Master of Science in Applied Economics

Events for the Program

‘Political Pressure on the Fed’: Guest Seminar with UMD’s Esteemed Faculty

On Thursday, December 11th, University of Maryland professor Thomas Drechsel gave a guest presentation in our program’s Washington, DC location.  Dr. Drechsel presented his paper, “Political Pressure on the Fed,” which has recently been accepted for publication in The Review of Economic Studies.  The research uses data on personal interactions between U.S. Presidents and Federal Reserve officials to estimate the effects of political pressure on the Fed.  He finds that political pressure to ease monetary policy increases inflation without increasing real economic activity or reducing unemployment.  These effects differ from the effects of typical monetary policy, possibly because political pressure on the Fed has a stronger effect on inflation expectations. 

The guest presentation and reception was coordinated with a meeting of our program’s core Macroeconomics course, taught by longtime economist at the International Monetary Fund Dr. Arto Kovanen.  The event was also open to all our students and alumni, including students from the version of our program on our main campus in College Park (also within the Washington, DC metro area, less than 10 miles from downtown), and students in the online version of our program (many of whom also live in the Washington, DC area even though their classes meet online).  

We look forward to more guest presentations from our own department’s research faculty, and from some of the many prominent economists working in the Washington, DC area.  

World Famous Economist Featured at UMD ECON Seminar

Master’s degree students are a part of UMD’s top-20 ranked Economics Department, which hosts seminars with world-renowned scholars and researchers. This month, Rachel Glennerster – President of the Center for Global Development and former Chief Economist at the UK FCDO – addressed the department at a time when aid budgets are under increasing pressure globally. She discussed how programs can reduce costs, improve delivery, and reach more people effectively. Her insights offer valuable lessons for Norwegian development cooperation, helping programs achieve more with the resources available.

Read more about the admissions requirements for the Master’s of Science and apply

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.

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.