MA Economics: Course Details, Fees, Eligibility, Syllabus, Colleges, Admissions, Jobs, Salary 2023

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MA Economics or Master of Arts in Economics is a 2 years long postgraduation course that is divided into 4 semesters. With a blend of all the aspects of economics in society, MA Economics broadly and commonly focuses on topics like macroeconomics, microeconomics, public economics, econometry, international and financial economics.

Note: Students who wish to pursue their education in Management field or get a career boost, can check MBA course.

The course is the branch of science that deals with production and consumption and supply and demand changes in the markets. It is a broad account of the utilization of resources in banking, market, insurance, investment and many other sectors of an economy.

See Also: MA Economics Syllabus

In order to be eligible to pursue this course, one needs to hold a bachelor degree in economics or in a related field with a minimum of 50%. Colleges like Miranda House, Loyola College and Lady Shri Ram College for Women are a few of the popular colleges for this course among many.

Read More: Top MA Entrance Exams in India

The average annual MA Economics fees may range from INR 10,000-50,000, depending majorly on the choice of college made by an individual. After completing this course, one can proceed further with a PhD in Economics as it not only becomes a lot more easy post qualifying this course, but also gives a good career opportunity.

MA Economics DU Admissions	MA Economics JNU Admissions	MA Economics CCSU Admissions

Professionals of this field may expect their annual salary ranging from INR 3 to 7 LPA depending on the level of qualification one possesses. Top recruiters like ICICI Bank, RBI, Citi Bank, Bank of India, Indian Institute of Technology, Accenture, HSBC and Indian Statistical Institute provide tons of job opportunities every year to the aspirants of this field with a good annual package.

Table of Contents

MA Economics: Course Highlights
MA Economics: What is it about?
Why Study?
Admission Process
4.1 Eligibility Criteria
4.2 Top Entrance Exams
4.3 How to Prepare for Entrance Exam
4.4 How to Get Admission in Top College
Syllabus
Top Colleges in India
6.1 College Comparison
Distance Education
Courses Comparison
Jobs and Career Options
Future Scope
FAQs

MA Economics: Course Highlights

Mentioned below are some of the major highlights of the course.

Course Level	Postgraduate
Duration	2 years
Examination type	Semester system
Eligibility	Bachelor’s degree in economics or in any discipline from a recognized university
Admission Process	Merit-based and entrance exams
Top Recruiters	ICICI Bank, RBI, Citi Bank, Kotak, etc.
Job Profiles	Professional Economist, Data Analyst, Equity Analyst, Financial Planner, Professional Economist, etc.
Course Fees	INR 10,000 to INR 50,000
Average Starting Salary	INR 5-7 Lakhs

MA Economics: What is it about?

Dealing with the understandings of finance and market managements, MA Economics syllabus revolves around the world’s economy and the distractions of the financial markets. It not only shows the functioning of finance in an economy but also makes one eligible to face challenges in the industry.

MA Economics is the study of wealth production, distribution and consumption in a society.
The course covers a huge part of macroeconomics in terms of price, output, employment etc. and microeconomics dealing with demands, supplies, markets, consumer behavior and with related topics in an economy.
Every aspect of a country starting from individuals, businesses to government, and services depends on economics.
The degree holders may find themselves being placed in either government or private sectors of banking, finance and labor markets.

Why pursue MA Economics?

Studying this course can be interesting and fruitful at the same time. Look into the points below to know how.

MA Economics gives a good hold of the subject to the students as it teaches the value of increasing demands and limited means to fulfill the growing needs.
Pursuing MA Economics can get you a good scope of high paid jobs than other bachelor degrees. Banking, academic and organizational, government, and investment sectors are good career options for these degree holders.
Being qualified also opens the doors for pursuing PhD in the same field of study.
Economists are considered very important, as they are responsible in identifying the on-going structural changes in the market as well as dealing with the stability and national security of an economy.
This course can also be a perfect choice to get one-step closer to qualifying the Indian Economic Services.

MA Economics Admission Process

Admission in universities like Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Manipal University and many others is done through entrance exams, but there are colleges like Christ University, Loyola College, University of Hyderabad and some more that rely on merit-based admission.

Different patterns of admission are followed by universities like IGNOU and Karnataka State Open University as they provide distance education by direct admission. However, certain Colleges like Delhi University and Department of Business Economic reserve a percentage of seats for merit-based admissions.

Learn More about MA Economics IGNOU Admission 2023

MA Economics Eligibility

The eligibility standards are different for admissions through entrance exams and merit basis, but students eager to pursue their masters in economics must fulfill the mentioned-below MA Economics eligibility criteria.

A bachelor degree in economics or in a relevant field of study.
A minimum percentage of 50% at the level of graduation is required.

