M.A.
The department welcomes MA applicants considering further studies at the Ph.D. level, as well as those with more applied interests who are looking to improve their analytical and computational skills. Applications to the MA in Economics are only accepted in the spring semester and students are enrolled in the fall semesters.
Each year, some 25 students from diverse educational backgrounds are enrolled in the program. About half have an undergraduate degree in economics, and half have completed an undergraduate program at Boğaziçi University.
Among the recent graduates of the M.A. program, about half of them are continuing with their studies at prestigious Ph.D. programs in US and Europe. A list of the recent placements in graduate schools is available here. Remaining graduates are either employed in organizations such as the Central Bank of Turkey, the Turkish Treasury, or other financial institutions and private sector companies.
For a more detailed description of the program, the curriculum and the application procedure, please follow the links below. You can find the answers to frequently asked questions under the FAQ tab. For any other inquiries about the program, you may contact the graduate coordinator at econgrad@boun.edu.tr.
- Description of the program
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The program is designed to be completed in four semesters. We strongly advise that enrolled students should not consider part-time work outside academia, since this may result in not completing the program within the time allowed.
Students enrolled in the program are required to complete 37 credit hours for the "MA Degree with thesis" option and 46 credit hours for the "MA Degree without thesis" option (details of these two options are available here on the MA Curriculum page).
In the first year of the program, all students take the same required courses and, at the end of the year, decide whether they will continue working toward an MA degree with a thesis or not. Those who choose the option with thesis take three elective courses and write a Master's thesis, while those who choose the option without thesis take six elective courses and prepare a graduation project. Also, all students are required to sit in a seminar course to complete the program.
Master's theses and projects are written under the supervision of faculty members on a wide range of economic issues, utilizing both theoretical and applied methods. The students present their research at departmental workshops, seminars, and also discuss their research with faculty members at informal lunches.
Abstracts of recently completed Master's theses are available on the Thesis & Dissertations page (see also the thesis style guide of the Institute for Graduate Studies in Social Sciences of Boğaziçi University for further details on writing a Master's thesis).
- Curriculum
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Programa kayıtlı öğrencilerin "Tezli Yüksek Lisans" seçeneği için 37 kredi saati ve "Tezsiz Yüksek Lisans" seçeneği için 46 kredi saati tamamlamaları gerekmektedir. Her seçeneğin müfredatı aşağıda sunulmuştur.
Course Distribution over Terms (M.A. Degree with Thesis) First Year Second Year Fall Term Spring Term Fall Term Spring Term Title of the course Cred. Title of the course Cred. Title of the course Cred. Title of the course Cred. EC 501 Microeconomics I 4 EC 502 Microeconomics II 4 Elective 3 Elective 3 EC 503 Macroeconomics I 4 EC 504 Macroeconomics II 4 Elective 3 Thesis 0 EC 531 Research Methodology
and Applied Econometrics I4 EC 532 Research Methodology
and Applied Econometrics II4 Seminar (EC579) 0 EC 521 Mathematical Economics I 4 Thesis 0 Total 16 12 6 3
- Admission requirements
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See the general requirements for admission to graduate programs at Boğaziçi University.
Minimum Requirements for Admission to MA in Economics:
a) A minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0 or 75/100 in a BA/BS program.
b) An ALES (EW) score of 80 (ALES is the Turkish acronym for the Selection Examination for Academic Personnel and Graduate Studies, EW stands for Equal Weighted).
Instead of the ALES score the candidates can also present proof of GRE scores (taken within the last two years) that satisfy the following minimum requirements:
- Quantitative: 153,
- Analytical: 3,
- Scores from quantitative and verbal sections should add up to a minimum of 288.c) Proof of English Proficiency:
BUEPT or
TOEFL (IBT) 79, TWE 22 or
IELTS Academic Score: 6.5, Academic Writing Score: 6.5
- Application procedure
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Documents Required for Official Application
a) Official transcripts, sent directly to Boğaziçi University Office of the Registrar by the University the applicant has graduated from. The documents should include all the courses taken and all the grades received throughout the applicant's undergraduate and/or M.A./M.S. programs (Unofficial transcripts are accepted at the time of the electronic application);
b) Two reference letters from persons familiar with the applicant's academic performance. There is no standard form for the reference letters, but the University’s Electronic application system will ask the recommenders to submit their letters online;
c) An official document indicating the applicant's disciplinary record at the University he/she has graduated from (only when applying from a Turkish University);
d) Photocopy of the undergraduate diploma, if available. The official diploma must be presented at the time of registration.
e) The official results of the ALES (or GRE) examinations. (Students planning to apply for an assistantship must take the ALES exam due to YÖK regulations)
f) Statement of Purpose written in English and less than two A4 pages long.
The interview schedule will be shared with the applicants via email.
- Financial aid
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The department has 14 assistantships positions available. These positions areshared by the MA and PhD students. Graduate students employed as assistants serve as research assistants to faculty members and as teaching assistants to undergraduate and graduate courses. Additionally, faculty members may hire graduate students for their projects (through BAP, TUBİTAK, etc.), however these hiring decisions are made by the faculty members themselves.
Each year an announcement for application is made to students enrolled in our graduate programs and positions are offered on merit base (entrance exam performance for first year students and GPA for second year students). Students planning to apply for an assistantship must take the ALES exam as well as part of the state employment requirement. Offered assistantships will be re-evaluated each year based on academic performance. First year assistantships are generally extended to the second year. There is no extension for the secondyear assistantships.
- SSS
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What are the dates regarding the application process ?
The exact dates are announced in the graduate application webpage.
