Graduate application FAQs

We aim to admit 2-3 new PhD students and 15-20 new MA students each year.

Apply for September entry by January 31st.

All applicants should allow additional time for tests such as the GRE or English language proficiency.

Learn everything about how to apply to UVic graduate programs.

Economics MA Admission Requirements

Economics PhD Admission Requirements

PhD applicants can be admitted to the PhD program only if they have a supervisor.

We recognize that finding a supervisor can be challenging so we offer the option to PhD applicants to also apply to the master's program.

They will end up taking similar courses in their first year and will have the option to transfer to the PhD program when they find a supervisor.

We usually make offers of admission throughout February and March.

If you receive an offer of admission from us, the Graduate Admissions and Records office (GARO) will also email you an admissions letter with the details of your provisional admission.

If you accept our offer, we’ll mail a formal offer of admission letter along with an acceptance package. Offers of admission are time-sensitive so we must receive a reply from you by the date stated in your offer letter.

If your application package does not contain all required unofficial documents, your file will not be ready for evaluation.

A file will be considered complete and ready for evaluation once Graduate Admissions and Records has received unofficial copies of all the following (if applicable):

• Transcripts
• Two Assessment Reports
• GRE scores
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Resume/CV (PhD and MA applicants)
• Statement of research interests (PhD applicants only)
• Sample of writing (PhD applicants only)

Submission of documents

Only PhD applicants need to identify potential supervisors during the admission process. MA students do not select a supervisor until September of their second year in the program.

PhD applicants should:

1. Review the PhD supervisor list and review the faculty profiles and areas of specialization that closely match your research interests.
2. Review faculty websites, reading their CVs or bios and perhaps some of their papers and publications.
3. Identify 2 or 3 faculty members you wish to have as your supervisor.
4. Write in your statement of research interests who those individuals are and why you think they would be good choices. This should be motivated by your research interests and ideas.

We do not recommend contacting faculty members at this stage. They are not allowed to agree to supervise anyone without assessing application packages.

Please do not send test results or other pertinent documents to faculty members. They will not be reviewed before the admissions process.

Log into My UVic application with your original application login ID and PIN. You can confirm whether your application submission and fee payment were successful. You will also be able to track any documents still required to complete your application.

This system is directly linked to the one used by Graduate Admissions and Records (GARO) to process your application. Any changes made to the status of your application are immediately updated and reflected on your My UVic application page.

Please note: During peak times, updates to the information within My UVic application regarding dates received may be delayed. Your documents will be stamped on the date they are received by GARO. It may take several weeks for this date to be reflected on your My UVic application page.

If you are exempt from taking the GRE or providing proof of English language proficiency, your status will show as "incomplete" until your file/transcripts have been processed by Graduate Admissions and Records (GARO).

If you meet the conditions that exempt you from either of these requirements based on the evaluation of your file, your status will change from "incomplete" to "complete" and will be forwarded to our department for review.

Shortly after completing your application online, UVic will email your student number (starting with "V00". Please include this number in all further correspondence with the university.

After preliminary processing, you will be sent instructions on how to track your application status using My UVic application. You’ll use the applicant ID (A-number) that was generated at the start of the UVic online application, along with the PIN you created.

Once your application is complete and an admission decision made, you will be notified by email. Please note that your file must be complete, including all official documents, to receive a full offer of admission.

You need to get the correct immigration documents to study in Canada from Immigration and Refugee, Citizenship Canada. Once you're admitted, a UVic immigration specialist can help you with this process.

Study permit procedures can take up to 6 months or more in some countries. You must apply for admission well before the posted deadlines.

Info for International Applicants

Step 1: Read department offer letter carefully

Step 2: Accept or decline offer

Please respond to the Graduate Program Assistant by email stating your decision (accept or decline) before the deadline stated in your provisional offer letter. If you do not send a response by the deadline, your offer will be withdrawn and cancelled.

Step 3: Pay deposit

If you have accepted our provisional offer of admission, you must pay a non-refundable $250 deposit to confirm your spot in the program. Please follow the necessary instructions in your provisional offer of admission to make payment.

Step 4: International students only: apply for study permit

Contact the Government of Canada to initiate the application process for a study permit. Study permit application procedures may take up to 6 months or more in some countries. Apply well before the posted deadlines for your entry point. 

