The curricula provide students with a balance between a core of microeconomic, macroeconomic, and econometric theory and a wide variety of applied courses. These programs are designed to prepare individuals for professional careers involving the application of economic analysis in both the public and private sectors, including academia. 

The M.A.E.E. program is designed to provide secondary and primary school teachers with both a foundation in economic theory and a set of strategies and methods for teaching economics in secondary and elementary schools. The program is designed to train teachers who have been identified as exceptional teachers in their region. Graduates of the program are expected to provide economic education leadership in their state and region. 

Prospective students shuold consult the "Admission Information" chapter of this Catalog.  The dates for application submission are July 1 and December 1 for Fall and Spring admission respectively. Students seeking financial aid should complete their applications by February 15 for September enrollment and by November 15 for February enrollment. Admission to graduate programs in the Department of Economics is selective and competitive based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission; nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. 

Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Joint Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration Degrees. Applicants are expected to have at least a 2.5 (on a 4-point scale) undergraduate grade-point average and at least a 3.0 in their major. In addition, applicants should have a combined score of at least 1050 (verbal plus quantitative only) on the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test or score at or above the 55th percentile in the Graduate Management Admission Test. Foreign students must achieve a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL. While graduate courses do not require extensive prerequisites, students need some background in economics, calculus, and statistics. 

Master of Arts in Economics for Educators. The program is open to educators who: 1) meet admission requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies of the University of Delaware (official transcripts of all undergraduate work are required), 2) have completed a minimum of three semester hours in economics, 3) hold a current teaching certificate and have a minimum of three years of experience, and 4) are nominated by the Council or Center Director for Economic Education in their geographic region. 

Doctoral Degree. For admission to the Ph.D. program, students must have demonstrated a high level of potential to do independent research at the doctoral level. Students are expected to score at least 1100 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE exam or the equivalent on the GMAT. In cases where English is a second language, applicants are expected to score at least 600 on the TOEFL exam. A grade point average of at least 3.5 in graduate economics courses is expected with emphasis placed on core courses and on course selection. Attention will also be given to graduate courses that the applicant has taken in related disciplines. Demonstrated potential for doctoral-level research is required; for example, a master's thesis or research paper and letters of recommendation that address this point specifically may be submitted. All applicants must submit at least three letters of recommendation from economics faculty who can comment explicitly upon the applicant's ability to do doctoral-level work, including doctoral-level research and writing. Continuation in the Ph.D. program requires a master's degree in economics from the University of Delaware, or its equivalent, as determined by the Department's Graduate Committee. An M.B.A. degree is not considered to be equivalent to a master's degree in economics. Each student's requirements for satisfying the master's equivalency will be established by the Graduate Committee. Qualified applicants who have not met the master's equivalency requirement at the time of admission are required to do so while at the University of Delaware in order to continue in the Ph.D. program. 

All degrees except the M.A.E.E. degree require a written comprehensive examination, participation in a faculty-student research project or other relevant research experience, and regular attendance at departmental seminars and colloquia. Students may satisfy some elective course requirements for all degrees with a variety of graduate-level courses from other disciplines. 

Master of Arts. The M.A. degree requires 30 credit hours of graduate work, nine of which are in three required courses: microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometric theory. Students must also demonstrate a capacity for joint economic research by completing a 6-credit thesis or a 3-credit research project. 

Master of Arts in Economics for Educators. The M.A.E.E. degree requires 30 credit hours of graduate work, 18 of which are in five required areas: microeconomics, macroeconomics, monetary and international trade theories, contemporary economic issues, and curriculum strategies. In addition, candidates must design and implement an economic education program. A public policy or research paper is also required. 

Master of Science. The M.S. degree requires 33 credit hours of graduate work, 15 of which are in five required courses: microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometric theory, econometrics seminar, and a fifth course representing an approved quantitative course from the graduate curriculum. In addition, the M.S. program requires the completion of a 6-credit thesis. 

Joint Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration. The M.A./M.B.A. degree requires 57 credit hours of graduate work in economics and business. Students must meet the core requirements for both the M.A. and M.B.A. programs. By allowing elective courses to count for both programs, the combined M.A./M.B.A. degree represents a significant savings over taking two separate degrees. 

Doctor of Philosophy. Doctoral students must complete a minimum of seven additional approved graduate courses beyond the master's degree, three of which are required: Advanced Microeconomic Theory, Advanced Macroeconomic Theory, and Advanced Topics in Econometrics. Students must pass Ph.D. preliminary examinations in these three areas: microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and the student's major field of study. The microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory examinations must initially be taken at the same time. The field examination may be taken separately. Students normally take the microeconomic and macroeconomic preliminary exams following the year in which these courses are completed and take the field examination after the completion of all courses. Each student must pass all three preliminary examinations. Students who do not pass an examination on the first attempt may retake it two additional times. Students choose a thesis committee consisting of a dissertation adviser, two faculty members from the Department of Economics, and a faculty member from a department other than the Department of Economics. To be considered a doctoral candidate, a student must successfully defend a proposal outlining the nature of the work to be done for the dissertation. The dissertation must represent a significant advance in the body of economic knowledge and must be defended before the student's dissertation committee and the University Community.