Accelerated 4+1 MS in Applied Economics Program

 

Maximize your potential with Lehigh’s Accelerated 4+1 MS in Applied Economics (MSAE) Program.

 

About the Program

Acceleration

The 4+1 program offers Lehigh undergraduate students a pathway to complete the MSAE degree within one year after earning their bachelor’s degree.

Undergraduate students with available space in their schedules can take and reserve up to 12 graduate-level (or equivalent) courses during their undergraduate studies, helping them finish the master's degree and join the workforce within one year!

Tuition Savings

Lehigh undergraduate students can reserve up to 12 graduate-level courses towards a master's degree, which can provide significant tuition savings by reducing the number of credits taken at the graduate cost-per-credit rate.

Undergraduate students who do not reserve graduate-level courses will be awarded a 20% tuition discount on the graduate tuition only. This award will be disbursed in equal installments across the period of graduate study. Additional merit-based scholarships may be available for top performers.

Flexibility

Undergraduate students can enter the Accelerated 4+1 MSAE program at any time during their undergraduate degree pursuit. However, early adoption of the accelerated program is more likely to guarantee completion of the master’s degree in Applied Economics in a one-year timeframe.

 

Ready to start your journey?

 

1. Admission to the 4+1 Program

All Lehigh undergraduate students interested in the accelerated program must submit the 4+1 form.

After submission, the College of Business Graduate Program Office will contact you to answer any questions and help guide you through the next steps.

Once you are formally accepted in the 4+1 program, a faculty advisor from within the program will be assigned to help you navigate the course requirements.

 

2. Coursework

This program is open to all Lehigh undergraduate majors and prospective undergraduate students that incorporate the following coursework into their undergraduate degree.

Required Prerequisite Courses

All prerequisites must be met prior to starting the program.

• ECO 001 Principles of Economics 
• ECO 146 Intermediate Microeconomics 
• ECO 119 Intermediate Macroeconomics 
• Statistics  ECO 045
• Calculus I MATH 021 or MATH 081 or equivalent
• Either Statistics II or Calculus II or Econometrics

​​​​​Acceleration during your undergraduate studies

Undergraduate students with room in their schedules may have the opportunity to take and reserve graduate-level (or equivalent) courses during their undergraduate study. A maximum of 12 graduate-level credits is permitted to be reserved toward the 30 credits required for the MS in Applied Economics degree. The catalog page provides details on how undergraduate students may petition to enroll in graduate-level courses. These courses are then to be reserved by submitting a petition for the graduate degree. Graduate-level courses may NOT be used to fulfill ANY undergraduate requirement. 

 

Information on GA/TA Positions

Due to the increased number of credits per semester within the accelerated one-year master's track, undertaking half-time (20 hours per week) Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Assistantships may not be possible. Quarter-time positions (10 hours per week) may be possible by petition. Other options for allowing more assistantship hours would include extending the length of study or reducing the number of graduate credits enrolled in each term by reserving courses that will count towards the MSAE degree during the undergraduate work. 

 

3. Guaranteed Admission to the MSAE Program

Any Lehigh undergraduate student graduating with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and who has taken the minimum prerequisite courses would automatically be admitted into the MSAE Program for the start of the next semester after completing the requirements for an undergraduate Lehigh degree.

Undergraduate students must upload a resume in the graduate application portal, confirming their intention to continue into graduate study. The admissions deposit is waived.

Please note that the program of study and availability for the master's program may change prior to your transition to the graduate program, and you will follow the requirements of the catalog year in which you formally become a graduate student. Should the program of interest become unavailable, you will be provided advising and options to pursue further academic work with Lehigh in your area of interest. 

 

Questions? Contact our staff.

Graduate Programs Office
Email: business@lehigh.edu
Phone: 610-758-4450