Info for international Applicants

Step 5: Read graduate admissions offer letter carefully and follow instructions

Accepted students will receive an offer letter from our department along with an offer letter from the Graduate Admissions and Records Office (GARO). It is imperative that you follow the instructions outlined in both letters to confirm your spot in the program.

Step 6: Submit official documents

If offered provisional admission, mail all official documents to GARO. Please include your full legal name with your document package.

Do not send official documents until all course work is completed and your degree is conferred.

Official documents are not returned and become property of the University of Victoria. If your originals are irreplaceable, you should submit copies for evaluation purposes and be able to provide the originals for comparison.

STEP 7: Set up accounts

New graduate students - set up accounts

Step 8: Update contact information

Please email the graduate program assistant any time your contact information changes. They will be contacting you with important information throughout the summer.

Step 9: Housing

It is your responsibility to find housing. If you are considering living on campus, apply for housing early.

Housing for graduate students

Off-campus listings

Step 10: Employment/funding

Apply for a teaching assistantship (TA) position before the deadline. LINK TO TA PAGE

Step 11: Register for courses

The graduate program assistant will send you an information package in June with information on registering for courses. Registration for the winter session (September - April) opens at the end of June.

Step 12: Pay tuition fees

Consult the Graduate Academic Calendar for the breakdown of tuition and fees.

Tuition fee deadlines:

Fall term: September 30
Spring term: January 31
Summer term: May 31

Paying your tuition fees

Selection is highly competitive. We look at academic performance and training in previous degrees, written and verbal communication in the English language, research statements (for PhD applicants) and (if relevant) GRE results.

We receive a large volume of applications, of which the majority meet these basic requirements. However, our department generally only admits 15-20 MA students and 1-3 PhD students each year.

When the admissions committee selects applications, they consider equality and diversity. Should you be intent on attending UVic, you are most welcome to apply again next year.

Please note that due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot provide detailed explanations of our admissions decisions.

Learn about submission of documents.

Official documentation from applicants will be kept on file for 1 year.

If you attended UVic, your application will be kept on file for 3 years with Graduate Records after your last date of attendance.

You may submit documents after the application deadline, but your file may not be processed in time for your desired entry point or in time to obtain a student visa. You will also not be considered for fellowships and awards.

Institutional code: 0989

Department code for GRE: 1801

Department code for TOEFL: 84

No, we do not have the resources to do pre-evaluations. You must apply and go through the formal admissions process. Please be advised that it will not give you an advantage to email your education history and other credentials to the department, as it will not be taken into consideration unless you apply for admission.

See our Prospective Students page for more details. In short, you must:

1. Hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized institution, with at least a "B" (5.0) average in the last two years (or equivalent of 30 UVic units) leading to the degree.
2. Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, indicating any graded coursework completed and any degrees awarded and the date they were conferred.
3. Submit GRE scores (if applicable), and IELTS/MET/TOEFL scores (if applicable).
4. Have two assessment reports submitted from persons qualified to assess your ability to do graduate work.
5. Submit a statement of research interests (PhD applicants ONLY).
6. Submit a current Resume/CV (PhD and MA applicants) providing an overview of experiences and other qualifications.
7. Submit a writing sample (PhD applicants ONLY) in the form of one recent research paper.
8. Be sufficiently well prepared in mathematics and statistics as well as written and verbal communication.

You must prove you are competent in the English language to attend UVic. Learn about our English language requirements.

No, an undergraduate degree in economics is not required, although without this background you are unlikely to be competitive in the admission process.

Normally, a student should have completed a BA in Economics before entering the MA program. We strongly consider applicants who have undertaken a significant amount of work in economics during their bachelor’s degree.

Our typical successful applicant has completed an economics major (preferably BSc, but often BA). Their grades are mostly As and they have shown strong performance in mathematics and statistics courses.

We look mostly at grades in core technical courses such as intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics, advanced microeconomics and macroeconomics, mathematics for economics, probability and statistics, econometrics, calculus (including multivariate) and linear algebra.

You do not need all these courses to be considered for admission. We do expect an ideal candidate to have taken most. You should have received mostly A grades in most of these courses for us to seriously consider your application.

