uchicago economics phd stipend

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Varying stipends at UChicago?

By BengaliKitty March 18, 2018 in PhD in Economics

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PhD Funding Packages, Financial Aid, and Fellowships

PhD in Molecular Engineering

PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering

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For general inquiries about the PhD program, questions on financial aid, or to schedule a visit to PME, please contact  [email protected]

David Taylor Dean of Students [email protected] Phone: 773.834.2057

PhD Student Funding

Financial aid.

• PME Graduate Fellowship
• External Fellowships

As a Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) PhD student, you will receive a standard PME PhD funding package that provides full financial support for the duration of your studies, as long as you remain in good academic standing. This support includes:

• full tuition payment
• A stipend to cover living expenses. 
• Individual premium for the University Student Health Insurance Plan
• Quarterly Graduate Student Services Fee
• A discretionary support stipend upon matriculation (one-time payment)

Every year, the University performs an annual benchmark to ensure that our internal fellowship offer stays competitive with those offered by peer institutions, and makes adjustments as necessary. All enrolled PhD students will receive the adjustment regardless of the year of program entry.

Educational costs include more than required tuition and fees. Tuition and fee information is available on the Bursar’s office website . For the full cost of attendance, please visit the Office of Graduate Financial Aid website .

Students can learn more about financial aid and funding education from the Office of Graduate Financial Aid .

The Pritzker Molecular Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Eligibility:  Applicants to PME doctoral programs Duration:  2 or 3 years (unless otherwise noted in student's offer letter)

These fellowships are highly prestigious and are designed to showcase PME’s commitment to attracting the very best graduate students. These fellowships are available to students across PME’s research themes in immunoengineering, materials systems for sustainability and health, and quantum science and engineering.

All applicants to PME doctoral programs are automatically considered for fellowship funding.  No separate application is necessary.

Students must be nominated for the fellowship by PME faculty. 

To complement the academic requirements and recruitment needs of different disciplines, several configurations of the Pritzker Molecular Engineering Graduate Fellowship have been approved. The most common configuration is listed below, however, on occasion, students may be offered a fellowship configuration that differs from the example provided and this would be noted in the student's offer letter.

The standard three-year Pritzker Molecular Engineering Graduate Fellowship provides up to an additional $20,000 over the three-year period, in addition to the standard funding package described above.

External fellowships

We encourage our students to apply for external funding through programs such as the:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP)
• Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE-NNSA)
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG)

If you receive a major external award, you also become eligible for the PME external award fellowship. This award carries a value of $8,000 and is disbursed annually for the duration of the external award period. If an external fellowship falls below what you would earn from the standard PME fellowship, you will receive a quarterly supplement, funded by your research group, for the duration of the external award to make up the difference.

Currently enrolled students can receive fellowship advising through UChicagoGRAD.

*Students are responsible for fulfilling their personal tax obligations. If your award includes income that is ot subject to federal or state income tax withholding at the time you receive it (for example, nonqualified scholarships, stipends, and fellowship payments), students may be required to make quarterly estimated income tax payments to the IRS and State of Illinois.

**Students may only hold one PME Graduate Fellowship or equivalent during any given year.

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Graduate study is a major investment in your personal and professional future. We aid graduate students through a wealth of funding opportunities, and have a team of supportive staff who can help you navigate the process.

Students in most PhD programs are guaranteed to receive generous funding every year until degree completion. Master’s programs differ more widely, with many offering some merit aid awards, and a few offering need-based aid. You should review the specific details of the programs you are considering to determine what types of aid they offer. In addition, because of the prestige attached to holding a competitive award and because the University cannot offer funding to every candidate, students are always encouraged to explore outside funding in their field.

Information on external awards available to incoming students can be found in the  fellowships section . In addition, the University offers a wide array of opportunities, including on-campus student employment, educational benefits for veterans, teaching or research assistantships, fellowships or grants, and other financial aid.

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Chicago Maroon

University Announces Minimum Ph.D. Stipend Increase Amid Unionization Push

The $4,000 increase, announced four weeks before a graduate student unionization election, was motivated by inflation and a desire to be competitive, according to the University.

By Neive Rodriguez January 22, 2023

The minimum annual stipend for UChicago Ph.D. students will be increased to $37,000 at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. This is a $4,000 increase from the current minimum graduate stipend, which sits at $33,000.

