Admissions Requirements and Procedures

Approximately 35 students enter the program each fall. The scale of our program enables us to offer a broad range of second-year courses on a regular basis but still maintain a relatively low student-faculty ratio. The entering class is quite diverse. Typically about 40 percent of the entering students are women, 10 to 15 percent are from minority groups and over half are international students. Information about students finishing our program last year is available on the department's web page.

A rigorous undergraduate education, emphasizing analytical skills and clarity of thought and expression, is essential for success at Maryland. An undergraduate major in economics is desirable but not mandatory.

The first-year courses in theory and econometrics assume familiarity with calculus and matrix algebra. Adequate mathematical preparation is very important; a one-year course in calculus is essential and a second year of calculus is extremely helpful. Students without this background are advised to take mathematics and statistics courses prior to applying. Students may also attend the Summer Seminar in Methods of Mathematical Economics described below.

The Department receives roughly 500 to 700 applications to the Ph.D. program each year, and so admissions standards are high. The Graduate School requires a minimum grade point average of "B," but the Department's standard is well above this threshold.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude test is required. Students can make arrangements to take this test by writing to the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08540. Applications and other materials may be filed, however, prior to taking the GRE's. While no specific minimum GRE score is required, GRE scores must suggest strong academic potential.

To facilitate the processing of applications, the Graduate School requests that you submit the Online Graduate Application by the Graduate School's Priority Processing date for Fall 2008 admissions, which is December 1, 2007. The official online application deadline for the Ph.D. program in Economics is midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on January 7, 2008. This is the final deadline for international and domestic applicants. All completed applications received by the January 7, 2008 deadline will be reviewed, and admissions decisions will be made without regard to the date of submission of the application. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Non-native speakers of English who have earned a degree from the U.S., United Kingdom, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and common wealth Caribbean are exempt from presenting TOEFL scores.  Native speakers of English are defined as those who have received all of their education in the countries listed above.

The application process is as follows:

General instructions for applying to graduate school at the University of Maryland can be found at:  http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/gss/admission.html