How will the applicationsbe processed and admission decisions reached?Based on the ALES/GRE scores, undergraduate performance, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose students are conditionally accepted to the program. Applicants may be interviewed if necessary. Conditional acceptance decisions are made in early June. After conditional acceptance to the program (prior to registration) there willbe a preparatory course offered during summer school (EC489). The course willcover topics in mathematics for economics with applications in intermediate level macroeconomics and microeconomics, and statistics/econometrics. Students who are not able to attend this course due to a valid excuse (the excuse of the student is evaluated by the graduate committee) will have to take a waiver exam during the first week of August to be admitted to the program.The final decision for acceptance is made by the graduate committee by evaluating the performances of the applicants in this course.
Is it possible to start the program at the Spring term?No
Is it possible to make a transfer to the program?No
Do you make differentiation among universities and undergraduate degrees earned in the admission decision?No, we don't. Our graduate students have a diverse educational background. Around half of the students enrolled have an undergraduate degreein economics and, again, around half of them have completed an undergraduate program at Boğaziçi University.
Do you consider foreign applicants?Our program is open to international students andwe welcome them, but we have not had international students in ourgraduate programs in Economics in recent years. Unfortunately, our department is not able to provide financial assistance to international students due to governmental regulations.
Do I need to prove my proficiency in English?Yes. The Boğaziçi University proficiency requirement equally applies for our Program. For detailed information, see the web page http://www.boun.edu.tr/graduate/organization/admission_grad.html. Official test scores haveto be submitted until the registration deadline set by Boğaziçi University. Forthis year's YADYOK exam please refer to: http://www.yadyok.boun.edu.tr. You need to directly contact the related offices of the university mentioned above.
How about the class size?The average class size is around 25.
How long will it take to complete the program?The curriculum is designed to be completed in two full years (4 semesters not including Summer terms). During the first year students take the required courses and the elective courses are taken during the second year. The maximum time allowed to complete the program is 6 academic semesters (not including the Summer terms).
What are the academic rules that I have to follow?Like other programs, we have a list of academic rules that wehave to follow. For detailed information: http://www.boun.edu.tr/Default.aspx?SectionID=276
How about assistantships and financial aid?The Department has 14 assistantships positions available. These positions are almost equally shared by the first and second year students. Eachyear an announcement for application is made to students enrolled in ourgraduate programs. Graduate students employed as assistants serve as research assistants to faculty members and as teaching assistants to undergraduate and graduate courses. Additionally, faculty members may hire graduate students fortheir projects (through BAP, TUBİTAK, etc.), however these hiring decisions aremade by the faculty members themselves. For the first year students it ispossible to apply for assistantships after the EC489 course. Students planning to apply for an assistantship must takethe ALES exam as well as part of the state employment requirement. Offered assistantships will be re-evaluated each year based on academic performance. First year assistantships are generally extended to the second year. There is no extension for the secondyear assistantships.
Can I register at undergraduate courses?Upon the approval of the graduate advisor, limited number of upperlevel undergraduate courses can be taken as electives.
Can I transfer undergraduate courses to the graduate degree?No, it is not possible.
Is it possible to transfergraduate courses taken at other universities?The required courses of the first year must be taken at Boğaziçi University. Elective courses can only be transferred upon the approval of the graduate advisor.
Will the program follow Boğaziçi University's calendar?Yes. The academic calendar is available at: http://www.boun.edu.tr/tr-TR/Content/Default.aspx?SectionID=780
Where are the recent graduates placed?Among the recent graduates of the M.A. program, about half ofthem are continuing with their studies at prestigious Ph.D. programs in US and Europe. A list of the recent placements in graduate schools is available here. Remaining graduates are either employed in organizations such as the Central Bank of Turkey, the Turkish Treasury, or other financial institutions andprivate sector companies.
What is the registration fee for the courses I need to register (including EC 489)Please contact registrar's office. (tel: 212-359-44-08 or 212-359-70-88). The fee for EC489 is significantly lower then compared to other summer classes offered by the summer school at Boğaziçi University.
Are classes held during the days or evenings?Classes are held duringday-time. They generally start at 9:00 AM. There is an Executive Masters Program in Economics and Finance which holds classes in the evenings. For details, please visit http://www.econfin.boun.edu.tr
Can I have a part-time or a full-time job outside the department?No, since it is a full-time program,we do not allow masters student to work.
What are the contents of EC 489 and when will it start?EC 489 will follow thes chedule of the summer school. Please visit http://www.summer.boun.edu.tr for details. The contents of the course will generally be geared towards mathematical preparation for the masters program.
I ama Boğaziçi University student. Do I need to prove my English proficiency?No
I am currently a student at the Department of Economics at Boğaziçi University. Do I need a reference letter?No, but you need to provide the name of two faculty members in our department that would write you such areference letter.
Do you offer housing for masters students?Please contact the Housing Office for availability. 212-359-45-44
Do you accept references by email?No
When is the official registration?It is in September. See theacademic schedule. You need to provide your English sufficiency until thattime.
I will get support from TÜBİTAK. Can I be a graduate assistant as well? Do you guarantee that I will finish the program with a thesis as required by theTUBITAK support?Yes, you can apply for assistantships. However, we do not guarantee under any circumstances that you will write a thesis in our department. Writing a thesis will depend on your individual effort (having a GPA of at least 3.0 by the end of the first year)in the program and finding a thesis supervisor for your thesis. Please be careful about this issue when applying for TUBITAK support.
Is there a specific format for thereference letter? Can it be in Turkish?No there is no specific format for English letters. They can be in Turkish or English.
Is there a specific format for the statement of purpose? Can it be in Turkish?Statement of Purpose must be written in English and should be less than two A4 pages long.
What prerequisite knowledge is required?An intermediate level of calculus and introductory levels of microeconomics and macroeconomics knowledge is highly recommended.