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Admissions

Ph.D Application Procedures

The average entering class size is 20 students out of approximately 75 in the graduate program. Because of the large applicant pool, the Department considers only those with excellent academic records and outstanding letters of recommendation. The Department is fully committed to building one of the top Economic PhD programs in the world.

Preparation

Our graduate program accommodates the needs of students from varying backgrounds. Although useful, an economics major is not necessary. You will make better progress in the program if you have had adequate preparation in mathematics. Students entering the program are required to have taken a sequence in calculus, a course in linear algebra, and a course in mathematical statistics. These prerequisites are a bare minimum, and additional background in mathematics and in graduate-level economics courses can ease the transition into the program.

Application

We require, in addition to the completed formal application, three letters of recommendation, a transcript from the undergraduate institution(s), and the verbal, quantitative, and analytical Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). The economics achievement test is not required. The application deadline is January 1st for Fall admission.

Foreign students, whose native language is not English, must report scores on a recent TOEFL or other equivalent test of English proficiency. We do not have a required minimum on the TOEFL. Submitting good results of TSE (Test of Spoken English) will increase the acceptance probability of an application.
Note that our curriculum starts with a quantitative methods course during the month of August prior to the beginning of the Fall semester. This early starting date should be taken into account when applying for admission.

How to apply

Applicants are required to upload/submit all application materials electronically.  Paper material received will result in a high risk that your application will not be processed.  To be considered for admission into the Economics doctoral program, you must submit the following:

  1. A completed online application.
  2. Application fee. 
  3. Three letters of recommendation. 
  4. Scanned electronic Transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work to be uploaded to the admissions application & original transcripts mailed to the department.  
  5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) submitted through ETS. 
  6. International students who do not possess a degree from an American University are required to submit the *Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score.

Please use School Code: 6929 and Department Code: 1801 when sending GRE & TOEFL scores.


 

M.A.E.D.P.P.

The targeted entering class size is 40 students.  Because a large applicant pool is anticipated, only students with excellent academic records and outstanding letters of recommendation will be considered. The program is fully committed to building one of the top public policy and economic development programs in the world.

Our program accommodates the needs of students from varying backgrounds. Although useful, a social science bachelor degree is not necessary. Students will make better progress in the program if they have had adequate preparation in mathematics. Students entering the program are required to have taken a course in calculus as a bare minimum, and additional background in mathematics and in graduate-level social science courses can ease the transition into the program.

Formal applications to the program are to be made using the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences' on-line application process: http://graduateschool.wustl.edu/Application_Instructions. The application involves submission of 1) an application form, 2) an application fee, 3) three recommendation letters, 4) transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work, 5) GRE scores, and 6) TOEFL scores if the applicant is a non-native English speaker.  No additional achievement test scores are required. The application deadline is January 1st for Fall admission at the end of August.