Economics Programs
There are many masters and doctoral programs in economics and agricultural economics throughout the country. With a two-year masters degree, you can work in a variety of settings including government, higher education, non-profits and business. A Ph.D. program takes on average 5-7 years to complete and requires a strong mathematics background as well as economics. For those considering a graduate degree in economics, you may want to prepare by taking a number of additional math courses, beyond Math 1212, or getting a minor in mathematics.
Law School
The average LSAT score for economics majors was the highest of any academic discipline. That's probably because economics teaches you how to systematically analyze a problem. Law and economics is also a growing field and you can take a specialized course Law and Economics (ECON 2750) in the economics department at UVM. Read more information on pre-law at UVM and our partnership with Vermont Law & Graduate School (VLGS) through which you can earn a law degree.
Public Policy Programs
Many economics majors go on to get a masters in public policy. It's usually a two-year program and economics is a strong component of any MPP program. Students programs can focus on a wide variety of problems and issues, both domestic and international. These programs provide you with the training to be able to work for a variety of government or non-profit organizations.
MBA Programs
Some economics majors go to graduate programs to obtain a masters degree in business administration. There are also two-year programs that provide you with training to work in a business environment in a variety concentrations including finance, marketing, advertising, accounting, organizational behavior and IT. Many top-ranked MBA programs prefer to accept students who have a few years of business experience. Read a list of MBA programs and other resources.
“UVM gave me the skills I needed, particularly some of the more rigorous, math-based courses, which helped prepare me for the transition to graduate school.”
Paul Smith c/o 1991
"…his economics degree…gave [him] an understanding of financial systems, dynamics, and incentives that was fundamental to many of my later jobs…. having a degree in economics gave me essential background knowledge that allowed me to be more successful as I pursued becoming a lawyer."
Louis Doidge c/o 2016
Planning for Graduate School
We support our majors who want to pursue graduate education. We provide advising, share information about graduate programs from various institutions, and invite alumni who can share their graduate school journey. Some of our alumni have pursued graduate school in UVM – in math, statistics and complex systems. Others have pursued a PhD in Economics, a JD, or CFA ad actuarial training.
Many economics majors go on to graduate school for advanced study include economics itself, as well as in law, business and public affairs.
Campus resources to explore include The Career Center (Davis Center, 656-3450). The Center has a library of brochures, catalogs and guides to graduate programs, and offer advice on how to apply. Be sure to familiarize yourself with deadlines and procedures at the graduate schools you are interested in.
The Application Process
You should begin the application process no later than the beginning of the Fall semester of your senior year. Most graduate programs require you to take an exam such as the Graduate Record Examination (the GRE) for general graduate schools, the LSAT for law school, and the GMAT for M.B.A. programs. These generally are taken in the Fall of the senior year according to a pre-determined schedule.
Letters of Recommendation
Faculty members are happy to write letters of recommendation—the more information you can provide them with (your resume, a transcript, a paper you wrote in their classes) the more personal they can be in supporting your application. It also helps to schedule a meeting to discuss your plans and to give the writer plenty of time.
If you think you’ll be going to graduate school sometime in the future, but not immediately following graduation, you can ask professors to write a letter or recommendation on forms provided by the Career Center. The Center has forms for "Graduate Study" as well as for "Employment.” When you are ready to apply, the Center will send out your file as you direct. The advantage of this approach (versus asking professors for letters in the future) is that you can be certain that professors have important details about your academic career freshly in mind.