You may find it helpful to compare your background with our recommended course list for undergraduate students wishing to proceed to graduate school:

MATH 100 Calculus I
MATH 101 Calculus II
ECON 203 Intermediate Microeconomics I
ECON 204 Intermediate Macroeconomics
MATH 211Linear Algebra
ECON 245 Descriptive Statistics and Probability
ECON 246 Statistical Inference
ECON 313 Intermediate Microeconomics II
ECON 345 Econometrics
ECON 350 Mathematical Economics I: An Introduction to Static Methods
ECON 351Mathematical Economics II: An Introduction to Dynamic Methods
ECON 365 Econometrics: Part I
ECON 366 Econometrics: Part II
ECON 400 Advanced Topics in Microeconomic Theory
ECON 401 Advanced Topics in Macroeconomic Theory

Visit the Academic Calendar for detailed information about these courses.

We will consider your application if your training includes intermediate microeconomics (comparable with ECON 313), intermediate macroeconomics (comparable with ECON 204) and an applied econometrics course (comparable with ECON 345).

A degree in business or accounting does not prepare you to do a graduate degree in economics. We only consider applicants with those degrees (or majors other than economics) if they have A grades in several key economics and mathematics/statistics courses (see above) on their transcript.

If you lack sufficient background in economics and mathematics/statistics you can boost your chances of acceptance by completing related courses before you apply.

Mathematics/statistics or engineering students with little economics background should successfully complete intermediate microeconomics to demonstrate an ability to think like an economist. In such cases, you need to ensure that you have adequate mathematics training (e.g. one or more courses comparable with UVic’s MATH 208).

We do not examine whether your transcript meets this recommended background. You should carefully compare your undergraduate background with the above recommended courses.

Admission into the graduate program is highly competitive, and places are limited. 

Normally, a student should have completed a B.A. in Economics before entering the M.A. Program and an M.A. in Economics before entering the PhD program. Yet Bachelors or Master's students who have undertaken a significant amount of work in Economics, but have graduated with another degree are highly considered. In order to be competitive in the admission process for a spot in the program generally requires the following:

Being competitive in the admission process for a spot in the program generally requires the following:

Competitive MA requirements

• An undergraduate degree in economics, with a first-class A- (7.0) average in the last 2 years leading to the degree.
• A solid background in upper-level economic theory and econometrics.
• Training in mathematics and statistics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in the English language.

Competitive PhD requirements

• A master’s degree in economics, with a first-class A- (7.0) average in the last 2 years leading to the degree.
• A solid background in upper-level economic theory and econometrics.
• Training in mathematics and statistics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in the English language.
• A strong statement of research interests.
• An available supervisor matching your research interests.

No, but we expect incoming PhD students to have a strong background in economic theory and econometrics. Applicants without this background are unlikely to be competitive in the admission process.

We will strongly consider master's students who have undertaken a significant amount of work in economics in their degree.

There are no minimum scores for the GRE, but most students admitted to our program have scores at or above the 80th-90th percentile in all 3 parts of the GRE (verbal, quantitative and analytical).

Selection of applicants is based upon undergraduate performance, nature of academic training, cumulative GPA and, if need be, GRE results. All parts of the GRE are important and considered when applicants are closely matched in all other aspects.

The GMAT cannot be substituted for the GRE.

If you want to take some ECON courses at UVic but not an entire degree, you need to apply to as a non-degree (unclassified) student.

You may need permission from our department to register for courses if your previous academic history is not linked to our registration system.

UVic helps fund graduate students through a combination of:

• UVic Fellowships and Awards
• Teaching Assistantships
• Research Assistantships

Most of our students also receive external awards and scholarships and financial aid and bursaries. Consideration for funding is automatic. A funding offer is normally included with an offer of admission.

MA students are usually funded for 1 year and PhD students typically receive 3 years of funding.

Funding and Employment for Graduate Students

Search Graduate Awards and Fellowships

Additional funding

We encourage students to apply for additional funding in the form of provincial, federal and external funding:

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) - award amount is $17,500 for 1 year
• External awards and fellowships

Visit the Student Awards and Financial Aid website for information on

• Government student loans and grants
• Bursaries

Students in graduate programs pay tuition on a program basis, broken into fee installments. Learn about tuition and costs.