The increase was announced by Provost Ka Yee C. Lee in an email sent to all Ph.D. students on January 3, 2023. According to the email, the funding increase “reflects the University’s substantial ongoing efforts to strengthen [its] support for Ph.D. students.” The email noted that the increase was motivated by “rising inflation” and the University’s aim to offer “competitive stipends for prospective students.”

Valay Agarawal, the communications secretary for Graduate Students United–United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (GSU–UE), believes the University’s funding increase is to make unionization a less appealing option for graduate students. Graduate students are set to vote on unionizing in an election taking place on January 31 and February 1.

“When a union is organizing, raises are usually a tactic [used] by the employers to discourage unionization,” Agarawal said in an interview with The Maroon . “As a union, we are happy because ultimately [the raise] improves the life of all graduate workers, but we want something so much more than that.”

Agarawal noted that raises for UChicago graduate students have historically come around the time of large unionization pushes, such as during the 2017 union election and when GSU went on strike in spring quarter 2019. This trend has also been observed at other universities whose graduate students are in the process of unionizing. Graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Duke University , and Dartmouth College all received raises after the initial stages of union organization.

Agarawal discussed how unionization would offer benefits like vision and dental insurance to UChicago’s graduate student workers.

“[Unionizing] is about the issues that will make us do our work better,” Agarawal said. “We are here to pursue an academic discipline, and we want to be able to do that without having to worry about paying rent or medical bills.”

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Your donation makes the work of student journalists of University of Chicago possible and allows us to continue serving the UChicago and Hyde Park community.

Neive Rodriguez is a second-year in the College from Lincoln, Nebraska. Studying in anthropology and global studies, she enjoys exploring how Hyde Park...

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PSD Local Business Center

Graduate student funding and policies.

There are three different graduate student specific classifications that will commonly appear on the accounts:

• Teaching Assistants (subaccount 1800)
• Type B Research Assistants (subaccount 1801), and
• Type A Research Assistants (subaccounts 1804 and 1805).

Under usual circumstances, teaching assistants should be funded only from internally funded accounts, most commonly departmental teaching accounts.

Research assistants are most commonly funded from sponsored awards or from unrestricted start-up funding. The difference between the two types of research assistants is that Type B generates a tuition support charge (subaccount 8319) at the current rate for the fiscal year. Type A research assistants do not generate this charge. The Physical Sciences Division's established policy for graduate research assistants is to request tuition support.  The current rate (FY23) is 52.5% of graduate student base funding. The amount partially covers the graduate student's actual tuition cost. By default, all research assistants should be Type B unless the award regulations specifically prohibit tuition support charges in connection with research assistants or during limited periods when graduate students are not registered, usually summer quarters early in the graduate career.

Research assistants must serve for a minimum of 2 consecutive months during a quarter. However, if possible, it is best to issue full quarter appointments for both research assistants and teaching assistants.

If a grant or funding source does not allow charges for insurance and fees, those charges should go on account 2-60229, "Insurance and Grad Fees".

Grant funds should not be used as a convenient source of student financial aid. Efforts should be made to ensure that the number of students and the time they spend on the award are in line with the award budget. During the proposal phase, it is important for the PI to carefully think through how many months their research assistant(s) can be reasonably expected to work on the project annually rather than assuming that it will always be for 12 months. Likewise, the number of person-months it should reasonably take to complete the project should be carefully considered.

On fellowship accounts, graduate student stipends should be coded in subaccount 8320. Fellowship payments are done through the Dean of Students office and not the payroll system.

PSD Standard Type B Graduate Research Assistant Funding

Since October 2021, GRA insurance and graduate student fees are paid separately from the base funding. Base funding, insurance, and fees are subject to recovery of indirect costs. Tuition remission is only charged on the base funding.

Since October 2019, GRA funding are issued on the same schedule as the TA reimbursement.

There are two standard funding scales for graduate research assistants, one for Computer Sciences (CS) graduate students and one for all other PSD graduate students (PSD).

PSD GRA Funding Academic Year 2023-2024

PSD GRA Funding Academic Year 2022-2023

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PhD Joint Program in Financial Economics

The financial economics phd program leverages the strengths of two renowned programs: the phd program in finance and the university of chicago’s kenneth c. griffin department of economics..

Core economics training is critical for students doing research in financial economics, and advances in financial economics have important implications for other areas of economics.

