To qualify for admission, you should have a solid record in courses such as intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics, calculus, and statistics. An economics major is not required.
Recommended mathematics preparation includes:
Additional math courses, such as real analysis or differential equations, are useful.
Applicants must provide:
Most of the incoming students have a GRE quantitative score that exceeds the 90th percentile. The GRE advanced test in economics is not required.
Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Please use the institutional code 5820; no departmental code is necessary.
A master's degree is not a prerequisite for our doctoral program. Students in our program earn an M.A. while working towards the Ph.D.; however, it is not a terminal master's degree program. Students who are primarily interested in a terminal M.A. degree are advised to consider other universities with more applied master's level courses.
Most financial aid is distributed on a merit basis in late March and early April, so it is important to complete the application process by February 1. Early application is critical for international students, since mailing delays and communication problems are common.
Currently, our department is able to provide financial aid packages ranging from a teaching assistantship of $8,800 (which generates tuition remission and health insurance) to fellowship stipends of up to $26,000.
Students interested combining law and economics must be admitted by both the Department of Economics and the Law School. There is no formal joint program, but some students have worked on law and economics degrees simultaneously.
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam is required for international students whose native language is not English. Required TOEFL scores are: 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based test), 90 (internet-based test.) An IELTS score of 7.0 is also acceptable proof of English proficiency. Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.
These scores are the minimum scores that the University routinely accepts. In unusual circumstances, the department is sometimes able to obtain exceptions to this requirement, though only when the shortfall is modest, and the application is in other respects extraordinary.
If a student has completed a bachelor's or master's degree from a U.S. institution (or U.K./Australian/Canadian institution where the language of instruction was English), he or she may request a waiver of the test.
We have found that being skilled in the writing and speaking of English is vital to the success of our graduate students. Good English-language skills help students qualify for and succeed in teaching positions, find better jobs when graduating from the program, and "sell" their research to colleagues.
When new international students arrive in August, they take the University of Virginia English Language Proficiency Exam and the SPEAK test, both administered by the Center for American English Language and Culture (CAELC). The CAELC may make recommendations for further English study, and we view these recommendations as requirements. We have developed a special ESL course, LING 108, which the CAELC recommends to many of our students. LING 108 was designed not to overburden students with a heavy academic workload.
The SPEAK test is given to all current and prospective Teaching Assistants (TAs). A student must earn a minimum score of 55 on the SPEAK test in order to be a TA. Current TAs will not lose their TA position if they score below 55; however, they must meet the ESL requirements recommended by the CAELC (such as successful completion of LING 108 or other ESL course, or achieving a score of 55 or better on a future SPEAK test). Students who are not TAs will not be eligible for TA positions until they meet their ESL requirements. Click here for more information regarding CAELC testing.
We expect all of our international students to work hard at improving their English skills, whether it be through the LING 108 course or through other opportunities available to students.
Immediately after being admitted to the University, an international student is then required, by the International Studies Office (ISO), to provide a Form I-20/Form Ds-2019 Request packet. This information is needed to issue the student an I-20 for his or her F-1 Visa.
Please note that the ISO will only issue Form I-20 once it confirms the following:
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will not issue a student visa to any student for whom the sum of financial aid received (including aid from the University) and personal/family resources listed is insufficient to support them in the United States. The exact level of support required by the INS will be specified in the information that you will receive once admitted. Financial aid awards in the Department of Economics are made with full knowledge of INS requirements. However, in some cases, the student may list a combination of: 1) the fellowship amount(s) that you have applied for from international agencies, home-country sources, etc., and 2) personal or family assets.
The Department of Economics makes financial aid decisions in late March and early April.
Please apply early; some international mail delays are three weeks, even with airmail. If your completed application packet is not in our hands by February 1, it significantly reduces your chances of getting financial aid.
For further information, visit the the web page of UVa’s International Studies Office.