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Online MS Economics Application Requirements & Deadlines

For a quick reference guide on the application process, download our checklist.

Applications for the Mitch Daniels School of Business must be completed using Purdue's Graduate School online application and will not be considered for review until all required materials have been received.

For more detailed information on how to submit your application, please review the steps to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

Application Deadlines

Program Start Deadline
Spring Start December 1
Fall Start August 1

Scholarship Deadlines

Spring Deadline
Scholarship Priority Deadline November 1
Spring Deadline
Spring Start December 1

The Daniels School of Business is currently offering a limited number of scholarships to qualified candidates for its Online Master’s programs. These merit-based awards do not require any additional application, as all applicants are considered.

Program Start Dates

Fall - August
Spring - January

Application Guidelines

Your application should emphasize your work experience, prior undergraduate academic record and professional training. It creates a holistic view of each candidate for the Admissions Committee.

To be eligible for admission to this program, the following are recommended:

  • At least 24 months of professional work experience
  • The equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree (three-year degrees from international universities may be considered)
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0

To be considered for the Purdue Online Master of Economics program, you may be asked to complete an interview with the program manager. Whether or not you participate in an interview you will be required to submit all the items below:

  • Academic statement of purpose introducing yourself to the Admissions Committee
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Personal history statement
  • Professional resume with education, work experience and training
  • Official transcripts for every higher education institution attended. Please note: All transcripts and/or academic documents uploaded by the applicant to the online application system are considered unofficial. Please order your transcripts to be sent directly from your institution to the Purdue University Graduate School at gradadm@purdue.edu.

The MSEcon is a rigorous program that requires quantitative aptitude. The Daniels School's online programs admissions team will look for evidence of this in your application via previous coursework. If you feel that you do not have sufficient evidence in your previous coursework to demonstrate this aptitude, you may want to consider submitting a GMAT or GRE score to enhance your application. The GMAT or GRE is not required for admission.

If you have any questions about your application qualifications, please contact our enrollment specialist.

Essays

The Academic Statement of Purpose and the Personal History Statement are two of the most important documents in your graduate school application. Information in the Personal History Statement should complement but not duplicate information in the Academic Statement of Purpose. Each essay should be up to 500 well-crafted words. 

For ease of review, please include the essay question as a 'title' above your response. 

Academic Statement of Purpose (ASOP)

The academic statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length addressing the following prompts:

  • What are your professional plans and career goals? How will attending graduate school assist you in reaching those goals?
  • Describe your research, scholarly, or creative interests. What topics are of particular interest to you? Reviewers know that interests change over time but try to be as specific as possible.
  • Discuss how your experiences, skills, and abilities have prepared you for graduate study. Relevant topics may include coursework, work and research experiences, internships, presentations, exhibits, publications, and community service. If you describe a research or scholarly experience, include information on the topic, research mentor, your role, and outcomes.
  • Describe how your skills, preparation, and interests are a match for the program to which you are applying. Identify faculty who share your research and scholarly interests. Reviewers will want to know that you have researched the program, faculty, and key focus areas.

Personal History Statement (PHS)

Required of all applicants:

  • Describe how your background and life experiences contribute to your ability to be both persistent and resourceful in graduate school.
  • Describe how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to an academic community where scholars with diverse research interests, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are supported, respected, and valued.

Optional:

  • Please address concerns that you may have that your academic record does not reflect your true capabilities and discuss mitigating factors that have affected your academic record. Reviewers will be interested in understanding your accomplishments relative to your opportunities.

Two online recommendations are required in order for your application to be reviewed.

No paper recommendations will be accepted. When submitting recommendations, we strongly prefer that they come from direct supervisors, faculty, or instructors who are able to provide an informed assessment based on close, current, and sustained observation of your work and qualifications. No more than two recommendations are needed.

You will need to provide official transcripts and/or academic records only at the request of the graduate program or in the event of a favorable admission decision and you choose to enroll. An official transcript bears the original signature of the registrar and/or the original seal of the issuing institution. Official documents should be submitted to:

Office of Graduate Admissions
Purdue University
Young Hall, Room 170
155 S. Grant St.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2114

Transcripts and/or English translations must be mailed directly from a Registrar’s office via sealed envelope to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The Office of Graduate Admissions also accepts electronic transcripts from accredited U.S. colleges and universities sent via eSCRIP-SAFE, Docufide, Parchment Exchange or directly from the accredited U.S. college and university. The transcript must be sent to GRADADM@purdue.edu

All transcripts and/or academic documents uploaded to the online application system are considered unofficial. The Purdue University Graduate School reserves the right to require official transcripts and/or academic documents at any time during the admissions process. Transcripts will not be returned.

