Learn to Manage Rapid Change with an Online M.S. in Applied Economics (MSAE)

To manage change, we first establish that which has not changed. The economic theory courses provide a foundation in the structure and common patterns of business and policy decisions. This foundation helps to put new events in the context of what we already know and to see what has largely remained constant from one situation to the next. We then focus on the determinants and causes of change. The empirical economics courses teach you to quantify relationships and to evaluate the relative importance of changes in the economic environment, thus gaining a better understanding of what has been fundamentally altered. The third step is to transfer knowledge across fields so that expertise gained in one area may be used to analyze previously unobserved threats and opportunities. The elective courses deliver knowledge in individual areas of economics while honing your ability to transfer your knowledge and problem-solving skills across content fields. By learning to transfer your knowledge across content fields, you recognize the characteristics of new problems, adapt quickly to new circumstances, and attack the problems with skills developed from other areas.

Without a solid theoretical underpinning that helps you understand the structure of economic decisions, each problem or opportunity seems completely new and unique. Why reinvent the analytical wheel every time something changes? We believe that large changes in the policy and business landscape can be analyzed by carefully applying economic concepts that are already well understood. Very little that happens is truly new. The underlying economic structure remains stable but is often obscured by constantly changing circumstances. The MSAE helps you apply established concepts to new circumstances so you can avoid the trap inherent in treating every threat and opportunity as unique rather than as variations on a theme we have already seen.