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What is the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland?
The Department of Economics at the University of Maryland is an academic department within the university's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS), offering undergraduate and graduate economics programs alongside faculty research in several fields. Its site, ECON Home, serves as the department's hub for program information, people, research areas, news, and alumni connections.
What the department covers
- Undergraduate program: Information and advising, courses, internships and career exploration, undergraduate research, graduation guidance, and preparation for graduate school.
- Graduate study: A Ph.D. program (with dedicated pages for prospective and current students) and a Master of Science in Applied Economics.
- Research areas: Development, labor, and public economics; macroeconomics and international economics; microeconomic theory, behavioral economics, and industrial organization; econometrics; and economic history, institutions, and political economy.
- People and community: Faculty and centers, an Economics Leadership Council, alumni profiles, and giving opportunities.
Who it's for
Prospective undergraduates deciding on a major, current students planning courses or internships, applicants to the Ph.D. or M.S. programs, researchers looking for faculty expertise, and alumni or donors who want to stay connected.
A practical next step
If you're exploring the M.S. in Applied Economics, the department lists information sessions (one is dated November 12, 2026), which are a low-commitment way to ask about admissions and course structure. Prospective Ph.D. students should start with the "Prospective Ph.D. Student Information" page, while undergraduates will get the most from the advising and internship pages.
What undergraduate programs and advising resources does the ECON Department offer?
The Department of Economics at the University of Maryland offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Economics for undergraduates, with dedicated advising support and structured career and research preparation built into the program pages.
Undergraduate program and advising resources
From the department's site navigation, the undergraduate section covers:
- Program information and advising — guidance for current and prospective majors, including how to plan coursework and meet requirements.
- Courses — the economics course catalog relevant to the major.
- Internships and career exploration — resources for connecting classroom work to jobs and internships.
- Undergraduate research — opportunities to work with faculty or pursue independent projects.
- Graduation — steps and requirements for completing the degree.
- Preparing for graduate school — advice for students considering a PhD or master's.
- Department and co-curricular opportunities — events, organizations and activities beyond coursework.
How to use this
If you are a prospective student, start with the program information and advising page to confirm degree requirements, then look at internships and undergraduate research to see whether the program matches your goals. If you are already declared, the graduation and graduate-school preparation pages are the practical next steps.
For broader comparison, you can look at how other economics departments structure undergraduate advising, such as Harvard Economics or UC Berkeley Economics.
What are the requirements and structure of the Ph.D. program in Economics?
The department's own pages split the Ph.D. information into three audiences: prospective students, current students, and a separate Master of Science in Applied Economics. So the first practical step is to decide which category you fall into, because the requirements differ by track.
What the site structure tells you
- Ph.D. Program Description — the general overview of the doctoral program.
- Prospective Ph.D. Student Information — what to prepare and how to apply.
- Information for Current Ph.D. Students — milestones, procedures and internal requirements once enrolled.
- About Our Ph.D. Students — a sense of the current cohort.
- Master of Science in Applied Economics — a distinct professional master's, not the Ph.D., with its own information session (the site lists one dated November 12, 2026).
Research fields listed
The department organizes its research areas as: Development, Labor, and Public Economics; Macroeconomics and International Economics; Microeconomic Theory, Behavioral Economics, Industrial Organization; Econometrics; and Economic History, Institutions, and Political Economy. These groupings are the clearest signal of where dissertation supervision is concentrated, so use them to judge fit before applying.
A concrete way to decide
If your goal is a research career or academic appointment, the Ph.D. pages are the relevant ones; if you want applied, policy- or industry-oriented training and are weighing a shorter commitment, the M.S. in Applied Economics is the alternative the department itself presents separately. Read the Ph.D. Program Description first, then the prospective-student page, then the current-student page — that order mirrors how the requirements build from admission to milestones.
For comparison, other departments' doctoral structures are published at Harvard Department of Economics and UC Berkeley Department of Economics. The University of Maryland's own graduate school is at UMD Graduate School.
Because the site's own excerpt does not spell out the specific course, exam or credit requirements, treat the department pages as the authoritative source and confirm details directly with the graduate program staff rather than relying on secondhand summaries.
How does the Master of Science in Applied Economics program prepare students for careers?
The M.S. in Applied Economics at the University of Maryland is a professional master's program, distinct from the research-focused Ph.D. Its career preparation comes mainly from applied coursework, a quantitative toolkit, and the department's location near Washington, D.C.
