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Graduate admission standards

The Department of Economics has a limited number of places in its graduate programs. Thus, academic admission standards set by the Graduate Program Committee (GPC) normally exceed the University’s minimum requirements.  All applicants must also satisfy English language proficiency standards.

Please note that applicants are not asked to find a supervisor prior to admission in the program. GRE results are optional: students are welcome to include their test results in their application, but it is not mandatory to do so. The department cannot waive the application fee.

Candidates with a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the bachelor level (on a 4.3 scale), or equivalent, may apply to the MA program.  However, the GPC will only consider candidates with a superior record in core Economic theory courses (upper level Microeconomics and Macroeconomics theory as well as Econometrics).

Applicants who are not offered admission to the MA program are automatically considered for the diploma program.  There is thus no need to submit an additional application in this case.

Candidates who are judged suitable for advanced study in economics, but lack the required depth in the core areas cited, may be required to take up to twelve 500-level credits (typically ECON 501, 503, 521 in the first term as Graduate Diploma students), in addition to the normal MA program requirements. Such applicants will be asked to enroll in the Graduate Diploma program first, before advancing to the MA program after taking the three 500-level qualifying courses with satisfactory grades.

The general requirement for any student registered in the Diploma program to advance to the MA is minimally a B+ grade in all of the core courses.

PhD applicants must normally have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.3 scale), or equivalent, at the MA-level. However, the GPC will only consider candidates with a solid “A” standing (i.e., GPA of 4.0) in Masters level core courses (micro theory, macro theory and econometrics). Applicants must also demonstrate a capacity to undertake independent research, evidence of which may be indicated by the quality of a completed MA paper or a similar document at their graduating institution.  While taking the GRE is not required, strong GRE scores (especially a high score in the Quantitative section) may enhance the chances of a successful application, for both admission and funding.

Candidates with an exceptional background may apply for direct admission to the PhD program, without necessarily completing an MA.

The Department offers financial assistance to the most successful PhD applicants, except those who have secured an external scholarship. Details of possible awards are described here.

Please refer to this page for information about Concordia's English Proficiency Requirements for admission to graduate programs.

International applicants who are required to provide proof of English language proficiency should submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or Duolingo English Test (DET) scores as part of their applications. The GPC will only recommend for admission those applicants who, in addition to meeting the academic standards, have also obtained the following scores.

  • TOEFL: 90 overall, no parts under 20
  • IELTS: 6.5 overall, no parts under 6.5
  • DET: 120, no parts under 110

In exceptional cases admission may be offered when the English proficiency scores are only slightly below our standards. However, in such a case the student will be asked to take the Concordia Comprehensive ESL Placement Test (ConCEPT) and based on the result may be required to take English courses in addition to the courses in the program.

The firm application deadline for a Fall term entry is February 1 for all graduate programs.

The firm application deadline for a Winter term entry is June 1 for the Graduate Diploma and MA programs. There is no admission to the PhD program in the Winter term.

Application deadlines are strictly enforced.

Tuition and fees of the program may depend on your student status, among other key factors. Estimate these costs based on the most common situations.

How fees are billed

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