Walton College

This is a 1-year program consisting of two semesters starting in August.

The program is currently offered as a full-time program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020-21 classes are being offered in a variety of formats (in-person, remote and hybrid). As currently organized, the program cannot be completed in a fully remote format.

The target class size is 15-25 students.

Yes, it is a STEM designated degree in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education classification system.

The program is a 30 credit-hour program composed of 10 courses.

No. At the moment it is only offered as a full-time program.

No. The program begins in mid-August and courses must be taken in order.

Programming experience is not required but would be beneficial. A variety of software packages/programming languages are used in the program, including Stata, EViews, SAS, SQL, R and Python. Some of these are more menu-driven, while others require programming skills.

Math and statistics are important elements of economic analytics. Competency in algebra, calculus (especially differential calculus), linear algebra, and an econometrics/stat course would make it easier for students to focus on the concepts being taught rather than the math behind the content. Linear algebra provides shorthand notations for expressing models and is beneficial when working with data.

Survey of popular private and publica industry tools such as Excel, R, Python and STATA will be included.

Economic Analytics refers to the combination of economic modeling and data science techniques that enable students in the program to identify, assess and seize the opportunity for data-driven value creation in the private and public sectors. The data science techniques involve the econometrics of causal inference and predictive modeling using machine learning algorithms.

“We are drowning in information and starving for knowledge.” – John Naisbitt

The digital revolution ignited an explosion of data. The availability of data is no longer a constraint to answering important questions. The critical constraint is now the ability to analyze, digest, visualize and ultimately harness the data to drive decision making in business, science and society.

The Master of Science in Economic Analytics is a 10-month intensive program that will guide students through economic modeling and theory to computational practice and cutting-edge tools, providing a thorough training in descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics. Students will be armed with a solid knowledge of econometric and machine learning methods, optimization, computing and database management. These “big-data” skills, combined with knowledge of economic modeling, will enable them to identify, assess and seize the opportunity for data-driven value creation in the private and public sector.

The Certified Business Economist (CBE) is a certification in applied economics and data analytics. The CBE program was designed by leading economists to bridge the gap between what is learned in an academic setting and the knowledge needed to succeed as a practitioner. Many of the most prominent economists in the corporate sector have the CBE certification.

R, STATA, Python and SQL.

April 15.

Students entering the M.S. in Economic Analytics program are expected to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a satisfactory grade-point average. In addition, they are expected to have already mastered basic economic concepts or demonstrated, with an official GMAT or GRE test score, the ability to master economic concepts taught in the program.

https://walton.uark.edu/graduate-programs/apply.php

Yes, we welcome applications from qualified international students.

No, but some familiarity with programming is an advantage.

A small number of merit-based scholarships and assistantships may be available.

• Data Scientist
• Predictive Analyst
• Data Products Analyst
• Business Intelligence Engineer
• Program Manager
• Economics Research Associate