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Department of Economics

College of Social & Behavioral Science

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Master's Program Admissions Tips and FAQ

Tips

  1. Our Admissions committee meets very soon after the deadline. Please complete your application before the deadline and ensure that your letters of recommendation arrive by that date. Late applications will not be accepted. If any materials are missing from your application after the deadline, you will not receive full consideration.
  2. Take the TOEFL (if required) early enough so that your scores arrive well before the deadline.  Test scores should be sent from ETS directly to the Office of Admissions (not to the Economics Department) for the quickest processing. The code is 4853.
  3. The Office of Admissions is a completely separate office from the Economics Department. If you need to check on receipt of materials you have sent to the Office of Admissions, please contact them directly at 801-581-8761.
  4. Please upload all materials directly into the Slate application system.  We cannot add emailed or mailed materials to your application. Official transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions as explained here. 
  5. After an application is submitted, you can login to the application status portal at https://futureu.admissions.utah.edu/status to track letters of recommendations, submit additional transcripts and other materials, withdraw your application, and view your admissions decision.  If you need to update your application beyond these items, please contact the Office of Admissions at graduate@utah.edu or (801) 581-8761.
  6. Letters of recommendation are completed online and submitted directly into the Slate system. Before beginning your application, please confirm with your recommendation providers that they have access to e-mail and the Internet and will be able to complete the process online. If a recommendation provider is having trouble completing their recommendation, they should reach out to Slate technical support. 

FAQ

We are unable to waive the application fee under any circumstances.

You may upload unofficial transcripts to the application system, and if you are accepted into the program you will be then be asked to have all official transcripts sent to the Office of Admissions as detailed here. 

The Statement of Purpose is an important part of your application.  Take the time to write a great one, and make sure it is no more than two pages. Include information about your background, career goals, and research interests. Explain why you feel that our master's program would be a good fit for you and what you would like to contribute.

Our department no longer requires the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) for admission into the MS/MA and MStat programs. You do not need to submit a GRE score.

The University accepts several English Proficiency tests for international students and several non-examination ways to prove proficiency. Please read this page thoroughly here to determine if you need to take an English Proficiency exam.

Application numbers and acceptance rates will vary from year to year. For the MA/MS program, we usually receive 30-35 applications per year and accept most applicants who have met the minimum requirements (3.0 undergrad GPA, prerequisites, complete application).  For the MStat program, we usually receive 15-20 applications per year, and accept most applicants who have met the minimum requirements (3.0 undergrad GPA, prerequisites, complete application).

Prerequisites should be completed before submitting your application to the program. In some cases, the admissions committee may admit a student who has included proof of current enrollment in one of the prerequisite courses, provided they have an excellent academic history.

  • MA/MS Prerequisites: Intermediate Micro- and Macroeconomics (Econ 4010 and 4020), Econometrics (Econ 4650) with a B- or better in each course.
  • MStat Prerequisites: Calculus 1, 2, and 3; Intermediate Micro- and Macroeconomics (Econ 4010 and 4020), and 2 semesters of basic statistics.

Our Master of Science (MS) program in Economics is our main Economics Master's program. Our Master of Arts program in Economics is the MS program plus an additional language requirement, which can be completed by taking two language classes (in addition to the required 30 credit hours for the MS program) or by proving you are a native speaker of a foreign language. More details about this requirement can be found through the Department of World Languages & Cultures (the Economics Department requires Standard Proficiency for our MA degree).  The MS/MA program prepares students to work as economists in the public or private sector or for further graduate work.

The Master of Statistics (MStat or MST) program in Econometrics is an interdisciplinary program administered through the Economics Department which provides training for work in applied statistics relating to problems in economic theory and forecasting.

Notifications for Fall semester application decisions are posted around May 15th. Notifications for spring semester application decisions are posted around December 15th. Your notification will be sent to the e-mail address provided in your application.

I-20s for international students are processed and mailed by the Office of Admissions after a student has been admitted into their graduate program. Processing times will vary. Students must have their I-20 documents sent to the Office of Admissions as early as possible, but no later than June 1st. To learn more about the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility required to apply for or maintain an F-1 Student Visa, please see this Office of Admissions page. 

Yes, both the MS/MA program and the MStat program are STEM designated. 

Information on tuition and fees can be found through the Office of the Bursar.  The Department of Economics does not charge differential tuition, and graduate classes in the Economics department are assessed at the General Graduate rate.  Tuition costs can be estimated using the University's Tuition Estimator. A breakdown of estimated graduate student expenses for international students can be found here.  

The Economics Department is unable to provide funding to our master's students. We encourage prospective and current students to visit the Graduate School's page on Funding Grad School to learn about fellowship and scholarship opportunities within the university and through other organizations. 

Here are a few resources that other students have used, not necessarily endorsed by our department:

Yes, if you unsuccessfully applied to the program in a previous term and wish to apply again, you may do so.  You will need to submit all new materials. 

The MS/MA and MStat programs are flexible to allow for both part-time and full-time students. However, courses are generally scheduled to be in-person during daytime hours, with a few exceptions. Depending on course loads and offerings each semester, students can finish either program in 3 to 8 semesters. 

It is not possible to complete a MS/MA in Economics or an MStat in Econometrics solely online. Most of our master's courses, including the core classes, are only in-person. We do offer some of our master's electives online which enables some students to complete a hybrid program. 

We encourage prospective and current students to look at current and archived class schedules to get an idea of how we schedule our master's courses. You are also invited to consult with the Graduate Student Coordinator to discuss course scheduling and planning. 

Last Updated: 8/24/23