Complete the ECON-MPA pre-enrollment course requirements and satisfy the following criteria:

• A minimum 3.5 grade point average based on all courses taken at UT Austin
• A minimum 3.5 grade point average based on economics courses taken at UT Austin
• Senior standing (90 or more credit hours) prior to summer admission

ECON-MPA course pre-enrollment requirements should be completed prior to applying. However, if you are a high achieving applicant and are lacking a pre-enrollment requirement, you may still apply to the ECON-MPA program. If you are admitted, we would expect you to complete the outstanding requirement before enrolling in MPA classes. See the ECON-MPA FAQ for additional information about pre-enrollments.

NOTE: Admission is competitive. Satisfying the above minimum requirements above does not guarantee nomination for Graduate Select Admission to the ECON-MPA program.

All international applicants must possess exceptional English skills to be considered for the ECON-MPA program. Official scores for either the Internet-based TOEFL or IELTS must be on your UT record prior to the application deadline unless you were allowed to waive the TOEFL or IELTS for admission to UT-Austin.

Our preferred minimum for the TOEFL is 105 overall, with a minimum of 24 for each individual section, or minimum band scores of 7.5 for the IELTS. If your previously-submitted test scores do not accurately reflect your current English proficiency, we strongly recommend that you retake the test and increase your scores. 

Admission to the ECON-MPA is for the summer semester only. Submit your application to be nominated for Graduate Select Admission in the spring of your junior year. The application opens on February 1 every year, and the application deadline is April 1.

The following materials are required for a complete application:

• Online application
• Resume
• Essay (minimum 500 words)
• Three recommendation letters from tenure track faculty (preferred) or professional track faculty* at UT Austin

*Tenure track faculty titles: Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor. Professional track faculty titles: Professor of Instruction or Associate Professor of Instruction.

When completing your application, you will be prompted to upload your essay and resume and send your recommenders an invitation to submit their recommendation letters. Read the instructions in the ECON-MPA admissions packet carefully before starting your application.

You will be notified via email when the nomination decision is released. If the MPA Admissions Committee selects your application for nomination, your materials will be forwarded to UT's Graduate School for a final decision. The Graduate School notifies those students who are accepted into the Graduate Select Admission program in mid-May. If admitted, you will meet with your MPA academic advisor before the second summer session and attend a mandatory orientation in August.

In the final semester of your BA degree, ECON-MPA students initiate a change in status from undergraduate to graduate standing by completing a one-page form, which is provided by the Graduate School at the time of admission to the ECON-MPA. The completed application is submitted to the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC). No application fee, transcript fee, or standardized test score requirement is associated with acquiring graduate standing in the ECON-MPA. Students are required to enroll in a minimum of two long (fall, spring) semesters after gaining admission to Graduate School.

ECON-MPA participants are not guaranteed automatic admission to graduate school. See the ECON-MPA FAQ for additional details.