Admission Requirements

Admission to the School of Economics is competitive. An undergraduate degree in economics or a related field is desirable but not essential for admission. The School of Economics is much more concerned with the applicant’s capacity for graduate study, quantitative reasoning, and the quality of previous work. Below is a list of required and recommended courses. Applicants seeking admission generally achieve a B or better in these courses. Applicants seeking funding (see below for more information) generally achieve an A- or better in most required courses AND have a 3.5 GPA or higher. Applicants with lower grades/GPA may be admitted/funded, especially if they have unique experiences demonstrating strong knowledge, skills, determination, and ability to succeed in a rigorous graduate program and make an outstanding contribution to the School of Economics.

Please visit the UMaine Undergraduate Catalog’s Course Search to view course descriptions for each of the UMaine equivalent courses listed in this table.

GRE Test Scores

Submitting a score from the GRE exam is recommended but not required. GRE scores may help faculty evaluate applications with uncertainty about potential success in the program. In the past, GRE scores of admitted students have been around 160 for each Verbal and Quantitative section and 4 for the Analytical section.

Other Requirements

In addition to the required and recommended courses listed above, we expect: 1) a strong, well-written personal essay that clearly communicates why the applicant is a good fit for our program and why our program is a good fit for the applicant in the context of a set of clear academic and professional goals; the essay should also demonstrate the potential for the applicant to succeed when faced with challenges; 2) three strong letters of recommendation from faculty that taught courses included in our admission requirements and/or other mentors of related work (e.g., thesis/research advisor, job supervisor, etc.), which demonstrate the applicant’s ability to be successful in a rigorous graduate program; 3) a well-written and clear resume/CV that demonstrates a strong work ethic and interest in gaining applicable skills/knowledge outside of the classroom.

English proficiency test scores (e.g., TOEFL and IELTS)

Official English proficiency examination scores are required unless you received a degree from an English-speaking institution. For more information, visit the Graduate School website or the Admission section of this catalog. The School of Economics and the University of Maine require the following minimum English proficiency scores for admission: TOEFL score of 82, IELTS score of 6.5, Duolingo score of 115, or Pearson PTE score of 65. To be eligible for funding, the minimum scores are higher: TOEFL of 98, IELTS of 7, Duolingo of 130, or Pearson PTE of 75.

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*If you have questions, please review our FAQ page. You can also complete an Application Inquiry form (at the bottom of the FAQ page) or email the Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Keith S. Evans: keith.evans@maine.edu.