Criteria

Admission is based primarily on four factors:

Mathematical ability and training as evidenced by courses taken in mathematics and related subjects, grades in those courses, and the quantitative GRE score.
General academic ability as evidenced by the applicant's academic record, including both grades and the difficulty of courses taken.
Training in economics as evidenced by the applicant's academic record in economics and related fields, letters of recommendation, and work experience related to economics.
Evidence of motivation and aptitude for research judged primarily on the basis of the letters of recommendation, the statement of purpose, work experience in economics, and previous research projects.

In past years most candidates recommended for admission have met the following criteria:

GPA of 3.7 or higher with consideration for the degree of difficulty of the course work.
Upper level mathematical course work including real analysis or honors advanced calculus with grades of A- minus or better.
Quantitative GRE score of 770 or higher.
Grades of A-minus or better in intermediate level theory courses (microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics) with a strong preference for honors or mathematical track versions of all three courses.
Advanced undergraduate or graduate-level course work in economics.
Proven independent research ability (e.g., honors thesis).
If applicable, TOEFL score of 600 on the paper test or 270 on the computer-based test.
Very strong letters of recommendations from at least two faculty members who know the candidate in both classroom and out-of-class settings (e.g. independent research).
Statement of purpose that expresses coherent ideas about why the candidate is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in economics and describes likely areas of research interest.