Graduate Student faq
UGA AB/MA Economics Program
Current UGA students who are already pursuing a bachelor’s degree may be eligible to apply for our AB/MA degree through the Double Dawgs program.
Our AB/MA program is tailored to students who want to delve deeply into economic research. It is a “PhD-light” experience, as you will essentially complete the first two years of a PhD program while finishing your bachelor’s degree. It is an intellectually rewarding, but very tough course of study.
To be eligible for the AB/MA program, you need to have completed a lot of math prior to your senior year. Most students have successfully completed Calculus III, Introduction to Higher Mathematics, and Linear Algebra.
UGA does not offer a stand-alone terminal master’s degree program. If you are not a current UGA student, I am afraid you cannot apply to UGA for an MA in Economics. You might consider our PhD program instead.
Your first point of contact for the AB/MA program should be the Academic Advisor for Economics. You can email them at econua@uga.edu.
UGA PhD Economics Program
We offer a competitive funding package and generally only admit students that we can support on an assistantship. The standard assistantship package is renewable for five years and provides a stipend and tuition waiver.
All applicants are automatically considered for both admissions and funding simultaneously.
There is no need to make contact with current faculty or to find a faculty mentor prior to applying.
The GRE is required to be considered for admission. There are no waivers of this requirement.
There is no official GRE score cutoff for admission to the PhD program at UGA. However, competitive applicants generally have a score above the 95th percentile on the quantitative portion.
All applicants whose first language is not English must submit scores from the TOEFL or IELTS taken during the last two years. Per Graduate School guidelines, if you have completed a degree in an English-speaking country in the last two years, you may request a waiver of the test requirement from the Graduate School.
Unfortunately, we cannot waive application fees.
You can submit unofficial test scores and transcripts for us to consider during admissions review. You need only submit official versions once we decide to offer admission.
Applying to Graduate School in Economics
The American Economic Association has a great set of resources for students starting to think about graduate school in Economics.
Admissions for PhD programs are highly competitive and require a lot of preparation in economics and mathematics. I strongly recommend taking as much math as possible as early as possible.
It is also important to understand, and if possible get engaged in, economic research before applying. You should engage in activities sponsored by the UGA Economics Society and Women in Economics. I also recommend meeting with your Economics professors to discuss your interest in a PhD early on in your time at UGA.