Please read through this AND our FAQ page carefully before contacting the department with questions.

Steps in the Admission Process  

Apply Online

All applications to our graduate program should be submitted online at the following web address–www.applytexas.org. You should submit this as soon as possible so that we can create an application folder for you. It is OK to fill out the application before your remaining materials are ready to send. Complete and submit the online application before you mail any supplementary documents to the Economics department.

Please make sure that you apply for the correct program. In addition, it is very important that you list a currently active email address that you check regularly. We will use the email address that you list on your application to communicate with you.

The application for the PhD “Economics” program is available ONLY under the FALL term. Make sure to use that application if a PhD is your ultimate goal. Students applying to the Masters in Applied Economics program should select the “Applied Economics” application. The application for the MA Applied program is also available ONLY under the FALL term.

Note that these programs are completely separate. Admission into one program does not imply admission to the other. In addition, courses from one program will not be transferable to the other program.

If you are interested in applying for both programs, you must contact the Graduate Program Administrator so that 2 files will be created for you. There is no need to submit the application twice or send transcripts more than once. Separate personal statements and letters of recommendation are recommended.

Mail Your Application Materials

ALL other application materials should be sent directly to the department to the attention of the Graduate Program Administrator:

• 1 official transcript from each university you have attended. This must be a transcript directly from the university that does not say “Issued to Student”. If you attended the University of Houston you are STILL required to submit an official transcript. A second set of transcripts may be requested later if you are admitted.
• 3 Reference Letters
• 1-2 page typed Personal Statement

All of these materials should be mailed to: Graduate Program Administrator, Department of Economics, University of Houston, 204 McElhinney Hall, Houston, TX 77204-5019. Scanned reference letters (on university or company letterhead) can be emailed to apozo@uh.edu by your recommender – not by the applicant. The personal statement can also be emailed.

Application Fee

Currently the university charges international students a $75.00 application fee; U.S. students do not have any application fee. Some departments charge an additional application fee, but at this time the Department of Economics does not charge any additional application fee. The Apply Texas website has payment options. If you are paying by check or money order, you should make them payable to the University of Houston. Do NOT send any money to the department. Your application fee, if required, should be mailed to the Office of Admissions unless you pay online with a credit card.

In no case can the application fee be deferred or waived. The department will not review any application without payment of the application fee (if required).

GRE and TOEFL Scores

You should arrange to have ETS send score reports of GRE and TOEFL scores directly to the University of Houston. The institution code for the University of Houston is 6870. The GRE is required and cannot be waived. The department will not accept the GMAT. TOEFL can be waived for foreign students who have a degree from a U.S. university.

Transcripts

The department requires an official transcript from all schools attended (undergraduate and graduate). The transcripts must come directly from your school to the department; we cannot accept transcripts which are issued to students. If your school does not mail official transcripts (many in China), you may mail the official, sealed transcript that the university has given you.

Reference Letters

Three (3) letters of reference are required. The department does not use recommendation forms or have an online submission (upload) option. You should ask your references to write letters on their university/company letterhead and mail or email them to the graduate program administrator. At least one letter must be from a faculty member at the university you last attended or are currently attending.

Deadlines

PhD Program – The department only accepts applications for the Fall semester. The department does not admit new students in the spring or summer sessions. The deadline to be considered for fall admission and graduate assistantship is February 1. There is no separate form to be considered for an assistantship; it is automatic as long as your application materials are received by February 1.

Applications which are received after February 1 through May 1 will be considered for admission only with no assistantship. In addition, please be aware that space is limited. Submitting your application materials earlier will increase your chances of acceptance.

No applications are accepted after May 1.

MA in Applied Economics Program – This degree is not part of the PhD program. If your goal is a PhD in Economics, be sure to apply for that program. Courses in the MA in Applied Economics program are not transferrable to the PhD program (and vice versa).

The department only accepts applications for the MA in Applied Economics for the Fall semester. The department does not admit new students in the spring or summer sessions. The department will begin reviewing completed application packages on February 1 with a final application deadline of May 1. Admission decisions will be made on a rolling basis, so getting your application materials in early benefits you!

Applications which are received after February 1 through May 1 will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please be aware that space is limited. Submitting your application materials early will increase your chances of acceptance.

No applications are accepted after May 1. There are no assistantships offered for this program.  However, we will have a limited number of scholarships available starting in Fall 2013.  These scholarships will cover partial tuition charges and recipients will be selected on the basis of previous academic achievement and their potential for excellence in the field.  When you apply for admission to the MA Applied Economics program, you are automatically considered for one of our scholarships.  There is no need to submit additional materials. 

Verification of Receipt of Materials

Please do not contact the department to ask if your materials have been received. Applicants will be contacted directly by email if the admissions committee is missing information that they need to make a decision.

Admissions Decisions

PhD Program – The department PhD program admissions committee begins review of applications in mid-February. Students being offered department assistantships will be contacted by email from early-March to mid-April. Once decisions have been reached on all other applicants, official admission (or rejection) letters from the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences will be mailed. The department admissions process continues through the summer, however most assistantship offers are made by the end of April and others are notified by early June.

MA Program –The department MA Applied Economics admissions committee begins review of applications in early February. Students will be contacted by email once a decision has been made. Decisions will continue to be made in this manner through the summer. Applicants may receive decision notification as early as March. Conversely, applicants who are wait-listed may receive a decision notification as late as early August. Once all final decisions have been reached, official admission (or rejection) letters from the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences will be mailed.