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Graduate Programs

MA Program: Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

Applicants must have completed, or must be in the final year of an appropriate four-year bachelor's degree program or its equivalent with at least a mid-B (75%) standing in the final year of that program. Applicants educated in a country other than Canada should check the equivalent qualifications table before starting the online application.

Applicants must have a strong preparation in economics, including the following university-level courses.

  • Two semesters of introductory economics (micro and macro)
  • Two semesters of intermediate economics (micro and macro)
  • Two semesters of calculus
  • Two semesters of intermediate statistics.
Please check the additional course information to ensure that they meet the minimum admission requirements for the MA before starting the online application. Please note that these minimum requirements do not imply automatic acceptance into the program. Preference is given to students who have also completed upper-year courses in advanced economic theory, econometrics, and mathematics. Each application must be supported by two letters of reference, preferably from the applicant's instructors. Applicants are the best judge of whom else to ask to be a referee in the case where an academic reference is not available.

Transcript, GRE and English Language Facility Test Score Requirements

All applicants must submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. See our application information and instructions for detailed information on transcript requirements. Applicants without a degree from a Canadian university are required to submit official general GRE test scores and may be required to submit official test scores for English Language Facility tests acceptable by the University of Toronto. Be sure to read the GRE and English Language Facility information for important details on test score requirements. Note: The GMAT cannot be substituted for the GRE test score.

The Admission Process

Please read the application information and instructions prior to starting the university's online application.

New this year: Once the university's online application form has been completed and the application fee paid (deadline January 8, 2010), applicants will receive an email message from the Department of Economics with a link to a supplementary form. When this form is completed and the Economics Graduate Office has received all required supporting documenation (deadline January 22, 2010), the department will begin to review and assess the application.

As part of the online application process this year, applicants scan and upload their academic transcripts, including the description of the marking scheme, which typically is printed on the back of the transcript. Although applicants must perform this upload by January 22, 2010, we strongly encourage all applicants to do so as soon as possible, and certainly by the application deadline of January 8, 2010.

The files of applicants who meet the minimum requirements and submit all required test scores and transcripts by the deadline will be reviewed by the Department of Economics Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee will start round one offers for September 2010 admission in late March and early April and continue with subsequent rounds of offers until June. All applicants will be notified either with an offer of admission or rejection of their application by mail to the address provided in the online application by the end of June.