Can I get a pre-evaluation of my application? What are my chances of getting into your program?
Potential applicants often have questions about their chances of getting into the program. As a rule, we won’t speculate, because there is no way to decide until we have all of the applications in hand and begin the formal evaluation process. Nevertheless, a strong academic record and a demonstrated ability to do research, are the two most important characteristics you can present. In addition, students with strong backgrounds in mathematics and statistics and those with economic research experience are typically more successful.
 

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How many students do you admit each year?
The department seeks to enroll between 15-20 new PhD students each year. To reach that target range we typically admit three to four times those numbers.
 

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Is funding included? What is the commitment?
Applicants accepted into the program are also provided with funding. Currently, the funding commitment is for 5 years based on satisfactory completion of all requirements.
 

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What if I am self-funded?
Applicants who have their own funding, e.g., from fellowships or a government entity should declare this on their application. Such applicants will be evaluated on their merits just like any other applicant.
 

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Can I be admitted if I don’t meet the English language proficiency requirements?
The language proficiency requirements are determined by the university. Since the university does not allow graduate students to work as teaching assistants without meeting the English language proficiency requirements, and since we primarily support students through teaching assistantships, we cannot admit students who do not meet the proficiency requirements. Please refer to this flowchart explaining the specific English language proficiency requirements for a funded PhD offer.
 

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Can I apply to the Economics Department for a Master’s degree only?
No, we only accept students directly into our Ph.D. program. The M.A. is awarded along the way to completion of the Ph.D., and students who leave the program before completing their Ph.D. are, under some conditions, awarded an M.A.
 

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Can you help me arrange a campus visit?
Because we get a large number of applicants, we do not arrange campus visits prior to making our acceptance decisions. Once those decisions are made, we will organize a campus recruitment event prior to April 15, and invite all accepted students to attend that event. Individual campus visits for accepted students can also be arranged.
 

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Should I contact UCI faculty about working with them?
If you are interested in speaking with individual faculty members to find out more about their research you are encouraged to contact them directly. Faculty members are generally happy to talk with prospective students, either by phone, email, teleconference or in person. However, individual faculty members do not make admission decisions. Those decisions are made by the department’s admissions committee consisting of several economics faculty in various research areas.
 

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Can I get credit for graduate work in the core or a Master’s degree that I have completed elsewhere?
No. All students must successfully complete our course sequences.