Admissions

Graduate School Requirements

Only online applications are accepted. Please find instructions on the Graduate School’s Graduate Admissions Application Process website.

A student wishing to be admitted to any graduate program at Oregon State University must complete an online application, pay the application fee, and submit all official transcripts (you may upload unofficial ones temporarily, but if you are admitted you must submit official documentation). International students who do not have a transcript from an English-language institution must also submit recent TOEFL scores and certify sufficient funding to complete the required degree. The Office of Admissions provides a more complete listing of required documents and application steps. Detailed information for both domestic applicants and international applicants is also available. 

Applications to the Applied Economics Graduate Program must show evidence of probable success in graduate coursework and thesis completion. Transcripts will be reviewed to insure successful completion of program prerequisites.

Documents not uploaded electronically can be sent to the Graduate School at the following address:

Graduate School
Heckart Lodge
2900 SW Jefferson Way
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-1102

Program Requirements

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for Master's degrees (MA, MS) consist of intermediate-level courses in microeconomic theory, statistics, and differential calculus.

Prerequisites for the PhD degree consist of advanced undergraduate or graduate coursework in microeconomic theory, econometrics, statistics, differential calculus, and linear algebra.

GRE Scores

Starting in September 2020, applicants to the Graduate Program in Applied Economics no longer need to submit a GRE score.  Applicants who wish to submit a GRE score may do so.  However, students may apply and receive full consideration even without a GRE score as long as they meet all other admissions requirements.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All international applicants and applicants who did not receive a degree in the U.S. (or other English speaking country; see list below) must meet English language proficiency requirements for admission.  Examples of tests includes:  TOEFL PBT, TOEFL iBT, IELTS, and Duolingo.  Please see this page for minimum requirements.

The English language proficiency requirement is waived for applicants who have demonstrated success by achieving an overall GPA greater than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for two or more full-time semesters/quarters in a rigorous undergraduate or postgraduate program in the U.S. or from certain English-speaking countries.  Waivers for applicants in other countries are considered on a case‐by‐case basis if the medium of instruction is English. 

If you have questions about waivers, please contact the Graduate School.  The Applied Economics Graduate Program does not have requirements in excess of what is required by the Graduate School.

Reference Letters

Three letters of professional reference are required of all students. If you have a Master's degree, one reference letter should be from the major professor of that degree. Please use the on-line program from the Graduate School to submit letters.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for admission in the following Fall quarter is January 15. We only admit new students for Fall quarter.

Graduate Assistantships

On the application form, applicants should indicate whether they wish to be considered for graduate assistantships. A limited number of assistantships are awarded each year by the Department of Applied Economics, the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, the Department of Forest Engineering and Management, and the College of Public Health and Human Sciences and possibly other sources.

For more information on the types of research and scholarly work pursued at Oregon State University, please consult the listing of Applied Economics graduate faculty.