As a student in our Joint Program in Financial Economics , you’ll work with thought leaders in both economics and finance and follow your research interests wherever they lead. Leveraging courses and resources in the Finance dissertation area at Chicago Booth and the university’s Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics , you’ll build a foundation for research at the intersection of finance and economics.

Our Distinguished Finance and Economics Faculty

As a student in the joint program, you’ll work with professors and classmates in both the Department of Economics and the Stevens Doctoral Program in Finance at Chicago Booth. Faculty bring research expertise in a wide range of fields and serve as mentors to PhD students.

Finance Faculty

Francesca Bastianello

Assistant Professor of Finance and Liew Family Junior Faculty Fellow, Fama Faculty Fellow

Emanuele Colonnelli

Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship

George M. Constantinides

Leo Melamed Professor of Finance

Douglas W. Diamond

Merton H. Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Eugene F. Fama

Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Niels Gormsen

Neubauer Family Associate Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Lars Hansen

David Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor The University of Chicago Departments of Economics, Statistics and the Booth School of Business

John C. Heaton

Joseph L. Gidwitz Professor of Finance

Steven Neil Kaplan

Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance and Kessenich E.P. Faculty Director at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Anil Kashyap

Stevens Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Finance

Ralph S.J. Koijen

AQR Capital Management Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Stefan Nagel

Fama Family Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Scott Nelson

Assistant Professor of Finance and Cohen and Keenoy Faculty Scholar

Pascal Noel

Neubauer Family Professor of Finance and Kathryn and Grant Swick Faculty Scholar

Lubos Pastor

Charles P. McQuaid Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and Robert King Steel Faculty Fellow

Raghuram G. Rajan

Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Bruce Lindsay Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Public Policy

Pietro Veronesi

Deputy Dean for Faculty and Chicago Board of Trade Professor of Finance

Robert W. Vishny

Myron S. Scholes Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and Neubauer Faculty Director of the Davis Center

Michael Weber

Associate Professor of Finance

Anthony Lee Zhang

Luigi Zingales

Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance

Professor of Economics and Finance

Department of Economics Faculty

Fernando Alvarez

Ali Hortacsu

Harald Uhlig

Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics

Alumni success.

Our PhD graduates lead successful careers  in prestigious academic settings, such as the Stanford Graduate School of Business and London Business School, as well as in leading financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund.

Jane (Jian) Li, PhD '21

Assistant Professor of Business, Finance Division Columbia Business School, Columbia University Jane's research lies at the intersection of macroeconomics and finance. She is particularly interested in how financial intermediaries affect the real economy and how different types of financial institutions can contribute to financial instability. Her dissertation area is in financial economics.

A Network of Support

Doctoral students at Booth have access to the resources of several interdisciplinary research centers that offer funding for student work, host workshops and conferences, and foster a strong research community.

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Bringing together researchers from the entire Chicago economics community, the Becker Friedman Institute fosters novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems.

Center for Research in Security Prices CRSP maintains one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive stock market databases. Since 1963, it has been a valued resource for businesses, government, and scholars.

Fama-Miller Center for Research in Finance Tasked with pushing the boundaries of research in finance, the Fama-Miller Center provides institutional structure and support for researchers in the field.

George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State Dedicated to examining issues at the intersection of politics and the economy, the Stigler Center supports research by PhD students and others who are interested in the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to better working markets.

The Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets Enhancing the understanding of business and financial market globalization, the Clark Center for Global Markets positions Chicago Booth as a thought leader in the understanding of ever-changing markets and improves financial and economic decision-making around the world.

Macro Finance Research Program The Macro Finance Research Program (MFR) expands our understanding of how financial markets affect the economy as a whole and, conversely, how the macroeconomy influences financial markets. It does so by bringing together a community of elite and emerging scholars and with common ambitions to tackle these important challenges. One of the important ambitions of this program is to provide intellectual and research support for advanced students in the joint PhD program in financial economics.

Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation Committed to making the world more equitable and sustainable, the Rustandy Center works to solve complex social and environmental problems. The center’s student support includes fellowships, research funding, and networking opportunities.

Spotlight on Research

Chicago Booth Review regularly highlights the research findings of Booth faculty and PhD students in financial economics.

Line of Inquiry: Amir Sufi on Household Debt and Business Cycles

Chicago Booth’s Amir Sufi explains how the financial sector's willingness to extend credit to households helps fuel booms and busts.

How is IT Spending Changing Banking?

