The joint field of economics and computer science has emerged from two converging intellectual needs: Computer science has become increasingly important for economists working with big data to address complex questions; computer scientists increasingly are expected to understand the economics of computing systems, as well as the informational and financial transactions between people, businesses, governments, and electronic agents. The MSEC program combines the strengths of the Departments of Economics and Computer Science to educate students in these important computational skills linked to economics, and to prepare them for Ph.D. studies or careers in economics, finance, government, and business. This program is designed to meet the needs of students with varied levels of exposure to either field, but a strong quantitative background is recommended.