remainder of the student’s field courses.

A PhD in Applied Economics will give you the skills to conduct research for businesses, governments, think tanks, and other research organizations, as well as to train the next generation of applied economics professionals as an academic.

Main Program Components

YEARS 1-2: COURSES

• Core course in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and quantitative methods
• Advanced field courses in applied economics
• Two comprehensive exams

YEARS 3-5: RESEARCH DISSERTATION

RESEARCH AREAS

• Applied econometrics
• Behavioural and experimental economics
• Environmental and resource economics
• Finance and financial economics
• Health and labour economics
• Industrial organization, strategy and firm behaviour
• International economics
• Policy and governance
• Regional and development economics

Admission Requirements

Students must hold a master's degree, or equivalent, in a related field of study from a recognized college or university and have a cumulative weighted average of at least 70% in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units).

Proof of English language proficiency may be required for international applicants.  Applicants who have not earned a degree from a Canadian or US institution are required to submit a GRE or GMAT score.

• Applied Economics

George Sakyi  MA'2019

Program Analyst, SK Ministry of Social Services 

	George Sakyi  MA'2019 Program Analyst, SK Ministry of Social Services
	Jide Raheem  MA'18 Data Analyst,  Sobeys Western Canada  Home Town: Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State in Nigeria  Why study MA Economics at USask?  One of the greatest challenges economists face in policy and public debates is in communicating economics to audiences beyond the ivory tower. The realization of a room to improve in this regard, coupled with the need to advance my knowledge in application of analytical methods and techniques to data in different research areas, motivated my decision to pursue an MA degree in Economics.  I was easily drawn to the USask MA Economics program because it matched my billings for a postgraduate Economics program, i.e., one that builds industry leaders and future policy makers through its rigorous academic culture, resourceful and supportive faculty, regular academic seminars and a strong alumni network. For me, the program’s “dual-flexibility” was a major selling point. One is the opportunity for summer internships, which afforded me a brilliant opportunity to intern as a Summer Research Associate at Legado Capital, a search fund based in Calgary. The second, and most critical for me, was the program’s multidisciplinarity. Offered a plate of electives from the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy and the Edwards School of Business, I decided to enroll for “Public Finance in Canada” at the Public Policy School during the Spring term. My choice derived from wanting to explore a different, but related, area, having already had some finance industry experience. That elective exposed me to the real-world policy applications and implications of the economic theories, principles and techniques I had learned in the MA Economics program. Drawing on the insights from another discipline has since strengthened my ability to dimension economic issues more broadly, while asking relevant questions in policy debates.  Further, the program is designed to develop students’ critical and conceptual abilities to analyze information and understand arguments, form ideas and build on them. Thanks to its research-intensive coursework, the training and feedback from faculty members who are alumni members of top ranking Economics departments across the world, I am able to develop original ideas, hypothesis and write original compositions. No doubt, the academic rigor and resources equip graduate students with a foundational prerequisite to excel, be it in a PhD program or in the corporate industry career post-graduation.
	Joshua Thomas  MA'18 Associate, Finance Development Program   Royal Bank of Canada The M.A. program in Economics at the University of Saskatchewan has allowed me to grow academically and professionally through interesting and challenging coursework, meaningful and applicable research, and opportunities to follow a wide range of interests! I decided to pursue an M.A. to gain a more in-depth understanding of the economics discipline. I certainly experienced challenging material very early on in the coursework section of the program, but never felt alone or in despair thanks to a very approachable faculty and a strong unity with fellow classmates, which naturally develops due to the structure of the program. Thanks to the supportive faculty, I was fortunate to gain valuable experience in a diverse set of economic areas and a vast amount of knowledge through the program’s coursework. I completed my research project in the Health Economics space, investigating treatment effects of community water fluoridation on pre-school dental health in Saskatchewan communities. Further, during my time in the program, I completed an internship at British Columbia Investments, a pension fund, performing macroeconomic and country risk analysis. Upon completion of the M.A. program, I started full-time employment at RBC, in a finance rotational program at Toronto’s head offices, working in the financial markets in areas such as capital markets, corporate strategy, performance management, etc. The M.A. program certainly does an excellent job of preparing students for their chosen career path.   The M.A. program in Economics at USask is a challenging and rewarding one, in which the faculty and fellow students truly want to see you succeed. I am fortunate and proud to have completed my M.A. degree here!
	Mohsen Bakhshi Moghaddam  MA'15 PhD Student, Queen's University What I have learned in the graduate program of economics in the USask is how to enjoy learning new   materials while fighting deadlines! The first term of the program provided me with the set of abstract and complicated economic theories while the second term, gave me a great opportunity to do more applied work on the courses I selected based on my research interest. The pressure of the program  may bring me a hard period of time, but at the end, I am sure it will give me more self confidence in dealing with difficult issues and also help me to enhance my research ability as well as in-depth understanding of economic theories.