According to researchers Zhiguo He (previous Booth prof.), Sheila Jiang and Douglas Xu (both Booth PhD graduates), and Xiao Yin, IT investment figures prominently in banking activities.

How Can We Calculate the US's Greatest Fortunes?

Chicago Booth’s Eric Zwick and his coauthors have devised a new way to gauge how much wealth the ultrawealthy have and what it’s composed of. Their results can help update and sharpen the picture of inequality in the US.

The PhD Experience at Booth

Maryam Farboodi, PhD ’14, talks about how the Booth faculty challenged her to focus her research on issues that are applicable to the current financial sector.

Video Transcript

Maryam Farboodi, ’14: 00:02 My work lies in the intersection of finance and economics, trying to apply theoretical models to think about broader questions in big data technology. I was doing extremely theoretical research and I was always interested in doing stuff which are more related to the real world, which led me to join Chicago econ and then the Joint Financial Economics Program at Chicago Booth.

Maryam Farboodi, ’14: 00:29 The faculty really helped me focus my research on issues that are relevant to the current financial climate. A lot of current policy focuses on how financial institutions intermediate for each other and that has been the focus of my research. The faculty at Chicago Booth challenged me in making sure that the insight is applicable to the current financial sector.

Maryam Farboodi, ’14: 00:52 What is really, really special about Booth is the really close interaction between the faculty here and the econ department. Chicago Booth, in particular the joint program, is the best place you can be in. It provides an environment where you can interact with people who are extremely deep in both finance and economics and not lose track of important issues. Chicago Booth and Econ has really being like home to me. That's the feeling that any student can get if they really engage themselves with faculty. 

Current Financial Economics Students

Students in Chicago Booth’s Joint Program in Financial Economics focus their PhD research on a vast array of issues, from state-government borrowing costs to wealth inequality to climate policy. They go on to positions at leading academic institutions and global financial organizations.

Current Students

Monica Barbosa Connor Brennan

Filippo Cavaleri

Manav Chaudhary Rahul Chauhan

Shirui (Suri) Chen

Laurenz De Rosa Aditya Dhar

Joanna Harris Jacob Hartwig

Lewei He Tanvi Jindal

Jingoo Kwon

Federico Mainardi

Benjamin Marrow Eric Milstein Sixun Tang Yifan Wang Judy Yue

See a list of the current students in our Finance PhD Program .

How to Apply

To join the Joint Program in Financial Economics, you will need to be admitted to both the doctoral program in the Department of Economics and the PhD Program in Finance at Chicago Booth. However, you need only apply to one or the other program. Learn more about applying to Chicago Booth or to the Department of Economics .

Program Requirements

Learn more about the Joint Program in Financial Economics at Chicago Booth on the website or by referencing the joint program-specific guidebook below. See Joint Program-Specific Guidebook

General Program Expectations and Requirements

The Stevens Program at Booth is a full-time program. Students generally complete the majority of coursework and examination requirements within the first two years of studies and begin work on their dissertation during the third year. For details, see General Examination Requirements by Area in the Stevens Program Guidebook below.

Download the 2023-2024 Guidebook!

The Fall 2025 Graduate Program Application is open! Apply by the early action deadline on October 3, 2024.

Doing Your PhD in Energy and Environmental Economics at Harris

If you are considering a PhD in energy and environmental economics, or if you are a professor advising such a student, we encourage you to consider a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Between the large (and still growing!) energy and environmental faculty group within Harris, related faculty in other units, and the intellectual hub provided by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago ( EPIC ), we believe that Harris is one of the very best places for PhD students to come study research problems at the intersection of energy and the environment, in both the developed and developing world.

The faculty group focused on energy and the environment has grown substantially in the past few years. At Harris, you will have the opportunity to take courses from and work with Fiona Burlig , Steve Cicala , Eyal Frank , Michael Greenstone , Koichiro Ito , Amir Jina , Ryan Kellogg , and Bob Rosner . We are currently on the market for yet more faculty in this area.

The total size of a Harris PhD cohort is modest—roughly 10 students per year total—so that admitted students receive a level of personal attention from faculty that is unusual for programs of this caliber. Beyond the core Harris energy faculty, students also have the opportunity to work with and learn from Harris’s deep bench of applied microeconomists and political economists, including faculty such as Oendrila Dube and Austin Wright who have studied the relationship between energy resources and conflict. Outside of Harris, our students can work with and learn from faculty in other units who work on energy and the environment, including Thom Covert , Elizabeth Moyer , Mark Templeton , and Bob Topel .