MA Economics Entrance Exams

Compiled below is the list of few popular MA Economics exams that are conducted by various colleges in India every year.

Exam name	Registration date	Exam date
PUBDET	To be Announced	To be Announced
APU UG NET	To be Announced	To be Announced
TS EAMCET	-	2nd week of July 2023

How to Prepare for MA Economics Entrance Exams?

An individual willing to sit for entrance exams in order to study MA Economics must have a vivid knowledge of the common sections given in the tests. Given below are some of the sections on which students must start focusing to get themselves a reputed college.

Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Basis Mathematics
Economical Mathematics
Probability, Statistics and Elementary Econometrics

Successfully qualifying an entrance test can seem as one of the scariest things but at the same time, it is one of the most important tasks to accomplish in taking you a step forward towards your dream college. Following the tips given below, one may find clearing an entrance exam easy.

Note down the syllabus and start preparing study materials of each and every subject.
Start collecting previous years' questions and sample papers for getting more knowledge on the patterns of the questions.
Make a proper timetable and revise accordingly as well as thoroughly.
Surf through relevant websites and books to clear basic doubts.
Keep on practicing, taking help of different question banks until you become confident and perfect.
Continuous follow-up with the changing dates and updates of the exam is necessary.
Make sure to have a proper rest period regularly.

How to get admission in a good MA Economics College in India?

In order to secure a seat in one of the good colleges of MA Economics, it is suggested to have more than 55% in the undergraduate level of degree.
Listing all the top colleges for the subject has to be done and keeping a track of important dates related to application and exams are to be noted.
Candidates must start taking preparations for the entrance exams a year before.

MA Economics Syllabus

The syllabus for MA Economics can vary depending on the colleges and the universities, but down here is the syllabus that is commonly followed.

Semester 1	Semester 2
Microeconomic Theory	Macroeconomic Theory
Introductory Mathematical Economics	Theory of Pricing and Distribution
Introductory Econometrics	International Finance
International Trade	Quantitative Methods
Semester 3	Semester 4
Development Economics	Public Economics
International Economics	Econometrics-2
Econometrics-1	Project Work
Industrial Economics (Electives)	Financial Economics (Electives)
Environmental Economics (Electives)	Economics of Infrastructure (Electives)
Globalization and Economics (Electives)	Economic Demography (Electives)
-	Economics and Law (Electives)

MA Economics Books

MA Economics Books help students clear the exams and make the education a smooth process. There are a lot of such book available in the market and we have made a list of the some of the best ones for you. Following are the popular books one can refer to when pursuing MA Economics.

Economics Books	Author
Indian Economy	Ramesh Singh
Delhi University M.A. Economics Entrance Test Guide	R. Gupta
A History of Economic Thought	S.Chand
Contemporary Economic Issues in India	P.K. Chaubey
Business Economics	Dr. J.P.Mishra
Micro Economics	P.N. Chopra
Essays on Economic Issues	Narasimha Murthy M.S.

MA Economics Colleges

Tabulated below are some of top MA Economics colleges in India, along with the location, average fees and annual package offered.

College Name	City	Annual Average Fee (INR)
Miranda House College	New Delhi	19,030
Presidency College	Chennai	900
Ramjas College	New Delhi	14,300
Fergusson College	Pune	9,680
Christ University	Bangalore	60,000
St. Mira’s College for Girls	Pune	14,800
Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce	Pune	26,000
St. Xavier’s College	Jaipur	62,500
Kristu Jayanti College	Bangalore	67,000
Mithibai College of Arts	Mumbai	11,300

College Comparison

Based on parameters like THE WEEK rankings, annual fees, annual packages offered and some more, here is the comparison of top colleges for MA Economics that one can discover to gain more clarity.

Parameters	Lady Shri Ram College For Women	Miranda House College	Fergusson College
Overview	Ranking 5th among the colleges in Delhi in Arts and Social Sciences, Commerce and Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College For Women (LSR) has 150 faculty and more than 2000 students with 16 courses to offer.	Miranda House College, being affiliated under Delhi University, is a college for women, established in 1948. The college has NAAC A+ accreditation with CGPA 3.61.	Established by Deccan Education Society in 1885, Fergusson College is affiliated under Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
Location	New Delhi	New Delhi	Pune
Rankings ( THE WEEK)	1	7	10
Average Annual Fees	INR 17,976	INR 19,030	INR 9,680
Average Annual Salary Offered	INR 8-9 LPA	INR 3-8 LPA	INR 2-5 LPA
Top companies visited	Deloitte, MSU, Citi Bank, KPMG, Samsung, PWC	IBM, ITC, Wipro, Kotak Mahindra Bank	Amazon, Infosys, Accenture, Symphony, Capgemini

MA Economics Distance Learning

Students eager to know more about MA Economics in India must know that apart from a regular postgraduate degree, the course is also available in the form of a distance degree by the universities like IGNOU,Sri Venkateswara University, Karnataka State Open University, Punjab University, Bangalore University and Mumbai University.

