MAE Application FAQ

The deadline to submit an application, and all supporting materials, is January 15th.

No, the MAE program only accepts and reviews applications once per year. Admission is for the upcoming Fall semester. The online application opens in September. Applications must be submitted by the January 15th deadline.

We only admit for Fall term.

United States citizens and those with permanent resident visa status, $75; Non-U.S. citizens,
$90; Current Rackham students, regardless of citizenship, $10. The application fee is due when you submit your application. The fee is non-refundable and subject to change. Applications submitted without the fee will be withdrawn from the review process. Additional information about the application fee, including the requirements for a fee waiver, can be found here.

Tuition rates are posted through the Registrar’s Office.

To see an estimated cost of attendance, please review the information available here.

The Department of Economics does not have any available funding for students in the MAE program.

The Office of Financial Aid provides information regarding the cost of attendance and potential funding sources. Additional information exclusively for graduate students is available through the Rackham Graduate School here.

International students who are recommended for admission will be contacted by the Rackham Graduate School to submit financial certification in order for the University of Michigan to prepare the I‐20. For detailed information, please see the section on required financial documentation for international students here. If you have been awarded financial aid by the University, the department will verify that information with the Rackham Graduate School.

Yes.

Process for submitting letters of recommendation

Recommendation letters should be submitted by undergraduate teachers or others in a position to evaluate the applicants' potential for graduate study. Please do not send paper recommendations.

Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association; or Completion of an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university recognized and approved by the Ministry of Education or Commission responsible for higher education in the country where the degree is earned. (see Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions).

Minimum degree requirements are set by Rackham Graduate School.  Information can be found here.

We do not have a work or internship experience requirement for admission, however we encourage applicants to include work and internship experiences as part of their application for review as it helps provide the admission committee with a fuller picture of the applicant's background.

It is recommended that you have intermediate micro- and macro-economics and a strong math/calculus background to be successful in the MAE program.

Rackham Graduate School's minimum requirement for an applicant who has completed a three-year bachelor's degree in India is to have also been awarded a master's degree from an institution that is recognized by the Indian Association of Universities to grant degrees. If you have a master's degree that meets that criteria then you are eligible to apply. If it does not, you can not submit an application. Holders of a three-year Bachelor’s degree are not considered eligible for graduate study at the Rackham Graduate School.

More information about required academic credentials from non-U.S. institutions can be found here.

You can check Wolverine Access to determine if supporting documents have been received. You may also utilize the offline chat on the Rackham website.

Submission of official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is required for MAE program applicants. To submit a GRE score report (General Test), applicants should use the University of Michigan institution code 1839. The GRE report should be received by the application deadline, January 15th. Because some test centers may be closed, the GRE General Test at home version will also be accepted. The MAE program does not have a minimum requirement for GRE scores.

The MAE Program does not have a minimum requirement for GRE scores, however the average GRE scores of incoming students over the past two academic years are:

Quantitative: 166

Verbal: 152

The MAE Program puts strong emphasis on applicant performance on the quantitative portion of the GRE.

We cannot accept the GMAT as a substitution for the GRE.

We accept all scores sent in by the applicant.  The highest scores attained on each section (quantitative, qualitative, writing) will be used for review.

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency, unless they meet one of the criteria for an exemption. Language test scores are valid for two years from the test date. The scores must be received from the testing agency no later than the application deadline, January 15th.

For detailed information about which test scores are accepted and the Rackham Graduate School's minimum score requirements for admission consideration, please review the information here. 

To qualify for an exemption, the applicant must have completed their entire undergraduate studies (typically 4 years) in the U.S. or other English-speaking country (e.g. Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand). International students who completed part of their undergraduate degree at a non-U.S. university, then transferred to a U.S. school and graduated from that institution, do not qualify for an exemption. Additional information regarding exemption criteria is available here.

In accordance with Rackham Graduate School, our minimum requirements on the two exams are as follows:

• IBT TOEFL: 84
• Paper/Pencil TOEFL & TWE: 560
• IELTS: 6.5

TOEFL scores should be sent to institution code 1839.  

IELTS scores should be mailed directly to Rackham Graduate School.

More information can be found here.

While a minimum GPA is not required, approximately 98% of the applicants offered admission to Rackham Graduate School have a greater than 2.80 (on a 4.00 scale) undergraduate grade point average.

The average GPA of incoming students is 3.47 on a 4.00 scale.

Approximately 55 students enroll in the program each Fall term.

It is possible to apply to two graduate programs. You will need to complete two separate applications, submit payment for two application fees, and provide a complete set of supporting documents to both programs. If you are offered admission to both programs, you can accept only one.

MAE program students are eligible to apply to add a second master's or certificate program after they have completed the first semester of the program. For more information, see the Dual Admission section here. 

It is rare for MAE students to hold Research Assistant positions within the Department of Economics due to the number of PhD-level students who seek and fill these opportunities.  In many cases, students actively seek research opportunities on their own by building relationships with faculty within and outside the Department of Economics.

MAE students can seek on campus employment in a variety of places.

In the Department of Economics MAE students have the opportunity to work as exam proctors.  Additionally, some students serve as graders for economics faculty.

International students should check with the International Center regarding I-20 employment stipulations.

No, an internship is not required as part of the MAE Program, however the program makes every effort to communicate internship opportunities to students throughout the year.  The program encourages students to seek internships as they provide beneficial, hands-on experience.

International Students who seek an internship in the U.S. must apply for CPT .

For the past few admissions cycles, the MAE program received between 600-800 applications.

The average time to completion is 3 semesters, however the program can be completed in 2 or 4 semesters depending on the students' needs and if a course plan is approved in advance.

The core MAE program courses typically have approximately 50-70 students. Elective courses vary in class size--some are relatively small (35 students), while others may be large (50 - 70 students).

Approximately 93% of our incoming class each year are international students, representing a variety of countries.  This is a direct reflection of our applicant pool, which is predominately composed of non-U.S. Citizens.

Approximately 51% of our incoming class each year are women.