Studies consistently show that graduates with a B.A. or M.A. in Economics are among the highest-paid non-doctoral professionals in the United States. At Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics, the M.A. in Economics is a versatile and holistic preparation for either a Ph.D. in Economics or professional opportunities in the public or private sectors.
Thomas May, assistant professor of economics at Cal State Fullerton, is one of the faculty members specializing in this program. In fall 2023, he joined the college’s faculty, previously earning a doctorate at the University of Minnesota. Among his goals at CSUF has been developing curriculum to have a stronger AI focus.
“I was drawn to Cal State Fullerton because of the university’s investment in machine learning and research, which gave me the opportunity to leverage my machine learning-heavy experience to play an early role in shaping the curriculum,” he says. “Since joining the faculty, I have greatly appreciated the university’s balanced focus between teaching and research, and its deep commitment to diversity and social mobility. With AI rapidly transforming the field of economics, and the field becoming more accessible than ever before, it is extremely rewarding to teach in an environment where students come from a wide range of backgrounds and see their rapid progress in harnessing analytic and data science skills.”
May notes that the M.A. in Economics build on the undergraduate curriculum with a strong applied focus, integrating machine learning and large language models to tackle traditional economic questions. The degree path is designed for those seeking to work with hands-on data, desirous of deepening their understanding of economic theory while developing a portfolio along the way. At one time, machine learning was considered highly technical, but this has changed over time, and has greater applicability in the 21st century to a wide range of career paths.
“I developed a new curriculum combining a just-in-time teaching style coupled with experiential learning, using my own culturally relevant and self-developed case studies that reflect the university’s focus on diversity and social mobility,” says May. “Instead of traditional lecture-based instruction, students actively implement AI models in real-time during class in a lab-like environment.”
A just-in-time model means that as students are working, the professor answers questions and help students troubleshoot. The experiential nature of the courses enhances retention and understanding because students are engaged and actively participate in the learning process. The case studies move beyond generic examples and tackle a complexity and diversity of real economic scenarios, from analyzing Orange County income inequality to evaluating the effectiveness of World Bank entrepreneurial grants in Nigeria.
“The success of student projects thus far demonstrates how AI is not only enriching our students’ learning but also positioning them as emerging leaders in the field,” he says.
Nearly two years in to his role at Cal State Fullerton, May already looks back with pride at mentoring students who have gone on to achieve, including Denisa Marc, and her success winning the ProQuest Distinguished Master’s Thesis in Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Business Disciplines. “This honor demonstrates how quickly students at CSUF can make an impact with the right guidance and opportunities. It’s inspiring to see how engaged students are with these tools and how they use them to generate meaningful insights,” observes May.
For more on the M.A. in Economics, visit the Business Graduate Programs website. Or read more of our articles about grad school at the College of Business and Economics.