The admission criteria may differ as per variable universities on basis of either merit or entrance exams.
MA Economics Distance Learning can take 2 years to 5 years for an individual to complete and the average annual course to study a distance program in the same course may cost from INR 9,000 to INR 12,000.
To get placed in any government or a private organization will not be difficult for any aspirant of economics with a distance degree in the same field of study
Distance Learning also gives ample opportunities to earn lucrative packages.

The table below shows some of the top MA Economics distance learning colleges in India.

College Name	Location	Course Duration	Application Process	Average Annual Fee
IGNOU	New Delhi	2 Years	Merit-Based	INR 4,500
KSOU	Mysore	2 Years	Merit-Based	INR 7,300
Sri Venkateswara University	Tirupati	2 Years	Merit-Based	INR 2,250
Mumbai University	Mumbai	2 Years	Merit-Based	INR 6,015

Course Comparison

Oftentimes, students tend to become confused in choosing between MA Economics and MBA for higher studies. The table drawn below will help you in understanding the basic difference between the two.

Parameters	MA Economics	MBA
Objective	The main objective of MA Economics is to provide knowledge on all the aspects related to functioning of an economy.	MBA as a course revolves around the objective of covering all the topics related to Business Management.
Subjects Taught	Behaviour economics; banking and finance; labour market and reforms, etc.	Finance management; principles of management; communication skills; business laws; entrepreneurship, etc.
Average Annual Fees	INR 10,000 to 70,000	INR 3 to 25 lakh
Duration	2 years	2 years
Eligibility	Undergraduate degree in any relevant field or the Entrance Exams	Undergraduate degree in any relevant field or Entrances like CAT, MAT, GMAT
Top Colleges	Lady Shri Ram College For Women (LSR), Miranda House, Fergusson College, Loyola College	IIM Ahmedabad, XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI Gurgaon, FMS New Delhi
Job Roles	Professional Economist, Data Analyst, Equity Analyst, Financial Planner, Professional Economist, etc.	Financial Manager, Health Service Manager, High-End Management Consultant, Investment Banker, Chief Technology Officer
Average Annual Salary	INR 5 to 7 LPA	INR 7 to 13 LPA

MA Economics vs MBA (Fees and Placement Comparison)

Source: Official Surveys

MA Economics Job Prospects

Since this subject is closely associated with finance, markets and the functioning of an economy as a whole, professionals of MA Economics with a decent percentage have a huge scope of getting placed in both government and private organizations as economists.

Following are the various suitable MA Economics job profiles which degree holders can get.

Job Role	Job Description	Average Annual Salary
Research Analyst	A research analyst does the work of examining data and producing helpful information to the employers.	INR 5,18,000
Data Analyst	Conducting surveys, acquiring relevant information and presenting those collections into charts and graphs are what data analysts do.	INR 3,85,000
High School Teacher	The job of a high school teacher is to make students familiar with all the aspects of economics mentioned in the curriculum off the board of education, and to conduct tests and project works.	INR 3,50,000
Economist	Conducting and designing researches to identify trends as well to assist the government, banks and agencies are the day-to-day work of an economist.	INR 7,92,000
Primary School Teacher	Primary school teaches economics as part of social science to the primary students.	INR 2,47,000
Director of Operations	To ensure that all the individuals working in a firm are productive as well as to control purchases related to resources is the typical of a director of operations.	INR 30,00,000
Project Manager	A project manager does all the jobs related to projects. Starting from developing a project plan, communicating the same to managing and arranging resources for the projects, everything has to be checked.	INR 20,00,000

MA Economics Top Recruiters

The top recruiters of MA Economics graduates from both private and public organizations are as follows:

Government Organizations	Private Organizations
Rail India Technical and Economic Services	Infosys
Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Manipur	Zocdoc, Inc.
Department of Economic Affairs	Buhler India Pvt Ltd
Reserve Bank of India	Dell, Inc.
Indian Statistical Universities	Accenture
Central Bank of India	HSBC

The graph below represents the salary trends of various job profiles. The average MA Economics salary is INR 5-7 lakh.

Source: Payscale

MA Economics Future Scope

Education is never ending, and if one has the potential and willingness to study further, then pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics or in another related research field may seem interesting. There are top universities like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Loyola College, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and many more offering a PhD in Economics.

The top specific courses to choose post MA Economics are listed below:

One can consider the above mentioned courses to continue with their further studies, in order to get an in-depth knowledge of specializations attached to the subject as well as of the subjects as whole. Studying further MA Economics is not only worthy in terms of gaining knowledge but it can also make an individual eligible enough to bag a high paid job.

