Economics M.A. Courses & Resources

Master's Paper Proposal Requirements

The Master's Paper Proposal (hereafter "the proposal") is the first step toward the eventual completion of a master's paper (or thesis) that will fulfill the requirement for completion of the degree program. The student must submit a two-page proposal to the MAE Program Director by the end of the spring term.

The proposal must include: (1) a preliminary title, (2) motivation and research question or hypothesis, (3) the estimation method to be used and data sources, (4) preliminary findings (if available), and (5) a reference list (if you include, for instance, a short literature review).

General Guidelines for ECON 6950 and ECON 6960

  • You have the choice of writing a thesis (ECON 6950) or a research paper (ECON 6960). ECON 6950 is a formal master's paper subject to additional guidelines.
  • In either case, begin by submitting a two-page proposal to the Program Director. With their guidance, identify a faculty member who will serve as your adviser throughout the process. Once your master's paper has been approved by your adviser, you must submit the following materials to the Program Director to receive credit: (1) the final paper in both Word/LaTeX and PDF formats, (2) all relevant datasets, (3) associated programming codes, and (4) the signed approval form from your adviser.
  • If you choose ECON 6950, you must follow the College of Arts & Sciences Thesis Guidelines and defend your paper in a meeting open to faculty and graduate students.
  • Sign up for ECON 6960 (or ECON 6950) in the semester the paper is expected to be finished.
  • An empirical paper should have at least six parts:
    1. Introduction: Motivate and provide context for your research. State the objective of the research and the importance of the question or hypothesis. Briefly mention methods/techniques you use, the sample, your main findings, and the key message or lesson. Include a short literature review of the relevant articles.
    2. Model, Methods, and Data: Provide a description of the empirical model or identification strategy. Indicate null and alternative hypotheses and the expected signs of the coefficients or treatment effects. Explain the economic intuition of the causal relationship and the transmission mechanisms. Provide a brief description of the data and sources.
    3. Results: Present and interpret your results from an economic point of view, addressing statistical and economic significance. Present and interpret diagnostic tests and robustness checks.
    4. Conclusions: Provide a short summary of your main findings. If applicable, include potential economic or policy implications and limitations of the study or suggestions for further research.
    5. References: Include a reference list of the articles, books, and other sources used, ordered alphabetically.
    6. Appendix: Provide a more detailed description of data and sources, extended literature review, institutional background, other graphs and tables, additional tests or robustness checks, etc.
  • Any deviation needs to be approved in advance by the adviser. Have your adviser sign an Approval Form for M.A. Paper [PDF].
  • Plagiarism will result in expulsion from the program and possibly from the university.