Brandeis International Business School

Programs > MA > Core Curriculum

Core Curriculum

Focusing on Business, Economics and Finance

students in classroom

Our Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance (MA) program options feature an innovative curriculum designed around our core strengths in business, economics and finance. 

Key Elements

  • Develop analytical skills needed to understand forces driving the global economy
  • Gain an ability to apply skills and expertise to real-world trends and challenges
  • Experience our expansive Bloomberg Lab, one of the largest in the Boston area, to learn financial modeling and analysis

Curriculum and Timeline

The MA program is two years in length and requires 64 credits. One of the four semesters in the program may be spent studying abroad. Students have the opportunity to take courses at other institutions in the area in related fields. The core courses below account for 32 credits, but students may exempt from select core courses by demonstrating competence in those areas.
Sample Course Plan
Fall 1 (17 credits)
  • ECON 207a: Managerial Economics (4 credits)
  • ECON 213a: Applied Econometrics (4 credits)
  • FIN 201a: Investments (4 credits)
  • FIN 212a: Accounting and Financial Analysis (4 credits) OR Fin 213a: Intermediate Accounting (4 credits)
  • BUS 224g: Launching Your Global Career (1 credit)
Spring 1 (16 credits)
  • ECON 202a: Applied International Macroeconomics (4 credits)
  • ECON 260a: International Trade Policy OR a concentration-specific elective (4 credits)
  • FIN 202a: Corporate Finance (4 credits)
  • Concentration or General Elective credits (4 credits)
Summer (2-4 credits)

Practicum Requirement (choose only one):

Fall 2 (16 credits)

  • Software Proficiency beyond R — see other requirements below
  • Concentration or general electives (12-14 credits)

Spring 2 (16 credits)

  • Capstone — see other requirements below
  • Concentration or general electives (12-14 credits)
Other Requirements

Software Proficiency (2-4 credits)
Students must demonstrate proficiency in a data analysis software beyond the intro level R that they learn in Econ 213a, Applied Econometrics. Students will demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing one of the courses outlined here or by completing a project using one of these platforms.


Work Practicum (2-4 credits)
Students may complete the work practicum by either completing an internship or a field project.


Capstone (2-4 credits)

  • ECON 281f: Challenges in the Global Economy: Int’l Trade and Development (2 credits)
  • ECON 282f: Challenges in the Global Economy: Macroeconomic Policy and Finance (2 credits)
  • BUS 294a: Data Analytics Field Project (4 credits)*
  • BUS 286a: Applications of System Dynamics (4 credits)*
  • BUS 292a: Marketing Field Project (4 credits)*
  • BUS 295a: Social Impact Innovation Field Projects in Marketing (4 credits)*
  • BUS 293a: Real Estate Field Project (4 credits)*

*Note: The practicum and capstone requirements are combined into one full semester course for the Data Analytics, Marketing and Real Estate Finance concentrations.
Concentrations and Electives

The MA program requires 32 elective credits. These electives allow students to deepen their learning in specific areas. Students may count any 200-level course in Economics, Business or Finance as an elective. MA students may also petition to have coursework from other graduate Brandeis programs count toward the degree in related fields such as policy, data analysis, mathematics or programming.


MA students are encouraged to use 16-20 of their elective credits to complete one of five concentrations.