How to apply

Application Instructions

Please read this section carefully before submitting your application or before emailing us with your questions.

The economics department does not consider applications submitted via email. The only way to be considered to admission is by using our .

PhD students in economics do not select their advisors until the 2nd or 3rd year of the PhD program, so there is no need to contact faculty members prior to applying. Individual faculty members cannot admit students on their own, so sending an email to a faculty member will not improve the probability of being admitted.

If you would like to be considered for an admission fee waiver, please follow these instructions. You do not need to request a waiver; as long as you upload all necessary documents on time, you will be considered for a waiver automatically. The necessary documents include:

  • Your CV
  • Your Personal Statement
  • Your transcripts
  • Your test scores (GRE and English language proficiency)
  • At least 3 reference letters (note that you should waive the right to access the letters)

You should not submit your application or pay the application fee. First, you must start your application and upload all necessary documents at least 14 days before the application deadline. Shortly after that, we will consider all complete applications and will allocate the waivers about 7 days before the application deadline. We will notify you by email if you receive a waiver. If you do not receive an email, that means that you have not been selected for a waiver.

In that case, you will need to pay the full application fee before the application deadline for your application to be complete. Please note that the number of available waivers is very limited, much smaller than the size of our applicant pool.

Applications and admissions timeline

The application deadline is listed here.

Generally, it is in the end of January or beginning of February. Our admission decisions are made in late February or early March.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do PhD students get funding?
A: Most of our PhD students are fully funded through teaching assistantship. They cover tuition and living expenses.

Q: Do I need to apply for funding separately?
A: No. You only submit one application, and admission and funding decisions are made jointly.

Q: Can I submit my unofficial transcript during the application process?
A: Yes. However, an official transcript is required at the time of admission, prior to enrollment.

Q: Can I submit unofficial TOEFL and GRE scores?
A: Yes. You can attach your test score reports to your CV. You cannot simply write your scores on the CV. However, the official scores are required at the time of admission, prior to enrollment.

Q: I have a degree from an English-speaking country. Do I need to take TOEFL?
A: In general, no. See the Waiver Eligibility section for the eligibility criteria and the list of eligible countries.

Q: Do I need to secure/look for a Faculty member before I can apply and secure an Assistantship in the form of TA/RA?
A: No. In economics, students choose their advisors during their studies (usually during the 2nd or 3rd year), and all applicants go through the same centralized admission process (i.e. individual faculty members cannot admit their own PhD students). There is no need to get in touch with faculty members prior to the start of your studies.

Q: Can I request an application fee waiver?
A: We have a very limited number of fee waivers available and distribute those later in the process. Please go ahead and upload all necessary documents for your application on the application website, but do not submit the application and do not pay the application fee. We will let you know later in the process whether you will receive a waiver.

Q: Can I request a GRE waiver?
A: No. GRE scores are an integral part of our review process. You may submit unofficial scores at the time of application, but you will be asked to submit your official scores prior to receiving an offer of admission.

Q: Is there a required minimum GRE or TOEFL score?
A: The minimum TOEFL iBT score for international students is 80, per the university rules. There is no minimum required GRE score, but most of the admitted students have the quantitative GRE score of 150 or above.

Q: Do I need to hold a Masters degree in order to apply?
A: No, a Masters degree is not required. See 绿帽社 eligibility requirements.

Q: I already hold a Master鈥檚 or PhD degree from another institution. Can I receive a second degree from 绿帽社?
A: The State University of New York policy states that a second degree at the same level (e.g., master's or doctorate) can be awarded only when a significant amount of additional course work in a very different field is completed. Normally when a student has already earned a master's or doctorate in a given discipline (e.g., economics or history) at another foreign or U.S. institution, a second degree at the same level in that discipline cannot be earned at 绿帽社.

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