Like all Harris PhDs, students focusing on energy and the environment take a rigorous first-year course sequence on economics, econometrics, and political science. In their second year, students then take a three-quarter sequence on energy and environmental economics. This sequence is currently taught by Professors Greenstone, Kellogg, and Ito. These second-year courses are complemented by a suite of options for additional coursework in other economic subfields and in applied econometrics. Our students regularly enroll in PhD courses offered by the University of Chicago’s Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics.

New for 2018-2019, students will be able to apply for a traineeship program in Data Science for Energy and Environmental Research , funded by a $3 million grant from the NSF. This program is aimed at Harris PhD students who are particularly interested in learning frontier data science methods and applying these tools to interdisciplinary problems at the intersection of food, energy, water, and the environment. Harris PhD students who are admitted as trainees will receive two years of tuition and stipend support through this program. All Harris PhDs will have access to courses and workshops offered through this traineeship, which will include interdisciplinary offerings in data science and the geosciences.

Beyond formal classroom training, the rich seminar culture at Chicago offers many opportunities to see presentations of cutting-edge research. Options include the EPIC energy and environment lunch workshop , Harris public policy and economics workshop , Harris development lunch , Becker-Friedman workshop , and Booth applied economics workshop , among others. Students have opportunities to obtain feedback on their own work at both the EPIC lunch and the Harris Monday PhD workshop .

We encourage students from diverse backgrounds to apply. Our diverse faculty is a complementary resource that enables students to explore a wide range of research questions in energy and the environment. While we do expect our entering students to have a strong math background—multivariate calculus and statistical coursework are minima—do not let doubts about your technical training prevent you from applying. If we admit you, it’s because we think you’re smart enough to handle our technical PhD courses, and because we’re committed to providing the mathematical training you need.

Ryan Kellogg Professor and Deputy Dean for Academic Programs

Upcoming events, get to know harris a virtual information session, coffee chat in madison, wi.

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The field of political economy applies tools such as game theory and empirical methods for causal inference to the study of political institutions and behavior. The University of Chicago’s new PhD program in political economy offers an extraordinary opportunity to develop these skills in preparation for a career in academia. Staffed by an outstanding group of  faculty  in the Department of Political Science and the Harris School of Public Policy, this program provides accelerated training in formal theory and statistical methods alongside deep engagement with political science. With a supportive faculty, a  curriculum  expressly tailored to questions in political economy, immersion in the  rich seminar culture  of the University of Chicago, and strong financial support, students in this select program get an early start on research and writing. There is no better place to study political economy.

Faculty in political economy at Chicago have research interests in a broad range of empirical and theoretical topics. We encourage students to pursue research wherever their intellectual interests lie, whether that means working within an established scholarly tradition or exploring new topics from the perspective of political economy. Prospective students submit a single  application  directly to the Ph.D. program in political economy.

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How to Apply to the Ph.D. Program

Ph.d. application + admission process.

Applicants who wish to be considered for Fall admission to the Ph.D. in Economics should submit their application by the following deadlines:

December 1 for all International Applicants

January 15 for all Domestic Applicants

Ph.D. Application Steps

To apply, you must complete the University Graduate School’s online application. You must provide the following information in the online application:

Statement of Purpose:

A written statement (1-2 standard printed pages) outlining your goals and interest in pursuing graduate study at Indiana University must be included with your online application.

Current Resume:

Please upload your most recent C.V. or resume in the online application.

Departmental Questions:

Applicants must include all coursework taken in Mathematics and Economics for their application to be considered complete. Please list this information in the section provided within the online application. Additionally, please respond to the questions regarding funding interest.

Three Letters of Recommendation:

The contact information (including names, street addresses, phone numbers and email addresses) of three people who will submit your letters of recommendation via the online application system. The online system will then email your contacts with instructions on how to upload their references online.

Writing samples are not required. However, we do welcome them, and they will be considered as part of your application materials. They may be uploaded in the online application.

Recommended: Your online application to IU should be submitted at least 2 weeks before the actual deadline in order for your recommenders to have the opportunity to respond to their notifications by the appropriate deadline.

Applications with late materials cannot be guaranteed consideration for financial aid packages.

The cost for submitting the graduate application is $70. The application fee is non-refundable. FreeApp provides an application fee waiver for domestic high-achieving and URM candidates.

