Admission Requirements

Application deadline: March 15 for the following September. Applications submitted after this date until June 1 will be considered on a space-available basis. There are no spring admissions.

In addition to the criteria below, applicants must also meet general graduate admission requirements .

Applicants must have completed five economics courses including intermediate micro- and macroeconomics, a statistics course, and a calculus course. The GPA for these courses must be 3.0 or higher.

Applicants must submit the following: 

• A completed UMass Boston graduate admissions application form
• Official transcripts of all prior academic work, including evidence of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Completion of a course in calculus plus at least five economics courses, including intermediate macroeconomics, intermediate microeconomics, and economic statistics (all with grades of B or better)
• A 1,200-word personal statement about research interests, career goals, and reasons for applying to the program
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can assess the applicant’s academic and/or professional preparation for graduate work
• An official report of scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
• A professional or academic résumé
• TOEFL or IELTS scores where applicable

BA/MA Admission Requirements

• Complete at least 75, but not more than 90, undergraduate credits by the application due date
• Complete one course in college calculus with a grade of B or better
• Obtain a grade of B or better in a minimum of five courses in economics, including introductory and intermediate microeconomics, introductory and intermediate macroeconomics, and statistics
• Take 30 credits and four economics courses in residence at UMass Boston and maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA (grade point average)
• Submit the same admissions documentation as BA-trained applicants to the MA program, with two exceptions: BA/MA applicants need only provide two letters of recommendation, but these must be from faculty in the Economics Department of UMass Boston; and they are not required to provide GRE or GMAT scores (though the scores may be submitted to strengthen an application).