Application Information
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 application deadline for spring enrollment is Friday December 14th.
Please note: We only offer 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 to the Washington, DC version of our program.
The application deadline for international applicants is Friday February 15th.
Please note: We only sponsor F-1 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.
The application deadline for domestic applicants seeking fall enrollment is Friday, June 14th.
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 must provide evidence (via transcript) of:
- Introductory macroeconomics course (grade of B or higher)
- Introductory microeconomics course (grade of B or higher)
- Calculus (grade of B- or higher)
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@econ.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