Economics and Finance
Admission to the Master's Program in Economics
Admission
To be admitted into the graduate program, a student must hold a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited university. It is not essential that the previous education be in economics. Aside from economics, previous graduate students have had a variety of quantitative backgrounds from computer science to mathematics.
Application Procedure and Requirements
The Department accumulates a file on each applicant for admission.
A complete file contains the following:
- a complete IHS graduate application: Application form
- certified translations of all previous university or college transcripts
(http://fabsits.heimat.eu/haagbeh.htm OR http://www.apostilleinfo.com); - a sample of written work (ideally bachelor´s thesis)
- a letter outlining your future career goals;
- three letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic achievements;
- photocopy of main page in passport.
The Department does not require GRE or TOEFL results. However, we strongly encourage our applicants to provide this extra information. Official score reports must be received by the application deadline. Our designated institution (DI) Code is 8929. Photocopies are not acceptable.
The applicant's file must be complete by the deadline in order to be considered for admission and financial aid. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all applications and supporting materials arrive by the deadline. If an application is incomplete by the final deadline, it will not be considered for admission.
Decisions regarding admission are the responsibility of the Departmental Graduate Admission Committee, which bases its judgment on the previous academic records, the letters of recommendation, the candidate's statement of objectives, and the GRE and TOEFL examinations (if available). Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by the Admission Committee. Local candidates will be invited to the Institute, otherwise interviews will be conducted over the telephone.
Timeline for Admission 2012
Application deadline:
March 1, 2012: All application materials are due by this date. International students are encouraged to apply early.
- Interviews with selected candidates are conducted in the week starting March 5.
- Notices of acceptance are sent out by March 16.
- Candidates have until March 30 to notify the Department of their decision.
Midyear Entrance
The first year course sequence start only in the fall and are cumulative. Each course is a prerequisite for the subsequent one. Therefore, a student who tried to start the program later than September would be at a serious disadvantage with respect to his colleagues. For this reason, students are not allowed to start the program in mid-year. Should circumstances require a delayed start, the program admission may be postponed by one year.
Prior Preparation
Students with limited prior knowledge of economics are strongly encouraged to catch up on undergraduate economic theory at the upper-division level. Furthermore, knowledge of and familiarity with using mathematical tools relevant for economic analysis (like optimization, linear algebra and probability) is essential. The department offers an optional intensive course, Introductory Mathematics, on analysis, with a focus on calculus and optimiziation.
