Social Sciences Fact Sheet (PDF)

Economics

The Department of Economics seeks applicants prepared to develop the requisite skills to perform rigorous research, regardless of undergraduate major. The graduate program offers specializations in econometrics, environmental economics, labor economics, macroeconomics and public economics under the supervision of nationally recognized scholars on its faculty, and in economics and finance in cooperation with the School of Management.

The program has recently been ranked 10th and 19th amongst all PhD-granting institutions in the United States in the fields of agricultural and natural resource economics, and economic history, respectively. Recipients of master's and doctoral degrees pursue a wide variety of careers in higher education, economic forecasting, research, and policy analysis.

Graduate Degrees Offered

• MA in Economics 
• PhD in Economics

Accelerated Degree: Economics and Finance BS + MA (Learn more about Accelerated Degree Programs.)

Application Deadlines

Admission Requirements*

The standards maintained by The Graduate School and individual departments and programs are applied to ensure that applicants admitted to the University are well qualified and trained to study at this institution and have a reasonable expectation of successfully completing a graduate program, and who, with the benefit of graduate education, are most likely to contribute substantially to their academic or professional fields.

To be eligible, you must have and provide:

• A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
• Complete set of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts. At minimum, a 3.0 GPA is required. See details.

All applicants must submit the following:

• Online graduate degree application and application fee
• Transcripts from each college/university you have attended
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement (2-3 pages) describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to your program's admissions committee.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
• Official GRE scores

And, for international applicants:

• International Student Financial Statement form (PDF)
• Official bank statement/proof of support
• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores

*This information is subject to change. While we make every effort to keep it accurate and up-to-date, we recommend you contact the department for any program-specific requirements.