School of Economics

The School of Policy and International Affairs and the School of Economics offer an interdisciplinary dual degree program in Global Policy and Economics (via the Economics M.A., M.S., or Resource Economics and Policy M.S.).

The dual-degree program is intended for students interested in the application of economics and policy in an international setting. The course of study is normally three years. It leads to two master’s degrees: one in Global Policy (with a concentration in either International Trade and Commerce or International Environmental Policy) and one in one of our Economics or Resource Economics and Policy degrees.

Students are required to complete the requirements for a master’s degree in one of the economic sciences (Economics; Resource Economics and Policy) and the requirements for either the Trade and Commerce or International Environmental Policy concentrations within the Global Policy degree.

Six hours of each degree can be counted as electives for the other (i.e., a total of 12 credits can be double counted); as a result a total of only 51 hours is required to complete both degrees (rather than the 63 usually required for two completely independent masters degrees).

Thesis / Internship options for the dual degree:

1. For thesis students in the Economics program: a thesis is written for the economics degree; an internship is completed for the Global Policy degree.

2. For non-thesis students in the Economics program: six credit hours in coursework replace the thesis requirement for the economics degree; an internship is completed for the Global Policy degree.

3. A separate thesis may be written for the economics degree and for the Global Policy degree.

Students in the dual-degree program will have two graduate coordinators, one from SPIA and one from SOE. Graduate advising committees, whether thesis or non-thesis, must comply with the rules outlined for each graduate degree. Two separate programs of study, one for each degree, must be developed and approved by the respective unit’s committee (SPIA and SOE) and the respective graduate program coordinators by the end of the second semester of the student’s tenure in the program. The student may choose to have 2 separate committees with separate SPIA and SOE chairs or one integrated SPIA/SOE committee with two co-chairs (one from SPIA and one from SOE).

The programs of study will be designed to meet the requirements of BOTH degrees in which they are enrolled. However, the dual degree program gives the student and his or her committee additional flexibility to devise a program that supports their specific needs.