Uploading Transcripts (international applicants, see international section)

  • All applicants must upload to the online application transcript(s) and/or academic document(s) for every institution of higher education attended. If a transcript and diploma/degree certificate are not in English, an English translation (certified by the college or university which issued it) must be uploaded.
  • The uploaded transcript and/or academic document must be from the official version of the document. An official transcript bears the original signature of the registrar and/or the original seal of the issuing institution.
  • If personal identifying information such as a student identification number or social security number appears on the document, REMOVE THIS INFORMATION from your electronic version of your document or mark out the information in black ink before scanning your document.
  • Degree-Seeking Applicants: Upload a transcript for every institution of higher education attended, including evidence of a baccalaureate degree awarded, into the online application. If you are currently studying for a baccalaureate degree, you will later be required to submit a document that verifies the awarding of that degree.

Scores for the GMAT/GRE exams are not required for admission to the MS Economics online program.

International Applicants:

Applications for the Daniels School of Business must be completed using Purdue’s Graduate School online application. International applicants must follow a slightly altered application process.

Any individual who is not a permanent resident or citizen of the United States is classified as an international applicant. If you are a Permanent Resident, non-U.S. Citizen, please upload a copy of your alien registration/green card within the online application. Permanent residents who do not provide a copy of an alien registration number will be reclassified as an international student for admission consideration and fees.

International students who are attending/have attended a non-U.S. undergraduate institution are strongly encouraged to check whether their institution is listed on one (not both) of the business school accreditation web sites listed below:

AACSB

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

If your school is listed on either web site, no further action is needed by you.

If your school is not listed on either of the web sites above, we recommend that you make sure that the course credits you earned while attending a non-U.S. undergraduate institution are reasonably likely to be accepted as part of the education requirements. You can learn this by submitting a completed evaluation of your credits through a credit evaluation service such as FACS Evaluation (or an equivalent company).

If you seek this evaluation, please send your completed credit evaluation to the Daniels School of Business Master’s Program Office for review: businessgradadmissions@purdue.edu.

Credit Evaluation - Strongly recommended for international students who are/have attended a non-U.S. undergraduate institution.

English language assessment requirements are waived for Daniels School of Business Online Programs.

Any individual who is not a permanent resident or citizen of the United States is classified as an international applicant. In order to be considered for admission to the Daniels School of Business, international applicants must hold a bachelor degree or its equivalent from an accredited college in the U.S. or abroad. This requires 16 years of education in a University setting, which must be the equivalent of a four year U.S. Bachelor’s degree.

Correspondence courses do not meet this requirement. Transcripts must indicate “grades earned” for all courses taken. Please note that a summary of semester totals alone does not meet this requirement.

Documents stamped with ‘True Copy’ will not be accepted, which will potentially delay admission consideration.

If you were educated outside the United States, and the native language of the country where you were educated is not English, you must upload both a certified official transcript in the original language of instruction and a certified official English translation.

*You must also upload a certified official copy of your diploma/degree certificate in the original language of instruction and a certified official English translation. A Provisional Certificate does not meet this requirement.

Application Fee & Waivers

The Daniels School waives the program application fee for:

  • Domestic applicants who are permanent legal residents of the United States
  • Applicants who have successfully completed a Purdue University or Purdue Global baccalaureate degree
  • Active Service members and Veterans of the U.S. military
  • Individuals who participate in special programs (see full list as determined by the Purdue University Graduate School)
  • International applicants are subject to a non-refundable $75 application fee

For additional information about tuition and program costs, please contact the program specialist for details.

Note: If you pay the application fee before the fee has been waived, it is non-refundable.

Explore the estimated tuition and fees, financial aid opportunities, and more.

TUITION & FINANCIAL AID

 

Want to Learn More?

If you would like to receive more information about the MS Economics program at Purdue, please fill out the form and an enrollment specialist will be in touch.




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