The program in Policy Economics is a specially designed, intensive program of study leading to a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is intended for promising, young administrators in government and private institutions, in both developing countries and advanced industrial countries, who need additional training in the areas of economic analysis and quantitative techniques. These participants, upon completion of the Program, return to their previous positions or similar ones with enlarged opportunities in light of their augmented training in economics and quantitative techniques.

A complementary mission of the Program is to help interested students acquire the necessary background to pursue a doctorate in economics. While earning the master's, they will learn if the pursuit of a Ph.D. degree is within their reach and suits their purposes. They will also acquire the necessary tools for it.

The extensive resources of the Department of Economics enable us to offer courses in 12 different areas of specializations including: advanced econometrics, development economics, economic policy, environment and natural resources, health economics, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, law and economics, monetary economics, public economics, and urban and regional economics.  With such a variety of offerings, we can meet the needs and interests of most students.  These courses are taught by a large faculty of over 40 members. Students will find that there are a number of faculty specializing in every area of interest. Our large size, however, does not preclude personal attention to students in the graduate programs. On average, the graduate programs at Illinois have one faculty member for every 3.4 graduate students. About 40 students enter the Program in Policy Economics each year.

With the exception of the courses designed especially for this Program (11 in total), students tend to enroll in courses with students from other graduate economics programs. This can result in a broader perspective of economic issues and problems than is obtained in programs where classes are made up of Program participants only.

Some students take their elective courses outside the Department of Economics in areas such as Agriculture, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, and Business Administration.