MS Admissions and Funding

We’re glad you’re interested in studying for your MS in Applied Economics at GW. Our program offers unique research and internship opportunities and a rigorous curriculum with dedicated faculty mentors in a prime location in the nation’s capital next to some of the most important international organizations around the world.

Before you start the application process, let’s tell you something about our students.

Our program is relatively small which allows us to provide the personalized education that most benefits you. Some students are recent college graduates, and others have years of work experience, and many continue working while pursuing this career-enhancing degree.  About half of our students are from countries outside the United States. Representing a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines, our students form a close-knit community within our economics department.

Students join us in the fall and spring semesters. We welcome all applicants to our program!

Our website provides loads of information. But, in case you have questions we have not addressed there, we invite you to join an online information session where you can meet our program director and ask any questions  about studying at GW.  (We waive the application fee for applicants who attend an online information session!)

Admissions & Application Requirements

Our application process is straightforward.  You complete an application the gives us the key information about you and your education and work experience.  We ask you to upload your resume and a personal statement of 500 to 1,000 words or so. We are flexible on the length – what’s important is that we learn something about you and why you want to study at GW!

You also must provide TWO letters of recommendation from a professor or an employer or similar professional. Please request your letters well in advance of the application deadline.

Applicants also should have earned at least a B- grade in a college-level calculus course and grades of B in both microeconomics and macroeconomics.  Applicants also should have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 from an accredited four-year university or college. 

We do not require GRE scores. So that all applicants are treated in the same manner, we do not refer to GRE scores when reviewing applications, and choosing not to submit them will not affect our review of your application.

There is some flexibility with prerequisite requirements, depending on circumstances. For example, applicants who have not taken college-level calculus may take a college-level course online or at a local college prior to enrollment to meet the prerequisite.

Please direct any questions regarding application requirements to the MS program director at [email protected].

The Applied Economics program is part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS). Please visit GW’s student accounts website for details on tuition and fees for the program.

 Application Deadlines

• February 1 (Fall applicants seeking University funding)
• April 1 (Fall enrollment, but funding may not be available)
• October 1 (Spring enrollment)
• Applications for Fall enrollment submitted after April 1 and for Spring enrollment submitted after October 1 may be considered, subject to enrollment capacity.

We notify applicants of the admissions decision shortly after the application deadline has closed.

Program Costs & Funding

Please visit the CCAS Funding and Costs page to obtain an estimate of the annual costs including tuition, fees, living expenses, books and insurance, etc.

The University and the Applied Economics program provide funding to our students in multiple ways. 

• Many students receive financial awards that partially offset tuition costs.
• Recent BA or BS degree graduates of GWU receive a 10 percent tuition discount through GW’s Grad2Grad program.
• Students from specific countries are eligible for Global Initiative awards
• Graduates of U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are eligible for special tuition grants.
• The program offers paid positions for students to work as research assistants with our Economics Department faculty.
• The program hires graduate students to work as graders for undergraduate courses. 
• The program offers partial funding for students who are working in an unpaid internship that contributes to their applied economics degree.
• U.S. citizens may apply for loans form the federal student loan program.
• We encourage all international applicants to seek funding sources from their home countries.

For additional information on GW fellowships, see the Office for Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships website.