How the program builds career readiness
- Applied, not purely theoretical. The program sits within a department whose research areas include development, labor and public economics, macroeconomics and international economics, econometrics, and economic history and institutions. That breadth lets you pick fields that match your target industry.
- Employer-relevant skills. Applied economics master's programs generally emphasize data analysis, econometrics and policy evaluation — skills used in government, consulting, finance, tech and research organizations. Treat this as general advice about the degree type rather than a guarantee of specific course content here.
- Access to a policy job market. The department is part of the University of Maryland's BSOS and is located near federal agencies, think tanks and consultancies in the D.C. area, which supports internships and networking.
- Signals of departmental engagement with careers. The site lists an information session for the M.S. in Applied Economics, and undergraduate-facing pages mention internships and career exploration — evidence the department treats career pathways as part of its programming.
Practical next step
If you are deciding whether this program fits your goals, compare it with alternatives on three dimensions:
| Goal | M.S. Applied Economics | Typical alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Data/policy analyst role | Strong fit | MPP or data science master's |
| Ph.D. in economics | Possible but less direct | Research master's or predoc |
| Industry analytics | Good if you take quantitative electives | M.S. in analytics/statistics |
Before applying, email the program to ask for placement outcomes, typical employers of recent graduates, and whether assistantships or internships are built into the degree. You can start from the department site: ECON Home. For broader context on economics careers, the American Economic Association's resources are useful: American Economic Association.
What research areas and centers are active within the Economics Department?
The department organizes its research around several broad fields and a set of named centers and programs. On the field side, its listed strengths include development, labor, and public economics; macroeconomics and international economics; microeconomic theory, behavioral economics, and industrial organization; econometrics; and economic history, institutions, and political economy. These are the areas where faculty and Ph.D. students typically cluster for dissertations, seminars and reading groups.
Centers and program structures appear alongside those fields: the page lists "Centers" in both its undergraduate and graduate navigation, and it names a Master of Science in Applied Economics program. It also highlights an Economics Leadership Council and alumni programming, which are advisory and community-facing rather than research units. The department's news shows its research community in motion — for example, a study-abroad trip to Mexico City, faculty awards for teaching innovation, and recognition of a faculty affiliate — which is a signal of an active, externally engaged department rather than a purely classroom-focused one.
How to choose where to focus
- If you want applied, policy-oriented training rather than a research career, the applied master's track is the more natural fit; the Ph.D. program pages are aimed at prospective doctoral students.
- If your interest is a specific field, match it against the listed areas before applying, then check which faculty and centers actually publish in it.
- If you are an undergraduate, use the "Internships and Career Exploration," "Undergraduate Research," and "Preparing for Graduate School" pages to see how research participation is structured.
Useful next step
Skim the "People" and "Centers" pages together: the fields listed tell you the department's breadth, but the faculty and center pages tell you whether anyone is working on your specific question right now. For comparison, you can also look at how peer departments present their research groupings, such as Harvard Economics or Berkeley Economics.
How can alumni and prospective donors engage with the Economics Department?
Alumni and prospective donors can engage through the department's dedicated Alumni and Giving section, which is the main hub for staying connected and supporting the department. Alongside that, the Economics Leadership Council and Alumni Profiles pages offer ways to reconnect, learn what other graduates are doing, and find a route into volunteering or advisory work.
Practical ways to get involved
- Give or discuss a gift: Start with the Alumni and Giving area to see the department's priorities and how to direct support.
- Join or support the Economics Leadership Council: An advisory and networking body where alumni contribute expertise, mentorship and connections.
- Share your story: Alumni Profiles show the department publishes graduate journeys, so offering your own is a low-commitment way to stay visible and help current students.
- Attend events: The site's News & Events section lists talks, retirements, award announcements and information sessions, which double as informal reunion and networking opportunities.
- Mentor or speak: Internships and Career Exploration, plus co-curricular programming, are natural places where alumni experience is useful to undergraduates.
How to choose your route
| Your goal | Best starting point |
|---|---|
| Financial support | Alumni and Giving |
| Strategic or advisory involvement | Economics Leadership Council |
| Low-commitment reconnection | News & Events, Alumni Profiles |
| Helping current students directly | Internships and Career Exploration |
Next step: If you are unsure where your contribution fits, browse the Alumni and Giving and Economics Leadership Council pages first, then reach out to the department with a specific offer — a guest talk, a mentorship slot, or a designated gift — rather than a general enquiry. For broader context on the university, see University of Maryland.
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