Applying to the Economics Major

How to Apply?

Check to be sure that you meet the major requirements to apply. To check departmental requirements, click here.

To apply for either the BA or the BS in Economics requires the following materials:

1. A completed application form (available below or in Savery 305).
2. A current, unofficial UW transcript, which can be printed from your MyUW. Please use the "printer-friendly" format. Unofficial transcripts may also be requested from the Center for Undergraduate Advising, Diversity & Student Success in 141 Mary Gates Hall. ("Official" transcripts are not required.)
3. For students who have any transfer credits from other colleges or universities, submit unofficial transcripts from each of these schools; these may be printed from an online source. Alternatively, you may obtain a copy from your advising file. Pre-major advising files are kept by Center for Undergraduate Advising, Diversity & Student Success in 141 Mary Gates Hall or the Office of Admissions in 320 Schmitz Hall. If you are already declared in another major, your advising file is held by your current department's advising office.
4. A personal statement explaining your interest in UW's Economics major.  What are your personal, educational, and/or career goals, and how do you expect to further these goals by studying economics?  You may use this statement to address elements of your application that you believe misrepresent your potential as a student. Statements should be limited to 1 typed page, double-spaced with 12 point font and 1" margins.
5. For those planning to pursue a double major or double degree, please submit an Academic Course Plan, using the worksheet here.

Repeat Policy: each of the prerequisite courses can only be repeated once. We will take into account the better of the two grades. 

Drop off the complete application packet in person at the Advising Office in Savery 305 during office hours. 

When to Apply?

You may apply Autumn Quarter, Winter Quarter, or Spring Quarter provided that you have completed all of the prerequisite courses. Courses must completed with a standard numeric grade. Courses "in progress" or those that have earned "satisfactory" or "S" grade designations will not be eligible.

Applications are due no later than 5pm on the second Friday of the quarter.

Admissions: By the Numbers

Admission to the Department of Economics is competitive. Meeting the basic criteria does not guarantee admission to the major.

(These GPAs are averages, not cutoffs; roughly half of the students accepted to the major in Spring 2013 had prerequisite and overall GPAs lower than 3.57 and 3.52, respectively. Please be aware that the admissions committee considers many factors when making its decisions, including cumulative GPA, prerequisite GPA, the overall strength of the applicant's academic background, and the quality of the applicant's personal statement.)

The Personal Statement

The Personal Statement is an important piece of your application. UW has plenty of resources that can help you write a great personal statement:

• Odegaard Writing & Research Center
• The Writing Center at The Center for Learning & Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE)
• The Writing Center at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity Instructional Center (OMA/D IC)

Get the Application

The application for the major is available online. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view this document. If you do not have Acrobat, click here to get it. To download the application, click on the appropriate link below. Printed copies of the application are available from the advising office, in Savery Hall, room 305.

Download the application here.

When you have completed the required classes, fill out the application and return it, in-person with the required materials, to Economics Undergraduate Advising in Savery 305.

Last Updated April 29, 2013