Who makes admission decisions in the Department?

The Graduate Committee in the Department, chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies, makes admission decisions.   

Do you require a GRE score for admission?

The Graduate School currently waives the GRE requirement for admission purposes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  If you have a score, we strongly recommend that you submit it.

Do you accept a GMAT score instead of a GRE score?

Yes, you can.  If you are admitted, the Graduate School will require you to submit your official documents before you enroll and attend classes. 

Can I apply with my unofficial documents (such as transcript)?

Yes, you can.  If you are admitted, the Graduate School will require you to submit your official documents before you enroll and attend classes.

Can I send my transcript and CV to the Director of Graduate Studies for an initial assessment before I formally submit an application to the Graduate School?

No, you may not.  The Graduate Committee will only review applications that are deferred to the Department by the Graduate School.  The Graduate School defers applications to departments only when applications are complete. 

I have an undergraduate degree from a country whose official language is English.  Do I still have to demonstrate language proficiency (i.e., submit a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo results)?

English proficiency is a Graduate School requirement.  Please check with the Graduate School and the Office of International Affairs:

Click to see the Graduate School details

Click to see Office of International Affairs details 

Do I need to have a degree in economics? What are the minimum economics requirements for entering students?

A large majority of our students enter the MA program with a degree in economics.  This said, a degree in economics is not essential to be considered for admission. 

Where should I apply?

Click here to submit your application through the Graduate School portal

When should I apply?

The Graduate Committee starts accepting applications early in the fall semester.  For full consideration, applicants must have their complete applications submitted to the Graduate School by January 15.  The Graduate Committee will continue to make admission decisions until April 30. 

Does the Department offer application fee waiver?

The department may offer an application fee waiver under certain circumstances. Send the Director of Graduate Studies a request for an application waiver. Please submit with your request your CV, unofficial transcripts, and reasons for your request.  The Graduate Committee reviews each request independently and makes its decision accordingly. 

When does my application become “Complete”?

When the Graduate School reviews all of your required documents, makes sure that nothing is missing, and you meet all of their requirements, they change the status of your application on the Graduate School's portal from “Submitted” to “Complete”.  Before your application becomes “Complete”, the Graduate Committee in the Department will not be able to review it. 

How long should I expect to wait to receive a decision after my application becomes “Complete”?

The Graduate Committee will start making admission decisions in February.  The Committee will continue to review applications as they become complete until late April.  In general, you should expect your status on the Graduate School portal to change within 60 days from the day your application becomes complete (i.e., accepted, denied, or waitlisted).  Note, if you are denied, you will receive a denial letter from the Graduate School.  You will not hear from the Department if your application is denied.    

Are teaching assistantship positions available for MA students?

The limited teaching assistantship positions are primarily allocated to Ph.D. program applicats.  There are, however, scholarship and fellowship opportunities for MA students.  

What are the different scholarships and fellowships available for MA students? 

The Helen Jones DeVitt Recruitment Fellowship, $8,000 ($4,000 per year for 2 years). One fellowship.

The Graduate School Recruitment Fellowship, $8,000 ($4,000 per year for 2 years).  One fellowship.

Dr. Rashid B. Al-Hmoud Recruitment Fellowship, $8,000 ($4,000 per year for 2 years). 

Once I enroll and I become an MA student, are there other opportunities for additional funding?

Yes, the are several internal and external scholarships fellowships that you can apply for as a graduate student at Texas Tech.  

Click here for Internal scholarships and fellowships   

Click here for External scholarships and fellowships 

How many applications do you typically receive in a given year and how many students do you admit?

We receive between 100 and 150 applications every year, and we start a cohort of about 10 to 14 students.

The April 15th deadline is approaching and I haven't heard anything yet about the status of my application. 

Often, we do not deny students admission until the very last minute due to the chance that changes may occur in our top list of students. As students are removed from waitlists at other schools, this creates a shift in our list as well.

Do you admit MA students in the spring or the summer? 

We don't admit students in the summer.  As for the spring semester, although we prefer not to, we do accept MA students in rare occasions due to special circumstances.

I am an international student who was admitted in the fall, but I couldn't get my visa on time to travel to the U.S. and start my classes.

We are aware of the current visa application backlog that U.S. counselors are having to deal with due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   The Graduate School and the Department will do everything they can to help you, including allowing you to enroll in classes late in the fall (up to two weeks).  We will also issue you a “Late Arrival” notice to facilitate your entry into the country, but only if your late arrival is within two weeks from the start of the fall semester.   If you can only arrive after the two-week limit, we will defer your enrollment to the spring semester.  

Can I defer my admission?

You can request a one-year deferral from the Graduate School and the Department.  Each case will be reviewed individually. 

Can I transfer courses from a different graduate program that I was enrolled in?

You may not transfer any “core” courses.  At the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies, however, you may be allowed to transfer up to 6 graduate credit hours (2 courses) as elective economic courses that you completed at a different graduate program in the U.S., and are equivalent to courses in our program.  

What are my responsibilities if I am funded as a teaching assistant?

You will be employed as a teaching assistant (TA) at 0.5 full-time-equivalence, that's 20 hours per week.  As a TA, you will be assigned to faculty member whom you will help their classes and students, i.e., attending their classes, grading, holding office hours, etc.  Some TA's are assigned to the Economics Tutoring Center.  The Center provides free tutoring services to undergraduate students enrolled in any of our economics principles courses.  One a Ph.D. student passes their Qualifying Exams, most TA's become Graduate Part-Time Instructors (GPTI's). A GPTI is a Ph.D. student who teaches their own classes.  Teaching is increasingly becoming an important component to competitiveness in the PhD job market. Most of our Ph.D. students graduate with at least 4 semesters of teaching economics, which gives them a great advantage over others in terms of job placement.

How many students are in your graduate programs and where do they come from?

The 5-year average number is 42 graduate students, mostly in the Ph.D. program, and they come from all over the world.  Currently, our students are from the U.S., China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Jordan, Ukraine Azerbaijan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

What fields are offered by your program?

We offer a range of fields, including:  International Economics, Monetary Economics, Labor Economics, Natural Resource Economics, Industrial Organization, and Applied Time Series Econometrics. All faculty are listed in the Department Directory.

How is your program structured?

Please see the main Economics MA page for program structure and course information.

How long do students take to complete the MA?

Students generally take two years to complete the program.

What have been the job placements for TTU MA graduates?

The majority of our MA students go on to pursue Ph.D. degrees in economics or related fields, such as personal financial planning, agricultural economics, or business-related.

Our most recent placements included the Montana Department of Transportation, Conoco Phillips, and Bakersfield, CA school district.