Boston College Applied Economics Master's
Boston College's Woods College offers a flexible Master of Science in Applied Economics, designed for both recent graduates and mid-career professionals.
Boston College's Woods College of Advancing Studies offers a Master of Science in Applied Economics (MSAE). This flexible programme is designed for recent graduates and experienced professionals aiming to use economic theory and data analysis to solve real-world problems.
Kevin Rusu, a graduate from Germany, chose the programme for its curriculum and supportive application process. He found a diverse cohort. Bicheng An, a student from Shanghai with over 20 years in the oil and gas industry, returned to study to move beyond trial-and-error in his field. He says the programme enables him to connect objective economic facts with theory to explain past and current events.
Programme Structure and Flexibility
The MSAE is customisable to career goals. Students can study full- or part-time, online or on campus, during evenings, or in a hybrid schedule. Forbes ranks it as the number one online master's programme in economics for postgraduate earnings. A dual degree with a Master of Science in Applied Analytics is available for those focusing on data analysis.
Completion time can be as little as 16 months. The curriculum consists of ten courses: five core and five electives.
| Course Type | Number | Examples/Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 5 | Applied Macroeconomic Theory, Data Analysis |
| Elective Courses | 5 | Big Data, Health Care Economics, Marketing Research, Economic Development |
Core courses sharpen fundamentals in areas like data analysis and working with data tools. Electives allow for specialisation.
Real-World Application and Outcomes
Professors active in their industries provide insights and career guidance, according to Rusu. An found Macroeconomics and ML/AI Algorithms courses particularly impactful. The macroeconomics course improved his ability to interpret economic news and policy. The ML/AI course showed him how to turn data into business insights.
The programme emphasises practical learning. Rusu participated in hackathons and the March Symposium, connecting with professionals. An plans to build a model analysing the relationship between geopolitical events and oil prices using knowledge from his Econometrics course.
An states the programme's greatest value is teaching him how to think, using theory and evidence to evaluate complex issues. He no longer sees his previous career as something left behind, but as a foundation strengthened by economics, analytics, and AI. This opens new possibilities. Rusu, initially with little math and coding background, learned to embrace coding's problem-solving nature, exploring machine learning and AI through projects. He enjoyed courses like Data Analysis and Time Series Forecasting with Dr. Arvind Sharma, Assistant Professor of the Practice in Applied Economics.
