ISET’s MA program in Economics was launched in fall 2006 as a graduate program at Tbilisi State University, serving the entire South Caucasus region. The program takes students through a challenging two year curriculum, comparable in content and quality to the first two years of study in reputable Ph.D. programs in North America and Western Europe.  All courses are taught in English by highly-qualified international faculty.

   The first class of ISET includes 50 students from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. Expected to graduate in 2008, they are being prepared to work as economists in policy-related professional positions in government, think tanks, international organizations, and the private sector. The top 10 students (20-25%) are aspiring to enter Ph.D. programs in Northern American and Western European universities.

   The program of study is supported by the ISET Research Center, where second year students participate in research projects, and write their Master's theses under the supervision of and in close cooperation with resident and visiting faculty.