Applying to the Ph.D. in Economics

The application deadline is July 1 for fall admission. Students seeking financial aid should complete their applications by January 15, but late applications are considered if funds are available.

1. Application Fee

A $75 application fee is due when you submit your online application.   The Economics Department has a limited number of application fee waivers for applicants (both domestic and international) based on economic hardship. To apply for a fee waiver, submit your complete application except the application fee. Send a brief statement explaining the nature of the economic hardship to Kelly Chan, at kellyc@udel.edu. You will be contacted once a decision has been made.

2. Bachelor’s Degree

A four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any academic field from an accredited college or university with a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required.

3. Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework is required with your application. Do not mail official transcripts during the applicant stage. An English translation must accompany transcripts issued in a language other than English.

4. Resume

A resume or curriculum vitae documents your prior work experience, publications, honors and awards received and a summary of your educational credentials.

5. Prerequisites

Coursework in microeconomics and macroeconomics at the intermediate level or above and in statistics and mathematics (multivariate calculus) is expected. Additional coursework in finite math or linear algebra is helpful.

Ph.D. Coursework Requirements

Ph.D. applicants with no prior graduate work in economics will also earn a M.S. degree in economics and applied econometrics once they meet the requirements for that degree. Students with prior graduate work in economics might be able to transfer some of their credits toward both the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Students with a master’s degree in economics or related discipline might be able reduce the total number of credits for the Ph.D. degree by receiving equivalency credit for some of these courses as determined by the department's graduate committee. While an MBA degree is not considered to be equivalent to a master's degree in economics, some coursework taken as a part of the degree might qualify for equivalency credit. Each student’s requirements for satisfying the master's equivalency will be established by the graduate committee.

6. GRE Scores

A minimum Quantitative GRE score of 156 is required.

7. Personal Statement

The personal statement should detail your goals and objectives and clearly identify your interest in the Lerner College degree program.

8. Three Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty members), which comment explicitly on your ability to do graduate-level work, including graduate-level research and writing. Recommendation forms are emailed directly from the online application to the three recommenders whose names and email addresses you provide. Instructions for returning the completed forms is included in the emails.

Tuition

The tuition rate for 2024-2025 is $1,069/credit.

Fees

All graduate students are responsible for mandatory fees in the fall and spring semesters. These fees vary based on whether a student is taking the program on a full-time or part-time basis. There are no registration fees for online programs. To verify whether your program is available online, see University of Delaware's online programs page.

Please visit the graduate fees and financial aid page in the Graduate Catalog for full details.

We provide full funding (tuition fellowship and a teaching assistantship that pays a stipend) to about 8-11 students per year, depending on our budget. Funding in 2nd - 5th years of study is contingent on the satisfactory performance in the program. Most students are funded for 5 years.

The University of Delaware is an ideal place for a great education in a global atmosphere. As an international student, you’ll join fellow students from over 100 countries. Nearly 30% of all the University’s graduate students and approximately 44% of the Lerner College graduate students are internationals.

International Application Requirements

As an international applicant, you must:

• Fulfill all the admissions requirements for domestic students.
• Provide translation and other supporting documents for transcripts.
• Demonstrate English proficiency by doing one of the following:
  • Submit a TOEFL score of 100 or higher,
  • Submit an IELTS score of 7.5 or higher,
  • Provide proof of having earned a college degree in a country where English is the primary language, or
  • Apply through the Conditional Admission Program (CAP)

The Graduate & Professional Education office provides more detailed TOEFL information on its test scores page. Please note World Education Services (WES) evaluations are no longer accepted.

Conditional Admission Program (CAP)

The Conditional Admissions Program (CAP) provides international students acceptance into the program without the need to take the TOEFL exam. After completing CAP at the University of Delaware’s English Language Institute (ELI) you begin your coursework. The length of time you will need to study in the ELI depends on your English skills when you enter the program. Please see the Graduate CAP Business Track page on the ELI website for more information.

Graduate Pathways

Graduate Pathways is a one-semester preparation program for international students whose language proficiency approaches the admission requirement (85-99 on the TOEFL iBT or 7.0 on the IELTS). You will take classes in English for graduate studies plus one course from your program with language support from the English Language Institute (ELI). Please see the Graduate Pathways page on the ELI website for more details.

Services for International Students

UD and the Lerner College offer many services to help you, both in class and out.

• The Conditional Admission Program (CAP)
• Graduate student organizations
• International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)