Apply

• Online application
  
• Statement of purpose
  Summarize educational goals, past experiences relevant to future study, and career plans. Include details about your specific research interests. Information about educational background, publications or other relevant details should be included. Use pdf format to upload to the online application.
• Three letters of recommendation

  Solicit detailed letters from persons who are able to judge your qualifications for graduate work in this field. Most useful are letters from faculty who have taught you in one or more classes. In the application, you will supply their email addresses, and the Graduate School will send them instructions on how to upload their letters.

• Transcripts from all colleges or universities

  You will be asked to upload unofficial transcripts or copies of official transcripts into the online application. The Graduate School will request official paper copies of all transcripts if you are admitted to the department.

  International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation

• Course inventory
  

  So that we can better evaluate your quantitative training, please list all the economics, math and statistics courses you have taken.  Include the  textbook(s) used, course number, course title, and your grade for the class.  Put this in a list or table format and upload your document as a pdf.

• Graduate Record Exam scores

  GRE scores are required for admission 23-24. GRE scores must be from within the previous 5 years.

  For score reporting, use the UW-Madison institution code of 1846. No department code necessary. GMAT scores are not accepted in lieu of GRE.

• English proficiency exam for international students
  We accept scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) This requirement is waived for students who have studied for at least 2 semesters in the U.S. or if English was the language of instruction for their undergraduate degree. For score reporting, use the UW-Madison institution code of 1846.
• Writing sample – optional
• Application fee

Tuition and fees

Costs of graduate study

Funding information for international students

All Ph.D. applicants who wish to be considered for  funding in the form of stipends, tuition remission and health insurance associated with teaching and research assistantships or fellowships must submit all application materials by December 15. The Admissions Committee will review all applications received by this deadline and nominate students to the appropriate committees for review. All candidates are notified in mid to late February and have until April 15 to accept offers.

All applications will be accepted through January 15. Outstanding applicants to the graduate program will be considered for funding if there is funding after the first review of candidates. It is sometimes possible to make a second round of offers after the mid-April deadline for acceptance adhered to by all major U.S. graduate programs. The admissions committee seeks a good match between the applicant’s research interests and the projects being carried out in the department.

Research Assistantships

Many students are supported through research assistantships, awarded in the department or in other related units. Research assistants work under the supervision of a faculty member on research related to their areas of interest. For students entering the program, research assistant awards are determined by the Graduate Committee at the same time admission decisions are made. Students who have been recommended for financial assistance will have their files reviewed by faculty who have funding available. Therefore, it is not necessary to contact individual faculty about funding opportunities.  The assistantships provide a stipend, tuition remission and health insurance coverage.

The Graduate Committee seeks to continue supporting those students who are making satisfactory progress in their studies. So, while it is not usually possible for the committee to make multi-year funding guarantees to incoming students, the presumption is that those students will continue to receive financial support.

Teaching Assistantships

The department seeks to provide a structured teaching experience for all students expecting to go on the academic job market.  Several year- or semester-long teaching assistantships are awarded each year.

Fellowships

The department’s Ph.D. applicants have competed well for university-wide fellowships, awarded to outstanding students from the U.S. or abroad. The Graduate Committee screens all files completed by the December deadline and selects several candidates for nomination. No special application form is required.

The department also offers a graduate fellowship established in honor of Prof. Willard F. “Fritz” Mueller.  This fellowship honors the legacy of path-breaking contributions by Prof. Mueller and his colleagues in the areas of industrial organization, food systems research and economic policy. It provides a full stipend, tuition waiver and health insurance for the first year of study. Applicants to the AAE graduate program should specify their interest in being considered for the fellowship; there is no special application form.

Other UW funding opportunities

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships.  Support the study of more than 60 modern foreign languages and provide a full stipend, tuition remission and health insurance.  U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible.  A separate application to the relevant area studies program is required; the deadline is in early February.

Science and Medicine Graduate Research Scholars Program strives to enhance the experiences of underrepresented graduate students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and the School of Medicine and Public Health. SciMed GRS coordinates professional development opportunities and community gatherings of graduate scholars.  Applicants may be eligible for Advanced Opportunity Fellowships administered through this program.

