Quantitative Finance and Economics (M.S.)

M.S. Quantitative Finance and Economics

Apply analytics to economics and financial problems.
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Program Overview

The AACSB-accredited McCoy College of Business is the first in the region to offer a master's degree combining economics and finance to meet the needs of diverse employers and well-qualified students. The program emphasizes using high-quality data for financial and economic analysis to provide insights into firm strategies and policy questions.

All McCoy College degree programs are accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The accounting degree programs also hold separate accreditation by AACSB.

Course Work

The program requires 30 credit hours with thesis and non-thesis options. The degree program has 18 credit hours of required courses and 12 credit hours of prescribed electives. Required courses provide quantitative and theoretical modeling sought after in industry; electives provide enhanced knowledge in a specific technical area. Classes are held in the evening, and students can attend full or part-time. Full-time students can complete the program in three or four semesters.

DegreeHoursThesis OptionMinor Option
Degree
M.S.
Hours
30
Thesis Option
Non-Thesis
Minor Option
No minor
Degree
M.S.
Hours
30
Thesis Option
Thesis
Minor Option
No minor

What Our Alumni Say

“The MSQFE was an amazing experience to develop the qualitative and technical skills required for a successful career in finance. The program opened so many doors for me, and was a key piece to accomplish my goal of working on Wall Street.ˮ

— Carson Kennedy, Investment Banking Analyst, Evercore

Program Details

Growth is expected to be up by 30% in occupations requiring quantitative finance and economics with median annual wages at least twice the national average.

Program Mission

The mission of the Department of Finance and Economics is to provide students the ability to pursue learning throughout their lives, accept responsibility for their actions, and contribute to the common goals of society. Advanced skills in financial and economic analysis using large data sets have become increasingly important workforce credentials among firms seeking to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace; yet professionals with these skills have been in relatively short supply. Finance and Economics are closely intertwined disciplines, with each field contributing insight across different dimensions to the same competitive challenges that firms face and policies that governments create. This intersection of interest and shared outcome create synergies between the disciplines that support offering a degree program that combines both economics and finance.

Career Options

Graduates will possess important marketable skills, including the abilities to analyze financial and economic data, perform high-quality financial and economic analyses, and communicate the results and implications of these analyses to inform business decisions.


Examples of careers include:

  • economist
  • quantitative risk analyst
  • business analyst
  • financial analyst
  • financial manager

Program Faculty

Faculty in the Department of Finance and Economics have diverse research interests, including foreign direct investment and international remittance flows, sports economics, environmental economics, law and economics, corporate finance, cross-listing of stocks, bond and loan pricing, and energy finance. Research has been published in top-ranked peer-reviewed journals such as Southern Economic Journal, Contemporary Economic Policy, Harvard Environmental Law Review, Annals of Regional Science, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Prediction Markets, Journal of Alternative Investments, Energy Risk, Macroeconomic Dynamics, and Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking.

Contact The Graduate College for general questions about getting started with your application, funding your degree, and more. If you have program-specific questions after reviewing the program details, we encourage you to contact the following individuals.

Graduate Advisor
Dr. Janet Payne
mccoymsqfe@txstate.edu
512.245.2547
McCoy Hall (MCOY), Room 510

Graduate Advisor
Dr. Diego Vacaflores
businessgraduate@txstate.edu
512.245.3591
McCoy Hall (MCOY), Room 530

Advisor Support
Ruby P Kishan
rk02@txstate.edu
512.245.3248
McCoy Hall (MCOY), Room 504E

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Application Process

Application Deadlines

DeadlinesU.S. CitizenInternational
Deadlines
Fall - Priority
U.S. Citizen
January 15
International
January 15
Deadlines
Fall - Standard
U.S. Citizen
June 1
International
June 1

This program's deadline is firm. This type of deadline means the application and other application requirements must be submitted by the program's specified deadline day. View the department's website for supporting document deadlines.

 Funding Information
Applications must be complete by the priority deadline to be considered for certain types of funding.

Decision Timeline
This program reviews applications on a rolling basis.

Admission Requirements

The items required for admission consideration are listed below. Additional information for applicants with international credentials can be found on our international web pages.

Expand FAQ List

  • Review important information about the online application.

    • $55 nonrefundable application fee
      OR
    • $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials

    Review important information about application fees.

    • baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
    • a copy of an official transcript from each institution where course credit was granted
    • a competitive overall GPA or a competitive GPA in your last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
    • background course work
      • minimum grade of B in the following:
        • Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (ECO 2314, ECO 2315 or equivalent) Effective Fall 2025: Principles of Microeconomics or Macroeconomics (ECO 2314, ECO 2315 or equivalent)
        • Quantitative Methods and Statistics (QMST 2333 or equivalent)
        • Business Calculus (MATH 1329 or equivalent)
        • Business Finance (FIN 3312 or equivalent) Effective Fall 2025: This course will no longer be a requirement.

  • GRE

    • official GMAT/GRE (general test only) not required for applicants with a 3.5 overall GPA or a 3.5 GPA in your last-60-hours of undergraduate course work. If the GPA falls below the minimum requirement, the official GMAT or GRE (general test only) with competitive scores will be required in order to be considered. The Graduate College will notify applicants via email should this occur.

    For potential test waiver information, please visit the McCoy College of Business GMAT/GRE Waiver website.

    Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

    Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

    • official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall and minimum individual module scores of
      • 19 listening
      • 19 reading
      • 19 speaking
      • 18 writing
    • official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
    • official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and
      • minimum individual module scores of 6.0
    • official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
    • official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

      This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

      Review important information about official test scores.

    • responses to specific essay questions (two essays are required):
      1. Why have you chosen to pursue a graduate business degree at Texas State University? What do you hope to accomplish during your time in the program?
      2. Tell us about your three most significant accomplishments. Why do you view them as such? What lessons did you learn from them?
      3. optional personal statement: in cover-letter format, you may address the admissions committee about anything related to your background, application, and/or desire to attend graduate school at Texas State University
    • resume/CV detailing work experience, extracurricular and community activities, and honors and achievements
    • three letters of recommendation from individuals best able to assess your ability to succeed in graduate school

      Review important information about documents.

Additional Information

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