Please have official transcripts sent directly from all undergraduate institutions attended, as well as from any graduate programs (if applicable).

International applicants

Please have your official academic records in the original language from every postsecondary school you have attended, whether or not you obtained a degree, sent to OIS. If the original is not in English, also include a certified, literal translation. Records must be issued by the registrar or record-keeping official from the institution at which the work was completed.

Notarized copies of academic records are not acceptable. If you studied in the United States or Canada, have official transcripts sent directly to International Admissions from the issuing institution’s records office. All transcripts must be sent to the Office of International Services (OIS), even if you have attended an institution in the United States. OIS will not accept electronic transcripts.

Please have your sealed, official transcripts (with English translation, if applicable) mailed to:

Ferguson International Center Office of International Services 330 N. Eagleson Ave. Bloomington, IN 47406 USA Attn: Graduate Admissions

Phone: 812-855-9086

Domestic applicants

Please have your sealed, official transcripts mailed directly from the institution(s) to:

Department of Economics Wylie Hall 105 100 S. Woodlawn Ave. Bloomington, IN 47405-7104 USA Attn: Graduate Admissions

If you are in the process of completing a bachelor’s degree when you apply, a transcript showing your current enrollment in your course of study is acceptable. If admitted to Indiana University, you will be required to submit a final, official transcript directly to Indiana University prior to your matriculation, verifying the completion of your degree and the date your degree was awarded.

Please have ETS send official GRE score results electronically to Indiana University Bloomington at Institution Code is 1324.

Note: We do not accept GMAT scores.

The Department of Economics cannot waive the requirement to provide proof of English language proficiency if an applicant’s native language is not English. The department will accept current TOEFL and IELTS scores.

For applicants whose native language is not English, either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) -- preferred, or the IELTS are required to be considered for the Ph.D. program in Economics.

While Indiana University prefers to receive TOEFL scores, applicants who wish to submit a current IELTS score should have the official scores sent to OIS for verification:

A current, official TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for all international applicant files.

• If TOEFL or IELTS scores are older than 2 years and/or have a total score that is less than 90 on the TOEFL iBT or less than 7.0 OBS on the IELTS, please be aware that you may be required to take the Indiana Academic English Test (IAET) if you are admitted to Indiana University. Students are required to enroll and pass any English courses prescribed from the results of this examination. Tuition fees for English proficiency courses are the same as for other courses; however, the credit hours earned in English proficiency courses will not be counted toward degree requirements.
• To be eligible for an associate instructorship position in future years, students must also meet additional English language requirements, which includes becoming certified by passing the Test of English Proficiency for International Associate Instructor Candidates .

After you apply: International applicants will receive an email from OIS providing them with their Atlas login information within five days of receiving your completed electronic application. Please view Supporting Documents for Graduate Students for detailed information about the required documents which are necessary to submit in addition to your online application. You will be able to provide these in Atlas.

International applicants must provide a Declaration of Financial Support Form upon notification of acceptance to Indiana University, if you have not been awarded a financial support package. Please fill out and submit this information to the Office of International Admissions directly, either by mail to the above address, by email to newtoiu@indiana.edu , or by fax to (812) 856-5378.

View estimated expenses for international graduate students

The evidence of financial support will not be part of your academic admission decision, as this information is held in confidence by the Office of International Admissions. Applications received without any evidence of financial support can be processed for an admission decision. However, admission will be delayed if the Office of International Services does not have this information on file. OIS provides details regarding the next steps after admission and provides resources for living in the U.S.

Frequently Asked Questions

A: No. Indiana University will not extend conditional offers of admission.

A: No. The PhD program in Economics at Indiana University is an in-residence program which requires full-time enrollment to complete the required course of study.

A: No. While Indiana University is practicing some online components to PhD courses to keep students and faculty safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not an online degree.

A: Indiana University has established a website to keep students, faculty and staff informed on IU’s planning and response to COVID-19.

A: The average number of complete applications we have received in recent years is 135. Our matriculating class varies each year, ranging between 15 – 20 students.

A: The following are the average scores of applicants who have matriculated in recent years: GRE General Test: Quantitative: 164 Verbal: 153 Writing: 3.5 TOEFL iBT: 98

A: Yes. The admissions committee can begin reviewing your application with your unofficial transcripts which you upload with your application. However, Indiana University cannot make an offer of admission prior to receiving the official transcripts. We ask that you submit official transcripts as soon as possible.