Course prerequisites

• Intermediate level microeconomics and macroeconomics
• Two semesters of calculus (including differential and integral)
• Linear algebra
• One additional semester of advanced mathematical analysis

Number of credits of taught courses (excluding research credits): 42

Average time to degree: 5 years

Ph.D. Admissions Timeline

Early November: Take the Graduate Record Exam

December 15: Priority for funding deadline

January 15: All other applications due

Mid-February: Candidates notified

April 15: Final day to accept fellowships and financial aid offers

Profile of Recent Ph.D. Admissions

Find more details on requirements and courses in the Handbook

Course prerequisites:

• Intermediate level microeconomics and macroeconomics
• Two semesters of calculus
• Statistics

Number of credits: 30

Average time to degree: 2 years

Requirements:

• Microeconomic theory (3 credits)
• Econometrics (6 credits)
• Economic Analysis (9 credits)
• Electives (12 credits)

Profile of Recent Master’s Admissions

Find more details on requirements and courses in the Handbook

FAQ Application Procedures | FAQ Academics | FAQ Admission and Financial Aid

Questions about Application Procedures

Q The on-line status check shows that you have not received my transcripts even though I mailed them several weeks ago.  Why not?

A All updates are done manually so there can be a delay. For materials sent by the December 15 deadline, we hope to have the checklists up to date by mid-January.

Q I can’t get my fall grades on a transcript by December 15.  Will I still be considered for a funding?

A Yes. Please try to upload a current transcript by January 2 so that we can use your fall grades in the fellowship review.

Q Is there a minimum grade point average or test score required for admission?

A The Graduate School requires an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for admission. Average grades and GRE scores of recently admitted Ph.D. and Master’s students appear in the admissions sections above. The admissions committee looks for a TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper exam) or 250 (computer exam) or 92 (internet exam).

Q What are the institution and department codes I should give to ETS so that my GRE or TOEFL scores will come to you?

A The institution code for UW-Madison is 1846. You do not need to list a code for agricultural and applied economics. Our Graduate School will obtain scores electronically and load them into an applicant database accessible by any department.

Q I am an international student with a Master’s degree from a U.S. university. Do I need to submit the TOEFL score?

A No. Your U.S. studies exempt you from this requirement.

Q Is there a form for letters of recommendation?

A No special form is required. Referees should follow emailed instructions for electronically submitting letters.

Q Is there a separate application form for students wishing to be considered for fellowships and assistantships?

A No. We review all applications which are complete by the December 15 and January 15 deadlines for financial aid.

Q I cannot remember the titles of my math and economics textbooks needed for the course inventory form you require. What should I do?

A Try to recall the author’s name or give us some indication of the level at which the course was being taught (introductory, intermediate, advanced).

Q Do you admit students for the spring semester?

A Generally not. Courses are sequenced such that students entering in the spring will lose a semester or two. Also, financial aid decisions are made in February for the cohort of students entering in the fall. There is rarely new funding available for students entering in the spring semester.

Q Can I apply to both the departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics and Economics? What is needed to do so?

A Yes. Simply submit a complete set of application materials to both the Department of Economics and the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. The application fee required by the Graduate School should be sent there directly. Only one application fee is required if you are applying to more than one department.

Q I can’t afford the application fee – can I apply for a fee waiver?

A Our Graduate School grants a very limited number of fee waivers. See this page for details.  Students must submit the application fee before the department will be able to review their application for admission.

Questions about Academics

Q Can I apply to the Ph.D. program with only a bachelor’s degree?

A Yes. Students who do not have a Master’s degree will take Master’s-level courses in their first year, followed by Ph.D.-level courses in the second year.

Q What is the pass rate for your microeconomic theory preliminary exam?

A The average pass rate has been around 85% over the past decade or so. Students who get grades of B or better in the Ph.D. level microeconomic theory courses can elect not to sit for the prelim exam.

Q I’m not yet certain if I want a Ph.D. If I apply to the Master’s program, can I later apply to go on for a Ph.D.?

A Yes. You can apply at the end of your first year of study, though Master’s students are not normally considered for financial aid.

Q How is your program ranked?

A There are many rankings, with Wisconsin consistently placing in the top five to ten programs nationally.

Questions about Admission and Financial Aid

Q I am an international student and cannot attend your university without receiving full financial support. Can you tell me how many international students you fund?

A We understand that many international students need full support in order to meet the financial requirements of the university. About half of the entering cohort each year are international students who have received funding from the department.

Q Should I contact individual faculty to speak with them about my research interests in order to be considered for funding?

A No. Faculty wishing to fund a new graduate student are given files of appropriate candidates to review during the admissions process. Therefore, it is important for students to be specific about their research interests in their statement of purpose.

Q What is your acceptance rate?

A  We don’t have a set cohort size. Each year we receive about 200 applications. Of those, we admit 35-40 and we offer funding to 7-15.

Q  What is the size of your entering class?

A  About 12-15 for the traditional program. We have about 50 students in the traditional graduate program.

We welcome you to come visit the department. Any prospective students who would like to arrange an on-campus visit should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator at least two weeks before coming. We will arrange meetings with students and faculty, to help you learn as much as you can about our programs.

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