MA in Economics

Daniel Joseph Elmore, 2026

Degree: MA in Economics

I chose George Mason University for its strong tradition in Austrian economics and its reputation as one of the leading places to study that tradition in depth. I was drawn to the chance to learn from faculty who actively work in Austrian, public choice, and experimental economics and who bring those ideas directly into the classroom.

I chose to study economics after an introductory macroeconomics class at my undergraduate school that I really enjoyed. Since then, I’ve seen economics as a lens for understanding how incentives, trade‑offs, and prices shape the decisions people make and, ultimately, the world around us.

For my capstone, I replicated a 2018 peer‑reviewed article that studies whether out‑of‑market hospital mergers raise commercial prices by increasing multimarket contact. Using Stata and the authors’ replication materials, I reproduced the estimated 6-7 percent price increase and used that exercise to critically assess the paper’s research design, including its identification strategy and robustness checks.

After graduation, I plan to continue working full time and apply what I’ve learned in economics in my current role and future opportunities in the workforce. 

Most impactful course: The most impactful class I took at George Mason University was "Market Process Theory." The course pulled together themes from Austrian economics and helped me see markets as ongoing processes driven by discovery, incentives, and institutions rather than just static models. What made it stand out was realizing how often the concepts from class showed up in real‑world events and policy debates.

Favorite George Mason memory: My favorite memory from George Mason is meeting other young professionals who were just as interested in economics as I was. Being around people who wanted to push their understanding of the field made classes and conversations a lot more engaging.

Advice for future George Mason graduate students: Come in with a clear goal and let that guide how you spend your time. Put your energy into building solid skills and finishing the tougher projects, because those are the ones that really help you grow.