Students with academic backgrounds in Economics, Engineering, Math, Statistics, Finance, Accounting, Agricultural Economics, etc. are highly encouraged to apply. Students from other disciplines who have adequate course preparation are welcome to apply. A competitive applicant should be fully prepared in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics, Calculus, and Statistics. Applicants who do not meet all of the preparatory course requirements may be admitted conditionally.
The Master of Science in Economics program engages in a holistic application review process to make admission decisions. As such, all applications are reviewed by the Graduate MS ECON Admissions Committee of the department. This review process examines all application materials for success indicators, including evidence of academic merit and achievement as well as evidence of perseverance and "grit" (skills related to overcoming adversity, problem-solving, time management, etc.). The are no minimum GPA requirements for admission, but on average the admitted students have a 3.5 GPA.
Each applicant is considered for financial support in the form of a scholarship or fellowship (unless otherwise indicated in the application (Applicants applying after the deadline may find that funding resources have been expended, and/or all available slots for the upcoming year have been filled).
The Department of Economics admits students each fall and spring semester. Application deadlines are as follows:
- Fall Admission
- Application Website Opens September 1
- Application Deadline: April 1 (February 1 for scholarship consideration)
- Spring Admission
- Application Website Opens August 1
- Application Deadline: October 1 (September 15 for scholarship consideration)
How to Apply
Graduate applicants should review the links below to gain more information on how to apply. The link to the graduate application is in the "Required Application Materials" below.
Information for Graduate Resident Applicants: http://admissions.tamu.edu/graduate
Information for Graduate International Applicants: http://admissions.tamu.edu/international-graduate
Application Checklist (Required Application Materials):
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- Application
Submit an application through the TAMU Graduate CAS system. Applicants should follow directions for submission of all materials provided in this application portal. After an applicant is admitted, they will receive an email acknowledgment and a UIN (university identification number). With the UIN, they can log into the Applicant Information System (AIS) to check the status of the application and retrieve correspondence sent to the applicant. - Three Letters of Recommendation
Submit a letter of recommendation request through the CAS system. Letter writers should not mail letters; they will be asked to upload the letters into this system. - Official Transcripts
Please view a brief List of Bachelor’s Degree Equivalencies by Country. If you do not find your country listed and are unsure of your degree equivalency, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@tamu.edu.Some Centralized Application Services (CASs) will allow transcript upload while others will require official transcripts during the application process. If you have provided transcript(s) by uploading and receiving an offer of admission, you must provide the official transcript(s) directly to the Office of Admissions before you will be permitted to register for classes. Transcripts are considered official if they have an original signature of a school official or an original school seal. Accepted signatures include the Registrar, Principal, Controller of Examinations or The Ministry of Education. Photocopies or other duplications of a transcript, such as notarized copies, faxed, or scanned documents are not considered official. If your institution does not issue a transcript in English you must provide the official original language transcript along with an official English translation. Official translations are prepared by a recognized translation service and include all original seals and signatures. Consolidated transcripts or provisional mark sheets are not considered official. Please ask the registrar to send individual mark sheets that list your grades earned in each term. Do not send mark sheets that include student information other than your own. For students currently enrolled in the United States, we will accept copies of official transcripts from other countries provided the copies are verified by the United States institution the applicant is currently attending. Faxed, emailed, and/or notarized copies will not be accepted. Evaluations are not accepted as transcripts. Many universities in the USA can use the electronic format. Electronic transcripts can be processed much faster than paper transcripts. Texas A&M will accept transcripts electronically through SPEEDE, eSCRIP-SAFE, PARCHMENT, or National Clearing House. Institutions outside the US may send official transcripts to admissions@tamu.edu.
International Applicants from China: If you are admitted, you will need to provide transcripts verified by the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD), and degree certificates verified by the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC). These verification reports should be sent to admissions@tamu.edu. - Official Test Scores
Graduate Record Examination (GRE):
The Economics Department is waiving the GRE for the MS Economics program admission.
TOEFL/IELTS (International applicants only): Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of English proficiency to be eligible for review. English proficiency can be demonstrated by:- Minimum TOEFL i-BT score of 80 (in person or Home Edition) from a test date within two years (Texas A&M University does not accept the MyBest TOEFL score)
- Minimum TOEFL Essentials score of 8.5 from a test date within two years (Texas A&M University does not accept the MyBest TOEFL score)
- Minimum IELTS Academic test score of 6.0 overall band from a test date within two years (Texas A&M University does not accept the IELTS General test)
- GRE Verbal Reasoning score of at least 146 (subject to departmental approval from a test date within five years
- GMAT Verbal Score of at least 22 (subject to departmental approval from a test date within five years
- Acquiring alternative verification during the admission process from the Graduate and Professional School via a departmental request. An international graduate student holding a master's degree, or completing all years of a bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited institution located in the U.S. qualifies for alternative verification.
These scores should be sent directly from the testing service and self-reported in the CAS system. These scores must be from a test date within two years of the date of requested admission. For more information on test dates and locations, please visit www.ets.org/toefl and/or https://www.ielts.org. Institution code for Texas A&M University: 6003.
- Statement of Purpose
A 500-750 word essay (one page) that details the applicant’s objectives for the graduate program, research interests, fit with the program, and experiences that will enable success. - Writing Sample
This is ONLY required for Ph.D. ECON applicants. If you are applying to the MS ECON degree program, you are not required to submit a writing sample. - Current Resume
All applicants are required to submit an updated resume.
- Application
Application Review Process
Review of applications for Fall admission begins in early January, and in September for Spring admission.
For questions about the application process, contact Margaret Lomas Carpenter, ms-econ-program@tamu.edu, Assistant Program Director.
Note to International Applicants
International applicants are competitively evaluated on the same academic criteria for admission and financial awards. In addition, the Graduate MS ECON Admissions Committee will seek a demonstration of proficiency in written and spoken English language skills for students whose first language is not English. Additionally, Texas A&M University’s Admissions Office will NOT admit an international student if they have not received official English Proficiency scores directly from the testing center, regardless if the Department of Economics has admitted an applicant. For more information on these requirements, please visit the Admissions Office for proof of English proficiency.