Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the deadline for admissions and for funding?
2. How do I apply for funding?
3. How is funding awarded?
4. Do you have a Master's Degree program?
5. Can I apply if I have not met the math requirements?
6. If I started a Ph.D. program at another university, can I transfer my credits to UW-Madison?
7. Is there a page limit on the writing sample?
8. How long does it take to complete the Ph.D.?
9. I am an international student. Do I need to send financial documentation with my application?
10. How many applications do you receive each year?
11. Do you have a Visit Day?
12. Do I need to have a Bachelor's Degree in Economics to apply to the program?
13. What kind of jobs do your students pursue upon graduation?
14. What is the cultural makeup of your current student body?
15. Can I send paper copies of my GRE or TOEFL scores rather than having ETS send the official scores directly to UW-Madison? What is UW-Madison's 4 digit code?
16. I received an admissions packet from the department indicating that I have been recommended for admissions by the Economics Department. What does recommended for admission mean; have I been admitted to UW-Madison?
17. Who do I contact if I cannot find an answer to my question on the webpage?
18. How do I check my application status?
19. What is the profile of the average admitted applicant?

 

1. What is the deadline for admissions and for funding?
All of your material must be received (not postmarked) by December 15 to be considered for funding. The final admissions deadline is February 1.

2. How do I apply for funding?
All complete applications from both domestic and international students received by December 15 will be considered for funding.

3. How is funding awarded?
Funding is awarded to applicants on a competitive basis. Please see our funding page for additional information.

4. Do you have a Master's Degree program?
No, we do not offer a Master's Degree program. We only consider applications for the Ph.D. program.

5. Can I apply if I have not met the math requirements?
All math prerequisites must be completed by the time you plan to start the program. The admissions committee will be able to evaluate your math ability more thoroughly if you have completed your math requirements at the time of application.

6. If I started a PhD program at another university, can I transfer my credits to UW-Madison?
All students in the Ph.D. program at UW-Madison must complete all required coursework at UW-Madison. Students cannot "skip" the first year of study at Madison. Students with exceptional mathematics and statistics backgrounds may request exemptions from one or two of the first year courses.

7. Is there a page limit on the writing sample?
No, there is no page limit.

8. How long does it take to complete the Ph.D.?
The program is designed to be completed in five years, and the majority of students finish the program in five years. It is not uncommon, however, for students to complete the program in six years.

9. I am an international student. Do I need to send financial documentation with my application?
No, you do not need to send financial documentation with your application. If you are recommended for admission by the Economics Department, the Graduate School will ask you to submit financial documentation. Information on financial documentation can be found on the Graduate School website: http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/financialinfo.html

10. How many applications do you receive each year?
The Department receives approximately 500 applications for the Ph.D. program each year.

11. Do you have a Visit Day?
Yes, we invite all admitted students to visit the department in late March or early April. Please contact Megan Schmid, Graduate Advisor, if you would like to arrange a visit at a different time.

12. Do I need to have a Bachelor's Degree in Economics to apply to the program?
No, you do not need to have a Bachelor's Degree in Economics to apply to the program. Applicants have Bachelor's Degrees in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, and other disciplines.

13. What kind of jobs do your students pursue upon graduation?
Many graduates pursue research careers at a college or university. Other graduates work for government agencies or private firms after graduation. You can find additional information on placement results here.

14. What is the cultural makeup of your current student body?
There are students in the program from around the world. Our domestic students are from all areas in the US and many of our international students are from Asia and South America.

15. Can I send paper copies of my GRE or TOEFL scores rather than having ETS send the official scores directly to UW-Madison? What is UW-Madison's 4 digit ETS code?
Students must have official scores sent by ETS before admission is finalized. You can send an unofficial paper copy of your GRE or TOEFL results with your application; however, we prefer that you do not send unofficial copies. The UW-Madison Institutional code is 1846.

16. I received an admissions packet from the department indicating that I have been recommended for admissions by the Economics Department. What does recommended for admission mean; have I been admitted to UW-Madison?
The Economics Admission and Aid Committee sends admissions recommendations to the Graduate School. This recommendation does NOT mean you have been fully admitted. The Graduate School's Office of Admissions and Academic Services reviews your application and materials to ensure that the Graduate School minimum requirements are met (includes financial support requirements for International Students).

17. Who do I contact if I cannot find an answer to my question on the webpage?
If you cannot find the answer to your question above, please read the Graduate School frequently asked questions (FAQs): http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/faq.html. You can also contact Jackie Utter, gradpro@ssc.wisc.edu or Megan Schmid, mschmid@ssc.wisc.edu.

18. How do I check my application status?
Please log into My UW to check your application status.

19. What is the profile of the average admitted applicant?
The Admissions and Aid Committee generally plans on an entering class of 30 students. To achieve this class size 120-150 students are admitted. The average GRE scores for applicants admitted to the program for fall 2007 were 70% on the Verbal and 92% on the Quantitative exam. The average Writing Analysis score was 4.5. The average GPA was 3.7.