Frequently Asked Questions

The MS-ECON degree requires the successful completion of 45 course credits (ten courses) in the Program. All students in the Program matriculate in a fall semester. Full-time students take four required courses (microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics and data analysis) in the fall semester, three elective courses in the spring term of the first year, four courses in the fall term of the second year, and four elective courses in the spring term of the second year. MS-ECON students are discouraged from taking classes part-time, especially in the first semester. Classes are held in the evenings and late afternoons.

MS-ECON students generally follow this timeline to complete their degree:

1. Four core courses in the first fall term
2. Three elective courses in the first spring term
3. An internship or some elective courses in the summer
4. Four courses in the second fall term
5. All remaining courses in the final spring semester

The fall term runs from late August to mid-December, the spring term begins in early January and ends in early May, while the summer term starts in mid-May and ends in mid-August. Classes generally meet for two and a half hours in the late afternoon or evening on weekdays.

• Application Form
• Application Fee
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• 3 Letters of Recommendation (two must be academic)
• Entrance Examination Requirements – Official Test Results (GRE)
• Foreign Applicant Entrance Examination (TOEFL or IELTS)

• Transcripts: Applicants are required to upload to the application copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended where more than 15 credits of coursework have been completed or where program prerequisites have been completed (any number of credits). We consider these uploaded transcripts to be “unofficial” as they are submitted by the applicant. Transcripts from both degree and non-degree coursework provide the admissions committee a more complete picture of academic preparation for graduate study. Only transcripts that have been uploaded to the application by the student are required for the application review. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be required at that time to submit official final transcripts (transcripts that have been submitted directly to Georgetown University by the institution) for verification prior to enrolling. Do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission.
  
  The Graduate School has specific guidance on the submission of transcripts, we recommend that you review their criteria at the Graduate School’s How to Apply webpage, under the Transcripts, Translations, and Evaluations section, https://grad.georgetown.edu/admissions/application-procedures/

• Supplemental Application Materials: CV/Resume
• For more information on application procedures please visit: https://gradapply.georgetown.edu/apply

The Department of Economics strongly encourages our international applicants to use the World Education Services Credential Evaluation (WES), especially if your transcripts are in another language.

You may have the option of taking the required exams (GRE and, if necessary to demonstrate English proficiency, TOEFL or IELTS) online at home or at a testing center.

More information is available below.

• https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/register/at-home-testing.html (new window)
• https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-online (new window)
• https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/test-day/at-home-test-day.html (new window)

Yes.

An undergraduate degree in economics is not a requirement for admission to the Program.  However, substantial coursework in economics is one factor that tends to strengthen an application for admission.  Also, economics is a highly quantitative discipline. For that reason, substantial coursework in mathematics, probability and statistics, and other quantitative subjects also can strengthen an application.  Courses in linear algebra and mathematical statistics are highly recommended but not required.  At least two courses in calculus, a course in intermediate microeconomics, and a course in intermediate macroeconomics are specifically required for admission to the Program.  If these four courses do not already appear on your transcript, please indicate on the Economics Supplemental Information form your plans to complete these courses before matriculation.

Neither the Economics Department nor the Graduate School specify minimum GRE scores for admission to the Masters of Science in Economics Program.

No.

Foreign applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency to be eligible for admission. This proof may be provided in several ways specified by the Graduate School, including a TOEFL score or an IELTS score. The Department requires a TOEFL score of at least 100 or an IELTS score of at least 7.0.

The Graduate School requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for admission.

No.

No.

The Ph.D. in Economics program has an open recruitment framework, looking for the best applicants based on the available information.  A good performance in the MS-ECON Program would be considered a good signal of aptitude for the PhD program.

Program students may be able to enroll for a small number of course credits in other departments with the permission of the Director of the Program and the permission of the other department. 

The priority application deadline for admission for the Fall 2024 semester is January 15, 2024. Applications received by April May 1, 2024, will be considered on a space-available basis.  You still have time to apply.  Submit your application by May 1!

The Graduate School does not publish data on acceptance to Graduate School programs.

Students must successfully complete 45 course credits in the Program in order to graduate. In the 2023-24 academic year, tuition is $2,452.00 per credit hour. Additional information is available at http://finaid.georgetown.edu/cost-of-attendance/graduate/.

Information about financing graduate programs at Georgetown University is available at https://finaid.georgetown.edu/graduate/aid-for-grad/.  The University does not offer fellowships or teaching assistantships to students in the MS-ECON program.  MS-ECON students are encouraged to identify internship or other employment opportunities on their own for the summer after their first year.  Students are also encouraged to apply for one of the positions in the MS-ECON Summer Research Assistantship Program.  Limited spaces are available.

The policy of the Masters of Science in Economics Program is to not permit the transfer of course credits from another academic institution. All credits toward the MS in Economics Degree must be earned through courses offered in the Program.