MA Economics FAQs

Ques. Is MA in Economics tough?

Ans. If you already had economics in your undergraduate level then you already have an idea of the subject, but if you did not have economics previously, then it might seem difficult but one can surely overcome it.

Ques. Which are the best universities for MA in Economics?

Ans. Universities like Lady Shri Ram College For Women, Miranda House College, Loyola College, Madras Christian University, Christ University, Bangalore and Fergusson College are few of the top universities to study the course.

Ques. Which Course is better, MBA or MA in Economics?

Ans. In terms of cost to study, MBA is more expensive than a master in economics. Average salary of an MBA can be more than masters in economics, depending on the job level and role.

Ques. What is the basic difference between MA Economics and MSc Economics?

Ans. Both the courses are of 2 years, but MA Economics revolves around the principles of humanities in the field of economics and MSc economics deals with the scientific principles of economics.

Ques. Is MA Economics worth studying?

Ans. Considered as one of the best paying postgraduate degrees, MA Economics with decent grades can offer opportunities both in government and private sectors with good pay.

Ques. Will there be any impact of Covid 19 on MA Economics Admissions?

Ans. Yes, many MA economic entrance exams have been postponed due to the Covid 19 pandemic throughout the world.

Ques. What can be done after MA Economics?

Ans. One can try their career for the job roles like Investment analyst, Finance analyst, Economists, Satisfaction, Market researchers and more.

Ques. How can one get MA Economics admission?

Ans. The minimum eligibility to study MA Economics is to have 50%-55% in the undergraduate level. However, some colleges do have entrance exams to qualify for this.

Ques. How many total subjects are there in MA Economics?

Ans. As per the Delhi School of Economics, there are 6 core subjects and 9 electives for MA Economics.

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2 Reviews found

Bhaswati Chakravarty

Assam Don Bosco University - [ADBU]( Enrolled 2023 )MA, Economicsundefined NaN, NaN

1.9 /5

Bhaswati Chakravarty 's Review On Assam Don Bosco University - [ADBU], Guwahati

Faculty

EFLU offers a choice based credit system which requires you to fulfill a certain amount of credits in each semester. You are liable to choose core papers according to your course and even take up interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary papers. Courses are not hard as long as it interests you. SWAYAM courses are necessary which is an online multidisciplinary course. There’s a semster examination every semester and it can happen in any form according to the teacher’s preferences(sit-in exam/open-book exam/assignments) Internal assessments are done according to what the course demands and the power lies with the teacher yet again. A maximum of 4 classes can happen in a day but it all depends on how you build your routine as you are given some liberty to choose classes accordingly (unless in the case of Cafeteria students who have full liberty to build their own routines). You just have to make sure one class does not clash with the other on the same day. Thus it is completely reasonable to have entire an entire day in the week off if you build your routine accordingly. Classes happen within 9 AM to 7 PM. Each class lasts 2 hours. Classes can happen in any department building or generally in the New Academic Bloc. Teachers use blackboards, projectors and bulletin boards to aid their teaching. Professors in the Language sciences department are really admirable and are excellent teachers. They use the best teaching techniques and laboratories and other facilities are adequately utilised to make the learning experience enjoyable and more beneficial. Prof Shruti Sircar and Prof Meena Debashish are exceptional faculty members. All teachers are well versed in their fields but some might not have a good inclination to teach a group of young students in a classroom setup. Attendance is strictly looked upon and a mandatory 70% attendance is required for you to sit for your examination otherwise your admit card is withheld. This can be quickly sorted out by approaching the concerned faculty with a medical certificate.

Loan/ Scholarship Provisions

It will take 2 days for me to mention the complete category wise yearly fees. But I can give you a gist of my experience. I paid 18,000 as admission fees, caution deposit of 10,000(which will be returned after I complete my degree), tuition fees of 28,000 which makes a grand total of 56,000 for first semester. For second and third semester, I paid a total of 43,000. And for fourth semester I will pay 28,000. There is no mess fees since there is no mess. There are cafes and food court within the campus, where we go to eat food. Assam Don Bosco also provides scholarship on the basis of merit but I don't know the process. It is just fine, my parents can afford it. USTM and Royal Global University are more expensive. Fees is same for every category irrespective of general, SC,ST,etc. There are additional expenses like transportation costs but it's affordable because from campus to highway, it costs Rs.10. We can't cook food in hostel and violation of this rule will cost Rs.500-2000. The water quality is not good so students buy water as well. There's wifi hall cum study hall. The hostel fees is 14,000 for each semester and during first semester I paid 20,000 because 6,000 was caution deposit(which they will return after the completion of my degree). Semester toppers get some amount of money and students who improves their GPA by 3 or more points gets scholarship.

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