IGNOU’s Master of Arts in Economics (MEC) – Programme Guide

• As part of IGNOU’s commitment to ensuring both 'openness' and 'flexibility', students with a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university, regardless of their major, including those without graduate-level economics training are considered eligible for Masters of Art in Economics (MEC). 
• Admission to the program does not require an entrance test. 
• Applicants of any age can apply. 
• There are some courses that require a certain level of mathematical understanding, in particular calculus and linear algebra. As such, students should be proficient in the basic mathematics covered at the +2 level.
•  Academic programmes at IGNOU do not recognize master's degrees awarded without a first degree.

• Minimum Duration - 2 years
• Maximum Duration - 5 years

IGNOU's MEC courses are available in both English and Hindi. Students applying for admission into the programme must select a medium of study.

Several of the University's programs, including MEC, use the credit system. IGNOU's credit system for MEC equates one credit to 30 hours of student study (reading and understanding print materials, listening to audio-based materials, watching video-based materials, attending counselling, teleconferencing, and writing assignments). Students must complete 66 credits to earn the MA (Economics) degree.

There are 66 Credits across 11 Courses in the Programme. There are nine mandatory courses and two optional courses. During the first year, five courses are compulsory. Second-year students must complete four compulsory courses and two optional ones.

Below is the list of courses taught in IGNOU's Master of Art in Economics (MEC):

MECE-001: Econometric Methods and MECE-003: Actuarial Economics: Theory and Practice are both quite mathematically oriented. MWG-11: Women in the Economy, and MGSE-009: Gender Issues in Work, Employment, and Productivity will need to be taken together.

Note: Students can also access the Student Handbook and Prospectus through the university's website, http://www.ignou.ac.in/.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is not comprehensive and should not be taken as such. Accordingly, this article may not list some courses. Students should contact the university if they have any questions about a course.