Application Information
Temporary Pause in
Application System
It is currently possible to begin, but not to submit an application
Because our program is transitioning to to a STEM-designated Master of Science program, our Graduate School has stopped accepting new applications to the old Master of Professional Studies programs in Washington, DC (MPEC) and College Park (MPEM). In early June it will be possible to apply directly to the new Master of Science versions of our program.
It is currently possible to fill out an online application for fall admission. But it is not currently possible to submit a completed application. This will be possible in early June.
If you begin an application now, we will have your email address. In early June, we will notify everyone with a pending application when it's possible to actually submit an application. The application deadline is not until June 28th.
We apologize for the delay, but this will spare newly admitted students the need to transfer from the old Master of Professional Studies programs into the new Master of Science Programs after they enroll.
Thank you for your patience.
Before Beginning our Online Application
Important note for international applicants
International applicants who require an F-1 student visa must apply to the College Park version of our program (program code: MPEM). We do not sponsor visas for students in the Washington, DC version of our program (MPEC), but we do sponsor F-1 visas for international students in the College Park version of our program. Domestic applicants and international applicants who already reside in the U.S. on existing visas that permit study (G4 visas, for example) may apply to either program.
Application deadlines
The deadline for domestic applicants seeking fall 2019 enrollment is Friday, June 28th, 2019.
Please note: Domestic applicants seeking fall enrollment can apply to either location - Washington, DC or College Park. Most domestic applicants find the DC location more convenient because it is closer to their employers and more conducive to part-time study.
Applications for enrollment in the spring or fall of 2020 will be available in June.
The deadline for spring 2020 enrollment will be Wednesday, December 15th, 2019.
Please note: We only spring enrollment in our Washington, DC location, and we do not sponsor visas for international students in our Washington, DC location. Spring enrollment is only possible for domestic applicants, or for international applicants who already have a visa that permits study in the US (G4 visas, for example).
The application deadline for international applicants will be Friday, February 14th, 2019.
Please note: We only sponsor F1 visas for students in our College Park location. International applicants who need us to sponsor a student visa are only eligible to applyl for fall enrollment in our College Park location.
The deadline for domestic applicants seeking fall 2020 enrollment will be Tues, June 30, 2020.
Qualifications
1. Applicants must have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited
U.S. institution, or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution.
2. Applicants must have earned a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework.
3. Applicants do not need to have majored in economics as undergraduates, but they must provide evidence (via transcript) of having earned grades of B or higher in three introductory courses: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Calculus. AP scores of 4 or 5 are also acceptable.
4. International Applicants must also meet the minimum TOEFL or IELTS requirement.
5. A non-refundable application fee of $75 is required.
Note: Our application does NOT require GRE scores or letters of recommendation.
We can often be flexible about the GPA and prerequisite course requirements. A's and B's in intermediate economics courses trump lower grades in introductory courses, for example. Relevant work experience can also be helpful. Questions about admissions requirements can be directed to the program director, Dr. John Straub (Straub@umd.edu).
The Application
Applicants can complete the online application via the link below.
The program code to enter in your application depends on whether you want to enroll in our 10-course master's degree program, or our 5-course graduate certificate program. It also depends on whether you want to enroll at our downtown Washington, DC location, or on our main campus in College Park (also within the Washington, DC metro area).
Four Program Options
MPEC: 10-course master's degree in our downtown Washington, DC location
(spring and fall admissions, cannot sponsor international student visas)
MPEM: 10-course master's degree on our main campus in College Park
(fall admission only, can sponsor international student visas)
z074: 5-course graduate certificate in our downtown Washington, DC location
(spring and fall admissions, cannot sponsor international student visas)
z098: 5-course graduate certificate on our main campus in College Park
(fall admission only, cannot sponsor international student visas)
Link to the online application