2012-2013 APPLICATION DEADLINE - DECEMBER 1, 2011
Thank you for your interest in our doctoral program in economics.
Please be advised that the Department of Economics at UCLA does not offer a terminal master's degree. We only accept applications for the doctoral program. Students who are accepted into our doctoral program earn their master's degrees on their way to earning their doctorates, but we do not admit students whose final goal is to earn a master's degree in economics.
The program only admits students once a year in the fall; we do not have spring or winter admissions. Applications for the 2012-2013 academic year must be submitted by Thursday, December 1, 2011. This includes the entire application, including the recommendation letters, transcripts, and all official test scores.
Our application is entirely online, except for two items that need to be sent directly to the Department of Economics: 1) official test scores and 2) one copy of the official academic records.
Please send official academic records to the following address:
Attn: Economics Graduate Office
Department of Economics
8292 Bunche Hall
Box 951477
Los Angeles, CA90095
GRE and TOEFL scores must be official scores sent directly by the ETS (Educational Testing Service). Photocopies of these reports are not considered official documents and cannot be used for admission evaluation. Please provide the ETS with the following codes when requesting your scores:
GRE - UCLA: 4837 / Econ: 1801
TOEFL - UCLA: 4837 / Econ: 84
All applicants can apply online here. Please do not submit application materials by email or by fax.
Please be sure to upload a copy of all your relevant academic records (transcripts and degree certificates, if applicable) on the main online application. The Department requires that all economics, math, and statistics courses be clearly marked on the academic transcripts by circling the courses. The Department does require one official copy of your transcripts to be sent to the Economics Graduate Office (address above).
GRE and TOEFL scores must be official scores sent directly by the ETS (Educational Testing Service). Photocopies of these reports are not considered official documents and cannot be used for admission evaluation. Please provide the ETS with the following codes when requesting your scores:
GRE - UCLA: 4837 / Econ: 1801
TOEFL - UCLA: 4837 / Econ: 84
Please be advised that all applicants-regardless of their degree or major backgrounds¡ªmust submit their GRE scores. There are no substitutes for the GRE, including the GMAT.
If you have previously taken the GRE and/or the TOEFL exam, your GRE score is valid for five years and your TOEFL score is valid good for two years. If your scores have expired, you must re-take the exam(s).
Our admitted students have, on average, GRE scores that average in the 80th percentile in the verbal, 94 percentile in the quantitative, and 5.0 or above in the analytical sections. However, there is no minimum score requirement for the GRE in order to apply.
A TOEFL score of at least 560 on the paper and pencil test or 220 on the computer based test is the minimum required. For the internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT), applicants must have a minimum total passing score of 87. You do not need to meet the minimum passing scores for each section as long as this minimum total score (87) is met.
An IELTS overall band score of at least 7.0 is the minimum required.
Applicants who hold a bachelor's or higher degree from a university located in the United States or in another country, in which English is both the spoken language and the medium of instruction, or who have completed at least two years of full-time study at such an institution, are exempt from both the TOEFL/IELTS requirement and the ESLPE. Please be sure to include such information in your application.
There is no minimum score requirement for the GRE.
A bachelor's degree in economics is recommended, but not required. However, a strong background in economics is essential. An applicant should have formal coursework in intermediate micro- and macro-economic theory and econometrics. Mathematical preparation is also essential. This should include a minimum of one year of probability and statistics, and two years of calculus. Additional coursework in mathematics and statistics, especially linear algebra, matrix algebra, advanced probability theory, mathematical statistics and real analysis, is highly recommended.
Please do not email us to inquire about your qualifications. All prospective applicants are eligible to apply, as long as they meet the 3.0 minimum-GPA requirement.
Our entering class is normally from 20 to 25 students. Our admitted students have strong academic records and outstanding letters of recommendation. They also have, on average, GRE scores that average in the 80th percentile in verbal, 95 percentile in quantitative, and 5.0 or above in analytical. However, there is no minimum score requirement for the GRE in order to apply.
Some of our students are admitted with funding and others are not. Funding is based on the strength of the application, and can vary in the length and level of support.
Teaching assistantships are normally offered to all of our students in years two through four, subject to their satisfactory progress in the program.
Please visit the UCLA Graduate Division Web site:
http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/infoserv/faq.html
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions section:
http://www.econ.ucla.edu/graduate/faq/faq.cfm
For further information regarding admissions, you may contact the graduate office at grad-office@econ.ucla.edu.