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Master of Arts in Economics


At a Glance

Learn the tools and technical skills to do cutting-edge applied research in the public or private sector, or continue on to doctoral studies

  • US and Austrian accredited degree
  • 2 years full-time
  • 60 credits (120 ECTS credits)
  • About 20-25 students admitted yearly
  • Tuition waiver, partial tuition waiver and financial aid packages available

Students are admitted fast-track to the PhD program at CEU, or continue on with doctoral studies at other institutions including Berkeley, Duke, Harvard, LSE, Michigan, MIT, Princeton, Carlos III, Lausanne, SSE, UPF.

Other students pursue careers in the private sector in consulting (BCG, E&Y, Deloitte), finance and banking (HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Blackrock) and industry (ExxonMobil, GE, IBM, Procter & Gamble), and in the public sector (EC, EIB, IMF, WB, BIS, Bundesbank, ECB) as well 

The MA in Economics provides skills necessary for research and analyst positions at government and international agencies, and in the private sector in financial and other corporations. It also prepares students for continuing their studies at the PhD level at CEU and other top programs around the world.

The Fall and Winter terms of Year 1 cover the core subjects (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics). The Spring term of Year 1 and Year 2 offer more advanced and specialized training in various fields including Labor Economics, Behavioral Economics, Political Economy, Industrial Organization, International Economics, Econometric Theory, Financial Economics and Macroeconomics. In the Spring term of Year 2 students write and defend their thesis.

Key admission requirements: online Mathematics exam or general GRE exam, statement of purpose, proof of English proficiency. We will run several voluntary free-of-charge math tutoring sessions for our MA in Economics applicants ahead of the math test. Applicants will be notified after the application deadline on how to join the classes.

The US accredited program launched in 1994 is registered by the Board of Regents of the New York State Education Department. The Austrian accredited program is registered by the Quality Assurance Agency of Austria. The US and Austrian programs are fully integrated. 

Class of 2021
  • Students: 15
  • Countries: 11 in Europe, the Americas and Asia
  • Age: 23 years on average, ranging from 21 to 27
  • Female-to-male: 6:9

Program Head: Prof. Attila Rátfai (QS 51, Room B513)

Program Coordinator: Ms. Zsuzsanna Bordás (QS 51, Room C324)