Application Information
Before Beginning our Online Application
Important note for international applicants
International applicants who require an F1 student visa must apply to the College Park version of our program (program code: ECAM). We do not sponsor visas for students in the Washington, DC version of our program (ECAO), but we do sponsor F1 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 and H4 visas, for example) may apply to either version of the program.
Application deadlines
For domestic applicants seeking spring 2020 enrollment: Tuesday, December 17, 2019.
Please note: Spring enrollment is only possible 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).
For international applicants seeking fall 2020 enrollment: Wednesday, February 12, 2020.
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 apply for fall enrollment in our College Park location.
For domestic applicants seeking fall 2020 enrollment: Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
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.
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 of Science 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).
Program Options
M.S. in Washington, DC: 10-course STEM-designated Master of Science degree in our downtown Washington, DC location
(spring and fall admissions, cannot sponsor international student visas)
Program code: ECAO
M.S. in College Park: 10-course STEM-designated Master of Science degree on our main campus in College Park
(fall admission only, can sponsor international student visas)
Program code: ECAM
Graduate Certificate in Washington, DC:
5-course graduate certificate in our downtown Washington, DC location
(spring and fall admissions, cannot sponsor international student visas)
Program code: z074
Graduate Certificate in College Park:
5-course graduate certificate on our main campus in College Park
(fall admission only, cannot sponsor international student visas)
Program code: z098
Link to the online application