A: Yes. International applicants should plan to have their official transcripts arrive to OIS no later than the end of December and domestic applicants should plan to have their official transcripts arrive to the department no later than the end of January.

A: Yes. Notify the admissions team in each department to let them know which other programs you are applying to. You will be required to submit applications to each program. If you are also applying to a Kelley School of Business PhD program , you will need to submit an additional application to them directly.

A: No, test scores are electronically reported by ETS to Indiana University’s Student Information System. The scores can be matched to your application electronically based on your name and identifying information. Department codes do not impact this matching process. If you submit multiple applications, each program at Indiana University to which you applied will have access to your official test scores.

A: Yes. We prefer TOEFL exam scores. If an applicant wishes to submit an IELTS score, the minimum OBS score for graduate study should be 7.0 and official scores should be sent to the Office of International Services for evaluation.

A: You can request the TOEFL requirement be waived if you have or are attending a college or university within the U.S. for four or more years.

A: No. The GRE exam is required by a department, a waiver is not possible.

A: We will begin the review process using unofficial self-reported scores, but we must have the official scores by the materials deadline (see next question).

A: Due to various document processing, the deadlines for international applicants and domestic applicants are different. International applicants must submit applications no later than December 1. Official transcripts, test scores and letters of recommendation should arrive no later than December 31. Domestic applicants must submit applications by January 15. Official transcripts, test scores and letters of recommendation should arrive no later than January 31.

A: Applicants are responsible for entering recommender information into the Indiana University Graduate CAS. When the application is submitted, the recommenders will then receive an electronic request via email to provide their recommendation, along with an opportunity to upload a PDF of their recommendation letter to the application.

A: Yes. Recommender links will remain active even after the application deadline.

A: Applicants should log into their online application to view the most up to date information available. We will contact you via email through the application portal during the review process if further information is needed. Applicants should not email to request an application status update.

A: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not arranging in-person visits. In the meantime, we invite you to a virtual visit of our beautiful campus. The Department of Economics is located in Wylie Hall, one of two brick buildings in the Old Crescent.

A: The admission committee for the PhD program normally holds interviews between late January and late March. This year, interviews will be held on Zoom. You will be contacted directly via email in the application portal by the admissions coordinator if the committee wishes to interview you.

A: It will vary. Applicants are notified once the admissions committee makes a final decision on your individual application. We anticipate all decisions to be final by April 15.

A: The standard application fee is $70 per program. Applications are not reviewed until the application fee has been paid.

A: Under certain circumstances. The department cannot waive application fees, but the University Graduate School offers application fee waivers to applicants who meet eligibility requirements . If these eligibility requirements are not met, we cannot waive an application fee.

A: No. We do not offer refunds for any reason, except if a technical error occurs during the transaction process.

A: No. Simply indicate your preference to be considered for financial aid from Indiana University on your application.

A: No. Offers of admission which do not explicitly outline funding are offers of admission only and are not a financial commitment from Indiana University.

A: Most students will be awarded a Student Academic Appointment (SAA). These appointments require that a student work no more than 20 hours per week as a Graduate Assistant (GA), a Teaching Assistant (TA), or an Associate Instructor (AI). First year students are typically assigned as Graduate Assistants (GAs). The department selects a few top applicants for a College of Arts and Sciences Fellowship in their first year, which will not have a work requirement.

A: Financial packages are most often five-year funding commitments. Fellowships and Student Academic Appointments include a 100% tuition fee remission, health insurance (includes vision/dental); and a stipend. The stipend will vary depending on the package (whether Fellowship or SAA) and assignment (GA/TA/AI).

A: Decisions regarding financial offers are made throughout the admission process and you will be notified once the admissions committee determines if a financial offer can be extended to you. As a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, Indiana University supports the CGS Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants . All financial offers must be extended and responded to by the April 15 deadline.

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World-changing. Path-breaking. History-making. 

The Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics prepares students for a future in world-changing research. The department boasts affiliations with numerous research centers and initiatives including the Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics, the Center for the Economics of Human Development, the Development Innovation Lab, and more.

Our faculty are renowned for their seminal contributions to the field, achievements recognized with numerous Nobel Prizes, Clark Medals, and other distinctions. Thirty-three Nobel prizes in the field of economics have been awarded to individuals associated with the University; still, students in the department have the opportunity to interact daily with faculty who are passionate about continuing to shape the profession through collaboration and thoughtful instruction.

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