Master of Science in Applied Economics

News

From Master’s Student to Senior Economic Researcher

Thomas started the DC program where he finished in 15 months, even while working full time. He wrote an economics blog while doing his coursework and taking advantage of the networking opportunities like the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) conference. Here’s a little bit more of this alumni profile:

“Thomas enrolled in our MS program in the spring of 2023, after having also earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from our department in 2021. Thomas was working as a Senior Research Assistant at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors when he began our MS program.”

Read his full profile and more alumni profiles

May ’25 Grad Lands Myriad Research Opportunities

Eesha started the MS in Applied Economics at UMD with research experience already under her belt, and since then she has only added to her expertise. The newest alumni profile starts this way:

“Eesha enrolled in the fall of 2023 after having earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Madras in 2022. She had been doing US stock market research…”

Read her full profile and more alumni profiles

Welcome to Our Newest Student Cohort in Applied Economics!

Our newest College Park, downtown Washington DC, and online cohorts for the M.S. in Applied Economics successfully started this month! New students are settling in and veteran second-years are filling out their informal advisor roles.

Each program has an orientation specific to the location with faculty, staff, and TAs for new cohorts. Above is a picture from the College Park orientation, where new students are getting to know each other just before the first night of class (ECON641).

If you want to learn more about the program, join one of our upcoming information sessions.

May 2025 Grad Returns Home to Germany with a Masters & a New Economics Job

Marie started her undergraduate studies in economics and business administration and knew she wanted to continue on the economics path. The newest alumni profile begins this way:

“Marie began our program in the spring of 2024, after having earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Goethe University in Frankfurt. Marie had interned with the Korean Exchange Bank…”

Read her full profile and more alumni profiles

Building Policy Skills Through Applied Economics: New Alumni Profile

During her time in the program, graduate Aliza Khan leveraged her developing economics skillsets at her FCC research assistant job — and was promoted into an economist position. Newest alumni profile here:

“Aliza graduated CUNY Brooklyn College with a degree in Political Science & Economics. After working for organizations such as the UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs and The Center for Economic & Policy Research…”

Read her full profile and more alumni profiles

’25 MS in Applied Economics Grad Starts New Data Role

Within weeks of May 2025 graduation from UMD’s M.S. in Applied Economics program, Jai Joshi began his new data analyst job at The Surety & Fidelity Association of America in the Statistics department. Great work, Jai! Catch up on our newest alumni profile:

“Jai enrolled in the Applied Economics master’s program in Fall 2023 after earning a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Mathematics from Ahmedabad University in India….”

Read her full profile and more alumni profiles

New Grad Lands Economic Consulting Job: May 2025 Alumni Profile

Just after graduating from UMD’s top-ranked M.S. in Applied Economics, May 2025 grad Sophia Vaccaro started a new job at Monument Economics Group as a Research Analyst. Congrats Sophia! Our newest alumni profile starts this way:

“Sophia finished the M.S. in Applied Economics in May of 2025, and immediately started working with Monument Economics Group as a Research Analyst. In her two years in the M.S. program, she interned at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Corn Refiners Association as a Trade Policy Intern…”

Read her full profile and more alumni profiles

Successful UMD Applied Economics Master’s Students Celebrate Graduation

Yixing Zhang, Jai Joshi, and Connor Drucis stand proudly in the pre-commencement green room with College Park Program Director Dr. Filipe Lage in the above photo. Graduates celebrated their accomplishments in UMD’s tough and rigorous but rewarding MS in Applied Economics program on Wednesday, May 21, at UMD’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences commencement. Graduates have found exciting jobs with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Bates White, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Ernst & Young, Pinterest, World Bank, and more.

Read about our 90%+ job placement rate within 3 months in the economics field and our alumni profiles to hear more about where alumni have gone.

UMD Applied Econ Students Succeed with Employer Networking Opportunities

Mid-spring semester, Master’s students went to a employer panel and Q&A, where employers speak about their work and break out into smaller groups for discussion with students, including Optimal Solutions Group, Ankura, and Morgan Stanley.

The Master’s program in Applied Economics at UMD, as a part of the broader high-ranking UMD Economics department, participates in myriad events, such as employer panels, job fairs, guest lectures, and conferences, and this panel is one of those benefits that Master’s students are able to take advantage of at a large institution just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC.

Read more about the program, the admissions requirements, and the widespread and fascinating jobs that alumni have started after completing their MS in Applied Economics at UMD.

UMD’s Applied Economics Students Learn from Renowned Economist

This month, the Economics Department hosted the fourth Neil Moskowitz Economics Lecture, given by Matthew Gentzkow entitled “Social Media and Social Good.” Matthew Gentzkow is Landau Professor in Technology and the Economy at Stanford University.

The first Moskowitz speaker, Daron Acemoglu, was co-recipient of the 2024 Economics Nobel Prize. This lecture series brings high profile academic and policy-making economists to campus to talk about what economic research can tell us about the contemporary challenges facing countries and societies across the globe. The lecture series is named in honor of Neil Moskowitz, a UMD Economics alumnus who continues to support our department and college in many important ways.