MSU Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics  Graduate Education > Applying

Applying to the Graduate Program

Admissions criteria

  1. Ability to complete the degree requirements successfully and in a reasonable time period. This is evaluated based on the entire application, including:
    • Record of previous academic training and performance (course program, grades, length of time to degree, and date of degree).
      • Previous training in economics, mathematics, and statistics is required. Students without this training may apply, but may be advised to take preparatory courses in these topics prior to receiving regular admission.
        • M.S. applicants are expected to have taken introductory economics, intermediate microeconomics, introductory statistics, and at least one semester of calculus.
        • Ph.D. applicants are expected to have taken additional mathematics (another semester of calculus or linear algebra), and master's-level courses in mathematics for economists, micro- and macroeconomics, and statistics or econometrics.
      • Successful M.S. applicants will generally have at least a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 = best scale) in their undergraduate program. Successful Ph.D. applicants will generally have at least a 3.5 GPA in their M.S. program.
    • Personal statement outlining your life journey and any obstacles you overcame.
    • Academic statement describing the areas of the discipline that most interest you and what you plan to do in your career.
    • TOEFL and GRE scores.
      • Minimum TOEFL scores for regular admission are 550 with no subscores below 52 on the paper exam, and 80 with no subscores below 19 (22 for the writing section) on the Internet-based exam.
      • We have no minimum GRE scores. Scores for admitted applicants vary considerably, depending on English language skills and time of preparation. In general, scores above 600 for verbal (750 for quantitative) are positive, scores of 500-550 (700-720 for quantitative) are neutral, and scores below 450 (680 for quantitative) are negative.
      • General information about these tests is available from the MSU Testing Office. We recommend preparing for the test. Students who are currently at an institution of higher learning may have access to test preparation assistance from their home institution. For example, current MSU students can get assistance from the MSU Test Preparation Consortium.
    • Letters of recommendation.
    • Previous research or work experience that is relevant to your proposed area of interest.
  2. Match between the applicant's background and interests, and the department's research, teaching, and outreach programs.
    • Admissions is competitive. More qualified students apply than we can effectively support given our faculty resources and graduate assistantship funding.
    • Applicants who meet the minimum criteria in (1) above are therefore evaluated in terms of:
      • The ability of our faculty and program to provide adequate support for the student's intended educational goals (area of interest, in terms of subject and geographical region).
      • The applicant's potential contribution to our research, teaching, and outreach programs.
  3. The applicant's contribution to the diversity and balance of our overall graduate student group.

Application materials and procedures

  • Applicants with Internet access must apply on-line. (Those who do not have Internet access may request a paper application form.) The application forms and procedures are different for domestic and international applicants. See the "Apply On-Line" Web page.
  • The Graduate School Web site includes a general information brochure in PDF format; an application brochure with information for all applicants plus additional information for international applicants on topics including English language proficiency, financial proof, and visas; and a related Web site with additional information for international applicants.
  • Required application materials include transcripts from previous degree programs, a personal statement, academic statement, three letters of recommendation, TOEFL scores (international students), and Graduate Record Examination scores (General Test), which should be taken early enough so that the scores reach MSU at the same time as your application. For those taking the paper-based GRE, this means taking the exam no later than October (if applying for Fall Semester) or June (if applying for Spring Semester).
  • In general, Applicants for the Ph.D. program are expected to be completing or to have obtained a Master's degree. Exceptional students with native or near-native English and prior research experience may apply for the Ph.D. program without a prior Master's.
  • Transcripts and letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Department.
  • The department has no special reference forms.  Use the standard forms provided by the graduate school. TOEFL and GRE scores must be sent by ETS to Michigan State University. MSU's institution code  is 1465. For the GRE, the department code (agricultural economics) is 0101; for the TOEFL, there is no department code for agricultural economics, so 99 should be chosen.

Funding and financial proof

  • Requests for financial aid should be indicated on the application.
  • For international students: You may send in your application without filling out the statement of financial proof, if you do not have sufficient financial resources of your own. If you receive departmental funding, it will be sufficient to cover the amount required on the financial proof form.

Deadlines

  • Apply by January 31 for the following Fall semester. U.S. Citizens or permanent residents who have very strong academic credentials and evidence of leadership capacity may wish to apply by mid-December to be considered for University Distinguished Fellowship nomination.  Most decisions on admissions and funding for Fall semester are made in the January through March period.
  • Students interested in Spring or Summer entrance should apply at least 90 days in advance.

Further information

For questions, or to obtain a printed application and program information, contact:

Professor Scott Loveridge, Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics
202 Agriculture Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039

Telephone: +1 517-353-6644
Fax: +1 517-432-1800
E-mail: aecgrad@msu.edu