Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Master's Program in Economics
About the program
The Economics Department's Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Master's Program—also known as the Advanced/Bridge Program—enables high-achieving UNLV students to start on their graduate degree in Economics while they are still undergraduates, by allowing them to enroll in approved Master's-level economics courses. These courses count toward the economics elective requirement for the BA or BSBA in Economics. Then, assuming formal admission to a Master's program, the graduate requirements attached to these courses are effectively waived.
The intention is to let current undergraduates earn a Master's degree via an accelerated route requiring fewer credits, thus shortening time to degree.
Depending on the graduate program of choice, undergraduates previously enrolled in the Accelerated Program and then successfully admitted to the Graduate College can waive up to:
- 3 economics courses — Master's in Economics, or
- 4 economics courses — Master's in Applied Economics & Data Intelligence,
subject to the Graduate Coordinator's approval.
The three steps
- Be admitted to the Accelerated Program in Economics while an undergraduate.
- Complete up to 3 or 4 approved graduate-level economics courses (depending on the Master's program of choice) with a grade of B or higher.
- Apply to an Accelerated Subplan of the Master's program at the Graduate College.
Enrollment in the Accelerated Program in Economics does not imply automatic admission to a Master's program. You will still need to formally apply to the Graduate College.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for enrollment in the Accelerated Program in Economics, an undergraduate student must:
- Be a UNLV student with senior standing (90+ credits).
- Have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Complete the following courses with a minimum 3.5 GPA and no grade lower than
B before enrolling in approved graduate-level courses:
- ECON 302
- ECON 303
- ECON 262 or ECON 441
- MATH 181 or an equivalent such as ECO 440
- Submit the name of one reference, who must be a UNLV Economics Department faculty member.
- Submit a completed "Request to Enroll in the Accelerated Program in Economics" form to the Graduate Coordinator.
- Secure the Graduate Coordinator's or Department Chair's approval.
Approved graduate courses
Students enrolled in the Accelerated Program in Economics may take the following courses (see Courses & Electives for how these fit the Master's sequence):
| Course | Title | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 740 | Quantitative Methods for Economics | — |
| ECO 701 | Macroeconomic Theory | ECO 740 |
| ECO 702 | Microeconomic Theory | ECO 740 |
| ECO 770 | Econometric Approaches to Causal Analytics | — |
| ECO 772 | Advanced Econometric Methods | ECO 740, 770 |
| ECO 773 | Data-Driven Forecasting Methods for Business | ECO 770 |
Undergraduate students enrolled in the Accelerated Program must submit a separate Approval for Undergraduate to Take Graduate Course form for each graduate course they wish to enroll in, for approval by the Graduate College. On the form, select to apply these graduate credits toward your "accelerated undergrad/grad program."
What if you do poorly in a graduate course?
Students in the program who earn a B- or lower in a graduate course will not be able to waive credits for that course in the Master's degree. The credits can still be used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements, subject to applicable policies.
Have questions?
Direct your inquiries to the Economics Graduate Coordinator.