Admission Requirements

For admission to the Ph.D-stream MA program, applicants must possess a Honors BA or international equivalent, i.e. four-year degree from an accredited university. The program requires at least a 78% overall average in the last two full-time years of the undergraduate degree. Equivalent qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline or profession. Candidates with a 3 year general degree are not eligible. The core courses in the graduate program are taught using mathematical techniques. Candidates are expected to have, as a minimum, one semester each of university calculus and linear algebra with at least a B+ level of understanding. It is assumed candidates have achieved a B+ standing in an undergraduate econometrics course (level of Wonnacott and Wonnacott, Introductory Statistics for Business and Economics), as well as completed undergraduate courses in both intermediate and advanced microeconomics and macroeconomics.

For admission to the Ph.D. program, applicants must satisfy the MA program requirements and/or possess a MA degree or equivalent from an accredited university. The program requires at least a 78% average in the MA degree. Equivalent qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline. Students must also provide evidence of research potential.

No application will be considered until it is complete. The responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure that all documents (i.e. transcripts, letters of reference, test results) are submitted by the program’s deadline for application.

Deadline: February 1, 2025

Applications will not be processed until after the application deadline.

All applications will be considered after the deadline and not before. First round offers are expected to go out in early March with the possibility of second round offers at the end of March/early April. Candidates should therefore complete their application and ensure all their supporting documents are uploaded by the February 28th deadline.

Tuition and Fees (2023-2024)

  • Canadian/Permanent Resident: $8,329.78
  • International PhD $9,085.78
  • International MA $22,476.79

International Students Note:  All International students must be covered by the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). The International student fees above include the cost of UHIP (i.e. $252.00 per term).

Application requirements:

1. Fill out on-line application, which will provide the program with the following:

  • Biographical information
  • Contact information
  • Statement of academic interest
  • Academic background
  • A list of all math and statistics courses taken at the university level
  • Referee information (references collected electronically upon receipt of application) – two referees are required for an application to Western’s graduate program in economics
  • Proficiency in English Scores (applicant must have testing service send score electronically to Western). Please note the program does not accept Duolingo as proof of English language proficiency.
  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). (minimum score requirement 550 paper based, 213 computer based, 86 with no individual score below 20 on the internet based version). Western's TOEFL ID is 0984.
  • The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council. (6.5/9 minimum score requirement)
  • Application fee

2. One academic transcript from each post-secondary institution attended, uploaded in PDF format.

  • Past or current students of Western University do not need to provide transcripts for their academic history at Western. This information will be obtained internally.
  • If you have attended or are currently enrolled at any Ontario university or college other than Western you should upload each transcript in PDF format. If the transcript and degree certificate are not in English, a certified translation must also be included. (Non-English transcripts from institutions within Canada do not require a translation.)

3. Candidates who are currently enrolled as students should make sure that a record of their performance for the first term of the current year is submitted. In the case of universities which offer one-term courses, students should make sure that the transcripts they submit include first-term marks for the current year. In the case of universities which do not offer one-term courses, students should ask the chairman of their department or their instructors to submit a letter listing preliminary mid-year marks or an evaluation of their performance. Candidates who apply before the end of the first term should update their applications by sending first-term results as soon as they become available.

4. GRE SCORES - Institution Code: 0984, Department Code: 1801. All candidates are encouraged to take the Graduate Record Examination General test and submit their scores. Applicants whose previous degree is not from a Canadian university are required to submit the GRE. Others who feel that their academic record may not provide an accurate measure of their promise for graduate work in economics, as well as for those who do not have an Honours Economics degree, will find it in their interest to take these tests also. Students who take the exams when they are offered in October, December, or January will have their scores available in time to be considered by our Department. The deadlines for registering for the exams are about seven weeks before the exams are given. For information and registration forms, write to Graduate Record Examinations, Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, New Jersey 08541, U.S.A.

5. Proficiency in English Language. Candidates whose language of instruction has not been English are advised that the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will require them to demonstrate proficiency in English by achieving a satisfactory result in one of the following:

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score is 86, with no individual score below 20 for the internet based version; 213 for the standard electronic version; or 550 for the paper and pencil version, although some programs require a higher minimum score. [Western's TOEFL ID is 0984].

The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council. The minimum acceptable score is 6.5 out of 9. The IELTS is offered in 6 test centres in the US and 3 in Canada.

Scores that are more than two years old will not be accepted.

6. See the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website for further information.