Admission Requirements for the Master of Arts in Economics

Please note:  The department cannot provide answers to questions regarding admission status or the financial affidavit. These files are not in our office. 

A. University Graduate Admission Requirements:
Note: The Department has no input into this step of the evaluation process. Questions regarding status directed to the Department cannot be answered.

1. Regular Graduate Admission GPA Requirements:

a. Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50 (based on all hours completed), OR
b. Have a GPA of 2.75 on all courses completed during the last two years of the undergraduate degree

2. Graduate admission requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree.

3. If native language is not English, proficiency in English must be demonstrated by:

a. successful completion of Western's English as a Second Language program, OR
b. a TOEFL, taken within the last two years before the start of the academic semester in which the student is first enrolled, of 550 paper (213 computer).

4. For non-U.S. citizens, a financial affidavit documenting that sufficient financial resources are available for the student to complete the program must be filed with the, <International Education Office.> 

B. Department of Economics Admission Requirements:

1. An overall GPA of 3.00 for all courses completed in the undergraduate degree program. Exceptions are granted. Students with a GPA of 2.75 for either their entire undergraduate program, or for the last two years of their undergraduate degree program, may be admitted if their grades in selected specialty courses are A's and B's.

2. All transcripts are reviewed with particular attention to selected specialty courses. These courses are:

a. Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (WIU Econ 331)
b. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (WIU Econ 330 or 332)
c. A statistics course that included an introduction to regression analysis. (WIU QA 211 or Econ 387)
d. A calculus course that included partial derivatives. (WIU Econ 481G or Math 138 or Math 231)

All department deficiencies in the above courses must be satisfied before regular admission to the MA in Economics program. Econ 481G may be taken for graduate credit. The other three courses cannot be taken for graduate credit. However, courses that would satisfy these deficiencies are offered every semester and an independent study/proficiency examination option is available to allow completion of deficiencies with no tuition expense.

For more information on the independent study/proficiency option, contact us directly by e-mail