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4+1 Program

The Economics Department is pleased to announce that we have accepted our first cohort of 4+1 BA/MS degree program. This unique degree program will allow current Emory students to seamlessly transition into a master’s program for increased marketability for a variety of opportunities upon graduation. Interested applicants can look to apply the Spring semester of their junior year.

4+1 Program FAQs

  • Provide students with an education that combines economic reasoning with cutting-edge empirical methods and data analytics. 
  • A master’s degree goes beyond undergraduate economics education by exposing students to more in-depth economic analyses which can open doors to many high-tech jobs.  
  •  Increased marketability for 4+1 program graduates. 
  • Strong financial return on investment. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 50 percent of economists have a master’s degree as their highest level of educational attainment compared to just 23 percent who hold a bachelor’s degree. Economists with a master’s degree earn 20 percent higher than economists with just a bachelor’s degree. 
  • Lower tuition cost. Students enrolled in our 4+1 program save money since they do not pay separate graduate tuition in their 4th year but are still taking courses towards their master’s degree. 

Students who meet the requirements for admission will apply to the program during their junior year. Admitted students take three graduate foundation courses along with undergraduate courses during their senior year; two of these courses count toward both their bachelor and master’s degrees, with the third course only counting toward their master’s degree. In their "+1" year at Emory, students will complete their core courses and specialization elective courses or an optional thesis. 

Senior Year: 3 Foundations Courses (Econ 526 and 725 in Fall; Econ 520 in Spring) 

  • Econ 526 (3 hours): Quantitative Methods I  
  • Econ 725 (3 hours): Computer Programming & Data Management in Economics 
  • Econ 520 (3 hours): Data Sciences for Economics 

+1 Year: 3 Core Courses (taken in Fall of the +1 year) 

  • Econ 521 (4 hours): Econometrics of Policy-Analysis & Causal-Inference 
  • Econ 522 (4 hours): Forecasting and Macroeconomic Analytics 
  • Econ 524 (4 hours): Big Data Econometrics 

+1 Year: Completion of Elective courses (taken in Spring of the +1 year) 

Complete Econ 540 (2 hours): Empirical Writing and Analytical Reports and two electives among the following courses:

  • Econ 541 (4 hours): Pricing and Revenue Management
  • Econ 542 (4 hours): Transfer Pricing
  • Econ 543 (4 hours): Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Econ 544 (4 hours): Internet Economics
    Econ 570 (4 hours): Health Economics I
  • Econ 571 (4 hours): Health Economics II

Electives courses can be combined into specializations:

Specialize in Cost, Benefit, and Pricing Analytics by taking Econ 540 (2 hours): Empirical Writing and Analytical Reports, and any two of the following courses: Econ 541 (4 hours): Pricing and Revenue Management, Econ 542 (4 hours): Transfer Pricing, Econ 543 (4 hours): Cost-Benefit Analysis, Econ 544 (4 hours): Internet Economics

Specialize in Health Econ Analytics and Policy by taking Econ 540 (2 hours): Empirical Writing and Analytical Reports, Econ 570 (4 hours): Health Economics I, and Econ 571 (4 hours): Health Economics II

Specialize in Research by taking one 4 credit hour elective and 6 credit hours of thesis research.

  1. Current junior standing 
  2. Recommended cumulative GPA of 3.5
  3. By the end of a student’s junior year, completion of the following foundational courses: Math 111, Econ 101, 112, 201, 212, 220, and 320 plus 
  4. One of the following electives: Econ 333, Econ 371, Econ 372, Econ 315, Econ 415, Econ 405, or Econ 487 

  1. Statement of purpose 
  2. Resume 
  3. Two online recommendations (you will submit your recommenders' contact information as part of the online application) 
  4. PDF copy of your transcript with your junior year Fall grades reflected on the document.
  5. $75 application fee 

You can access the Laney Graduate School application here: https://www.gs.emory.edu/admissions/application.html. All application materials are submitted through the online application. The application portal will open in January. 

The application deadline for the 4+1 cohort starting Fall 2024 is Monday, March 4, 2024. We will notify students of their acceptance prior to the pre-registration period for Fall 2024 so that students can register for the appropriate coursework.  

Since we are considering Fall 2023 grades in our admissions decisions, we ask that you please do not submit your application unless Fall 2023 grades are reflected on your transcript.  

The Economics Department does not offer any financial aid outside of the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid. Students are saving a substantial amount of tuition by taking graduate and undergraduate courses concurrently in their senior year and only having to pay for graduate tuition in their +1 year. 

Our 4+1 Program Coordinator, Natalie Jones, can be reached at natalie.jones3@emory.edu.