Doctoral Program Application

Doctoral applicants are admitted exclusively for the Fall semester, when the initial core courses of the doctoral program are offered.

Students should apply online and upload application materials at the Graduate College Application Web page. Review for admission to each Fall cohort will begin in January of that year.  It is recommended that applications be submitted on or before January 15.

Paper applications will not be accepted. Please submit all materials via the online application.

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Please Note: All incoming students are required to attend our Math Camp, which usually begins mid-July (actual date TBD). The course also comes with a lengthy homework assignment which will be due the first day of Math Camp. Please keep this date in mind when you are admitted to the program.

Application Instructions

Please be sure to read and carefully follow all instructions on the Graduate College Application Web page.

In order to complete the online application, you will be asked to provide:

• The names and contact information of three individuals who can provide a letter of recommendation on your behalf
• Transcripts from all previous universities (to be uploaded)*
• GRE Scores*
• TOEFL or IELTS Scores (International applicants only)
• Your statement of purpose 
• Curriculum Vita (optional)

Please contact Liz Jenkins, graduate coordinator, if you have specific questions at ejenkins@email.arizona.edu.

*Please note, GRE scores are preferred, but optional. If you take the GRE, please submit your scores using code 4832. If you cannot take the exam, you may write N/A in that section of the application.

The Graduate Admissions Committee will not make an admission decision without a completed application, and all materials submitted in support of your application become the property of the University of Arizona. We recommend that you keep copies of any documents you may need for your personal records. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and will be automatically denied.

Applications will not be processed without the payment of the application fee. The University of Arizona does not grant waivers for the application fee.

*Please note: There is no need to send official transcripts at the time of application. Students who are offered admission will be asked to provide official transcripts at the time of admission.

Letters of Recommendation

The department requires each applicant to have a minimum of three letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf. The letters of recommendation should be written by a faculty member or employer that can speak about your academic and research ability. When completing the online application, you will be asked to provide the names and email addresses of the three people who have agreed to provide a letter on your behalf. The letter writer will receive an email asking that the letter be uploaded directly to the university. Should you or the recommender have questions about submitting the Letter of Recommendation please email Liz Jenkins, graduate coordinator, at ejenkins@email.arizona.edu.

PLEASE NOTE: There is no specific form required for letters of recommendation.

What are we looking for?

When evaluating applicants the Graduate Admissions Committee looks at the whole picture:

• Past academic performance and previous coursework  
• Letters of recommendation 
• Your statement of purpose 
• Strong performance in an Intermediate Microeconomics course
• A strong mathematics background including three semesters of calculus and a course in linear algebra; a course in mathematical analysis is recommended, as well
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Please note: there is no specific score required by the department. For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Undergraduate Majors

Economists hail from a variety of backgrounds. In addition to economics majors, we encourage applications from mathematics majors, engineering majors and students whose undergraduate majors were in the physical and biological sciences. These students will find that courses in intermediate microeconomics, intermediate macroeconomics and econometrics provide good preparation for the Economics PhD program.

For additional information, please contact us.