Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

Coursework

A student admitted in the program must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework or any previous work in a master’s program. For admission without deficiencies, applicants need to have successfully completed college courses in:

• basic calculus and statistics
• intermediate microeconomic and macroeconomic theory

Students who do not meet these coursework requirements can still be admitted into the program but will have to take additional classes.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Applicants need to have a quantitative GRE score of 150 or better, and a verbal GRE score of 140 or better. Use institutional code 1319 to submit GRE scores.

Alternatively, GMAT scores can be submitted in place of GRE scores.
Applicants submitting GMAT scores must have a GMAT Quantitative Score of 28 or better, and a GMAT Verbal Score of 18 or better for admission consideration.

Letters of Recommendation

This program requires two (2) letters of recommendation. At least one of the letters of recommendation should come from someone familiar with your scholarly record. The other letter can be an additional academic reference or a professional reference from someone who knows you well and can comment on your potential as a graduate student. After you submit the e-mail addresses of your letter writers in the online application system, they will be automatically e-mailed a link to submit their letters electronically.

Other Documents

A student applying to this sequence must also upload into the online application system:

• a current resume or C.V.
• a 300-word statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Financial Economics graduate sequence at Illinois State University, your academic and professional goals, and what you hope to achieve as a graduate student in Economics

International Students

In addition to the above requirements, international applicants need to submit:

• Scores from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
  • Minimum TOEFL Scores: 79 for internet-based test (iBT)
  • Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5 band
  • Minimum Duolingo Score: 105
• International Student Requirements

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Coordinator