Economics

Students in a combined program will remain as undergraduates until they apply for graduation or submit a request to the Graduate School to have their classification changed from undergraduate to graduate. To graduate with an undergraduate degree, a student must have at least 115 undergraduate hours. To graduate with an M.A. in Economics degree, a student must have at least 31 hours of graduate hours. A student may double count up to 9 hours of graduate credit toward undergraduate graduation requirements.  For information regarding double counting graduate hours in the undergraduate degree or graduate student classification, please visit the Graduate School.

Students may declare their interest in enrolling in a combined program anytime during their academic career at Miami, from the time they are admitted for an undergraduate degree. For more information see the Graduate School. 

To be fully admitted into the combined program, the student must be a full-time student who has completed ECO 311, ECO 315, and ECO 317 and who has a combined GPA for these 3 classes of 3.5 or above. They must also have completed MTH 151 and an additional MTH course at or above the 200 level. This takes careful planning, so please contact your advisor as soon as possible if you are considering the combined degree program.

To apply to a combined bachelor’s/master’s program:

• Complete the Graduate School application and pay the $50 application fee, choosing the Combined Degree. 
• In lieu of letters of recommendation, students should sign a FERPA release obtained from the Economics office authorizing us to speak with all of your economics professors.  
• An interview with the Director of Graduate Studies will substitute for a personal statement. Taking the GRE General Test is strongly encouraged.

Do applicants need recommendations?

Applicants who did not attend Miami need 3 letters of recommendation. If you are a current Miami undergrad or recent graduate, you will need to obtain a FERPA release from the Eco department and fill it out in lieu of the letters, so the graduate director can talk to your economics professors. For more information about admission, please see here.

When can students start applying? When are applications due?

You may start applying to the program the first week of September. For full financial consideration, complete applications need to be in by February 1st. We still consider applications until June 1st, however this will be without financial consideration. For applications to be fully considered, they need to be complete (including test scores).

Are there any pre-requisites that need to be done before students can apply?

In addition to Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics, you would need Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory and Intermediate Microeconomic Theory to be admitted to the program with a C or better. We also require a 3.0 GPA and one semester of calculus. Most of our successful applicants have higher GPAs and significantly more math than our minimum requirements.

What requirements are there for students to apply for the “3+1” program?

To be fully admitted into the combined program, the student must be a full-time student who has completed ECO 311, ECO 315, and ECO 317 and who has a combined GPA for these 3 classes of 3.5 or above. They must also have completed MTH 151 and an additional MTH course at or above the 200 level. This takes careful planning, so please contact your advisor as soon as possible if you are considering the combined degree program. 

When are admission decisions made?

For applications that are complete by February 1st, decisions will try to be made by February 15th. This is a soft date whereas it could vary depending on the number of applicants.

If I email you my profile (Scores, GPA, Transcript) can you evaluate my chances of admission?

Once you have applied, we will be sure to review all parts of your application before making a decision. Unfortunately, we are not able to evaluate your profile before a complete application is submitted.

Do students need to take the GRE or GMAT? Is there a minimum score for any of the exams?

All students should take the GRE General Test. The GMAT will be accepted as an alternative in extraordinary circumstances. We do not have a minimum GRE score.

Do international students need to take the TOEFL or IELTS? Is there a minimum score?

International students must take the TOEFL and obtain a score of 90, or a score of 6.5 or above on the IELTS.

Is there an English Language Policy Waiver?

Students will need to have at least a four year undergraduate degree from an English-speaking institution/an institution in an English-speaking country. For more information please see here.

Does the program only begin in the fall?

We are a cohort-based, full-time program, so we don’t allow students to start in spring.

Can work experience substitute for any classes?

In general, no, but individuals with specific requests should contact the graduate director.

Can this be a part-time program that is done in more than one year?

It is very difficult to complete the program as a part-time student due to course sequencing. It could be done but would require more than 2 years to complete.

Can a student apply to the program before taking the GRE and/or TOEFL?

You may apply before you have taken these exams, however, your application is not considered complete until we have your test score(s).

How many credit hours will be taken each semester?

This may vary for 3+1 students and traditional students. Typically, a 3+1 student will take 13 credit hours in the fall, 12 credit hours in the spring plus 6 credit hours of Eco 700: Independent Studies for their thesis.