FAQs

• See the Applying for Graduate Studies page to apply online.
  

Applications for the MA and MDE programs require

1. transcript(s)
2. two academic (preferably) references
3. a short personal statement of interest (approximately 1 page)
4. Candidates are required to provide proof of English language competency.
5. MA course requirement form [PDF 220KB] or MDE course requirement form [PDF 209KB]

PhD program applications require

1. transcript(s)
2. three academic references
3. a statement of research interest (1-3 pages)
4. Candidates are required to provide proof of English language competency.

Details on submitting transcripts and reference letters can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

The English competency requirement is waived if the applicant has completed a degree at a recognized institution in which the language of instruction is English in a country where one of the national languages is English.

Please send all supporting documents to economic@dal.ca 

Supporting documents may also be sent to:

Dalhousie University
Department of Economics
6214 University Avenue
PO Box 15000
Halifax, NS    B3H 4R2
Canada

 

Canadian students:

The application (including the application fee) for admission to the MA and MDE program should be received by the University no later than May 1 for a September start date (all supporting documents must be received by June 1). However, if you are applying for scholarships and departmental funding, your application (including application, fee) should be completed by December 31 and supporting documents should be submitted by January 31. The application (including the application fee) for admission to the PhD program should be received by the University no later than December 31 for a September start date (all supporting documents must be received by January 31).  Applications received after the deadline are not guaranteed to be processed in time for September admission.

Non-Canadian students:

Your application (including application fee) for admission to the MA and MDE program should be received by the University no later than March 1 for a September start date. All supporting documents must be received by April 1. However, if you are applying for scholarships and departmental funding, your application (including application, fee) should be completed by December 31 and supporting documents should be submitted by January 31. The application (including the application fee) for admission to the PhD program should be received by the University no later than December 31 for a September start date (all supporting documents must be received by January 31).  Applications received after the deadline are not guaranteed to be processed in time for September admission.

All applicants to the graduate programs must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies as indicated at the Faculty website.  In addition, the requirements for individual programs are:

Entrance to a one-year MA program requires an Honours BA (or BSc) (or equivalent) in Economics (not Business) with an average of at least B+ (upper second-class) at Dalhousie standards. 

An Honours degree in Economics is expected to consist of a four-year (i.e., 20 credit) bachelor's degree that includes:

• Introductory micro and macro economics
• Intermediate micro and macro economic
• Advanced micro and macro economics
• Senior economics field courses
• Statistics
• Econometrics
• Linear algebra
• Calculus
• Honours Thesis (or equivalent)

In those cases where a candidate has a three-year degree and a four-year honours program (or equivalent) was not available, first-class candidates may be considered for admission into a Qualifying year, or as a special undergraduate student.

The department will consider applications for the one-year MDE program from candidates possessing a four-year (i.e., 20 credit) undergraduate degree with an academic average of at least B+ (upper second-class) at Dalhousie standards.  Applicants may possess a BA, BSc or BComm degree, but all candidates must have at least

• Introductory micro and macro economics
• Intermediate micro and macro economics
• At least two senior economics field course
• Statistics
• Calculus

Those with insufficient background in economics may be admitted to the MDE program with additional course requirements to satisfy the gap in economics preparation, which may extend the degree beyond one year. Alternatively, such students may be given the option of a Qualifying Year or Special Undergraduate Year to prepare them to qualify for admission to the MDE program

Entrance to the PhD program normally requires completion of course requirements for an MA in Economics (not Business) with an average of at least A- at Dalhousie standards. Students normally prepare for their PhD comprehensive exams in two years.

Candidiate are required to demonstrate English language competency. 

Candidates are required to demonstrate English language competency. Standard tests include the TOEFL and the IELTS. Minimum acceptable scores can be found on the Graduate Studies website.

The language competency test may be waived if the applicant has completed a degree at a recognized university where one of the official languages of that country is English. The claims must be verified by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

The university and department offer, on a competitive basis, a number of scholarships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships. You are encouraged to apply before December 31 to be nominated by the department for these scholarships.

Please visit Dalhousie's Student Accounts for up to date information regarding tuition and other fees. You can use the online calculator to get a budget estimate for tuition, fees and living expenses for one year at university.

No. A number of courses taught in the winter term have prerequisites taught only in the fall. This greatly reduces the availability of courses to students who begin graduate programs in January, thus making timely completion of a graduate program almost impossible.

Students interested in registering part-time in  Master's programs should contact the graduate coordinator.   It is not possible to register as a part-time student during the first two years of a PhD program, though one could pay full-time fees and take a part-time schedule of classes. See the current graduate calendar regarding part-time studies. 

The thesis must be written in an area for which there is a suitable supervisor available in the Department and that individual has agreed to supervise the student. Normally, the supervisor and committee are chosen before the last term of course work. For more information on thesis requirements, please see the Economics section of the current Graduate Calendar.

No. Official offers come only from the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is possible for the Dean not to accept recommendations from departments. The offers should not be taken for granted. Of course, we are very much interested in attracting good students to our programs. If you have alternatives to consider and have not received an official offer from Dalhousie, please contact us as soon as you can. 

You should contact the Department as soon as you decide whether you are accepting the offer. Typically, an offer for funding will be open for two weeks; if we have not received a formal response from you by that time, the funds may be reallocated.

We recommend students arrive by September 1st. Incoming MA and MDE students are expected to attend a Math Workshop that begins early September. Most graduate students register online before they arrive on campus but select classes after arrival. Late registration and selection of classes is possible until the Registry closes on September 17. The current fee for late registration is $50.00. Also note that it may be difficult to find housing if you arrive on campus after classes begin.

Provided you instruct us to do so in a timely manner, we can request deferral up to one year from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Scholarships cannot be deferred.

The application fee is $115 CAD.