Graduate Program

Master of Arts in Economics

The Department of Economics offers one program: Master of Arts in Economics. Our program is designed to prepare students for careers in the public or private sectors and gives a solid foundation for students who want to pursue a doctorate degree. We specialize in areas of research that align with our recognized expert faculty members, including transportation and development economics. 

Students are encouraged to participate and take advantage of our sponsored events and organizations, including the Economics Seminar Series, the Economics Graduate Association (EGA), the CSULB Student Research Competition, the Annual Economics Poster Competition, and the Long Beach Regional Economic Forum.

For more information or questions, contact Mariya Mileva or visit her Grad Advising office hours on Tuesdays from 3 – 4 PM  via Zoom.

Highlights of our Program

  • 30 units which can be completed in as little as 3 semesters.
  • Empirical focus
  • Evening classes to accommodate working professionals
  • Specialized in economic development and international Economics 
  • Part-time Student option
  • Graduate and Teaching Assistantships 
  • Program culminates with a writing and oral defense of a research paper. 

IMPORTANT DATES

Admissions for the Fall 2025 are open. Deadline: April 1, 2025

  • For Domestic Applicants, Fall 2025 applications are accepted through April 1, 2025.
  • For International Applicants, Fall 2024 applications are accepted through March 15, 2025.
  • Admission decisions will be made on a rolling basis from March to May 2025.
  • Graduate Assistantship offers will be made from May to June 2025.
  • The Fall semester starts on August 18, 2024.

What can you do after completing an M.A. in Economics?

  • Enter top 50 Ph.D. programs in Economics, Management, Political Science, and Finance, (e.g. UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Claremont Graduate School)
  • Teach Economics at the college level at a CSU campus or a community college
  • Be a research analyst in the public sector at city, county, state, and federal levels
  • Work as a research associate for private sector businesses, economic consulting companies, banks, think tanks/ institutes, or non-profits. 

Applying to our Graduate Program

Thank you for your interest in the Master of Arts in Economics at California State University, Long Beach.  The department and university requirements for admission are found below.  All students begin the program in the fall semester; we are not accepting applications for the spring semester.

Any questions about admissions may be directed to econ-grad@csulb.edu.

Click here for our MA application packet to learn more about our program and how to apply.

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year college or university. Open list of Foreign Universities. 
  • Have either majored or minored in economics or taken 18 units of core economics courses.
  • You must have completed (1) principles of macroeconomics, (2) principles of microeconomics, (3) intermediate microeconomics, (4) intermediate macroeconomics, (5) statistics, and (6) calculus.
  • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.50.
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 GPA in (1) principles of macroeconomics, (2) principles of microeconomics, (3) intermediate microeconomics, (4) intermediate macroeconomics, (5) statistics, and (6) calculus.

  • You must submit a University Application which includes
    • $70 application fee
    • A Personal Statement of 500-750 words
    • Two  recommenders
      • CSULB students & alumni: two CSULB faculty with at least one being from Economics
      • non-CSULB students: two faculty with at least one preferable from Economics
    • See Submitting Transcripts below.
    • GRE (or GMAT) scores are not required but encouraged. If completed, please send scores to Institution Code 4389, and Department Code 1801 for non-CSULB students.
    • A Resume/CV is not required but encouraged, indicating any work experience and activities relevant to the program.
    • If you wish to upload a writing sample of a research paper or any other relevant documentation, you can do so in the Supplemental Materials section.
    • Monitor the status of your application by visiting the Applicant Self-Service.

View and Download our 2025-26 Application Checklist:

.

Through Mail

  • Mail Transcripts to this address:
    • Enrollment Services/Admissions
      California State University, Long Beach
      1250 Bellflower Blvd.
      Long Beach, CA 90840

Electronic Transcripts

  • Official transcripts may be submitted electronically directly from a U.S. college or university.
  • Follow instructions on the CSULB Graduate Admissions site

CSULB vs Non-CSULB Students

  • CSULB Students and Alumni do not need to submit official transcripts.
  • Current B.A. Non-CSULB Students: Unofficial transcript(s) documenting that you have completed the required courses in Economics for admission are okay.
  • Non-CSULB Students with a Bachelors: Official transcripts documenting that you have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year college or university are required.

TUITION & FEES

Please refer to the university's webpage on Tuition and Fees. Tuition and fees will depend on each student's residency status and part-time/full-time unit load.  The typical MA in Economics student takes 10 units per Fall and Spring semester for a total of three semesters.

GRADUATE & TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

Assistantships are available to students on a competitive basis. No additional application materials are required. Students are automatically considered for an assistantship when their application is reviewed. In 2023-2024, we offered about 110 hours per week of graduate assistantships and 6 teaching assistantships. Graduate assistantships included grading and tutoring responsibilities. Teaching assistantships included running lab sections for Economics Statistics, Introduction to Econometrics, Econometrics I, Econometrics II, and Forecasting.

College of Liberal Arts Equity Scholars Assistantship

This Assistantship was created "to recruit promising students into the Humanities and Social Sciences" and for "recruitment of first-generation, historically underrepresented, and/or low-income graduate students". The stipend from the assistantship ranges from about $3500 per semester up to about $7000 for one year.

To be considered for the award, you must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or above. For your application to the Assistantship to be reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee, you must also submit your Cal State Apply application for the M.A. in Economics at CSULB.

Please complete the Equity Scholars Application to be considered for this position. Application review will be ongoing until the Assistantship(s) have been awarded. The application deadline is April 15.

Visit the College of Liberal Arts Equity Scholars site for more information on this program.

Economics Department Scholarships 

For the 2023-24 academic year, MA in Economics students received a total of $2,000 from department scholarships. Applications for department scholarships are accepted between November and March and are awarded the next academic year. 

  • Ray & Marge Lancaster Endowment
  • Powell Endowed Scholarship 
  • Gene R. Simonson Scholarship 
  • Settlemyer Family Scholarship 
  • Economics Scholarship 

International Application 

Along with the General Application Requirements, all international applicants must meet the following additional requirements:

  • Submit your application by March 15, 2024.
  • Meet or exceed the English language requirement minimum test score and submit the official test scores to International Admissions. See English Language Requirements for more information. 
  • Submit original or certified copies of ALL OFFICIAL academic records, transcripts/individual mark sheets, certificates, and diplomas. See Application and Document Deadlines for more information.
  • Applicants who have studied in the U.S. are required to have the institution(s) directly send their official transcript(s) to International Admissions. Opened transcripts are not considered official.
  • English translations of all academic records and certificates/diplomas are required if they are in a language other than English.
  • Use WES (World Education Services) for 3rd party evaluation
  • Any questions related to the English Language Requirement and submission of documents should be directed to the International Admissions at cie-admission@csulb.edu. Please include your application (CAS ID) number or CSULB Student ID number in all correspondences.

FINANCIAL AID:

International students are eligible for department-sponsored graduate and teaching assistantships and for the Equity Scholars assistantship. See above for more details and application instructions.