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Ph.D. Economics

Frequently Asked Questions


1.  What is the application deadline?
To have full consideration for university-wide fellowships, all application materials must be received by January 15.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials prior to the deadline because some departments may start making offers earlier if they see an attractive candidate.  Some departments will accept applications after this deadline.  Interested individuals should check with the Managing Director of the PhD program for more details.

2.  Is a master's degree required for admission to the Ph.D. program?
No.  However, students who have a master's degree are more competitive for admission with financial aid.  The Ph.D. program requires a total of 60 hours beyond the bachelor's to include no more than 12 hours of dissertation preparation.

3.  Are foreign national applicants considered for financial aid awards?
Yes.  All financial aid awards decisions are made on a merit basis.

4.  What is the amount of doctoral assistantship awards?
The 2007-08 incoming doctoral assistantship package will consist of $18,000.  Students receive 85 percent of their stipend total during the academic year.  The remaining 15 percent is paid over one summer session. 

5.  Is a tuition waiver included with the assistantship?
Yes, with satisfactory academic progress students can expect to receive a 100% tuition waiver for four years.

6.  Can a foreign national student meet all necessary expenses based on the assistantship?
Applicants receiving graduate assistantships are issued an I-20 form without any additional financial certification.

7.  Can the doctoral degree be pursued on a part-time basis?
The program is structured to be completed on a full-time basis and takes approximately four years.

8.  What are the admission criteria for the Ph.D. in Economics program?
Students are considered for admission based on previous academic performance, GRE scores, letters of reference, and work experience.  Average test scores and grade point ratios also vary from year to year, depending on the applicant pool.

9.  What is the Education Testing Service institutional code for submission of GRE/TOEFL scores?
The correct institutional code is 5818.  It is not necessary to include a departmental code.

10.  Can international students waive the TOEFL examination?
International applicants are exempted from TOEFL if they have completed a degree program in the United States.

11.  Does the Economics Department admit an incoming class every year?
No.  Due to the lock-step nature of the first year, incoming students are admitted during the fall of odd-numbered years.  The Economics department next anticipates admiting a class for Fall 2009.

The averages for the students admitted for the 2007-8 academic year are:

50% hold a master's degree
3.7 undergraduate GPA 
4.0 graduate GPA
573 average GRE verbal, 765 average GRE quantitative
5 months average work experience