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How to Apply

Send all materials to:

Admissions Committee

Agricultural & Applied Economics

427 Lorch Street

Madison WI  53706

For information contact:  admissions@aae.wisc.edu

Web chats for prospective graduate applicants, Oct. 18 and 25, 2011:  www.wisc.edu/grad/education/chats

Admissions Criteria

Each application is carefully evaluated by members of the department's admissions and financial aid committee. When an applicant's file is complete it is circulated for review. In early January, outstanding eligible applicants whose files are complete are considered for university-wide fellowships competitions. In mid-February, all applications are reviewed once again and admissions decisions are made. Following that, a first round of financial aid awards is granted, and applicants are notified of their status in early March. Additional financial aid awards may be made through the end of the spring or early summer as funding becomes available. The following criteria are used in making admission and aid decisions.

Previous course work

Students with undergraduate degrees in a variety of areas are welcome to apply; however, training in economics and quantitative methods is needed to enroll in the first-year required courses. Students should have taken intermediate level micro- and macroeconomics, intermediate level statistics or econometrics, at least 2 semesters of calculus, and some linear algebra.

To help us evaluate your preparation for advanced study in economics, we ask that you provide us with an inventory of courses you have taken in intermediate economics, mathematics and statistics, and the main texts used in each. Please use the supplemental form in the application for this purpose (when submitted, the form will be appended to the application itself). U.S. applicants should include Advanced Placement course work, if applicable.

Please note that students intending to undertake doctoral studies should have at least the equivalent of one year of calculus (including differential and integral), one semester of linear algebra, and one additional semester of advanced mathematical analysis, and be prepared to gain mastery of the topics covered in Economics 703. If your preparation in these areas is not recent, you should plan to review before beginning your studies.

Graduate Record Exam

Applicants must submit scores from the GRE general test (the economics subject test is no longer offered). The quantitative score is weighted most heavily in the admissions committee's considerations. Mean GREs scores for the last round of admissions are given below. For score reporting, use the UW-Madison institution code of 1846. No department code needs to be given, as all scores are loaded into an electronic database accessible to all departments.

Grades

The admissions committee reviews transcripts carefully, especially noting grades in economics, math and other related courses. Graduate level grades are given more weight than undergraduate grades. The department rarely considers for admission students with undergraduate GPAs below the university-mandated minimum of 3.0. Mean GPAs from a recent admissions round are given below.

Letters of recommendation

Detailed letters should be submitted from persons who are able to judge the applicant's qualifications for graduate work in this field. Most useful are letters from faculty who have had the student in one or more classes. Letters are carefully appraised and are considered a critical part of the application.

Statement

The essay summarizing reasons for graduate study in agricultural and applied economics, educational goals, past experiences relevant to future study, and career plans is given considerable weight in the admissions review. Applicants are encouraged to include details about their specific research interests, which help the committee determine whether the student fits well with the faculty's particular areas of expertise. Information about educational background, past employment, publications or other relevant details should be included.

International students

We recommend that international students provide an official explanation of the grading system at their iinstitution if such information does not appear on the transcript.

International applicants are required to demonstrate English proficiency.  We accept scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) The English proficiency testing requirement is waived for students who have studied for at least 2 semesters in the U.S. or if English was the language of instruction for their undergraduate degree. For score reporting, use the UW-Madison institution code of 1846. No department code needs to be given, as all scores are loaded into an electronic database accessible to all departments.

PROFILE OF RECENT ADMISSIONS

	Applicants	Admitted Applicants	Applicants Admitted with Financial Aid
GRE Verbal Mean	526	529	627
GRE Quantitative Mean	743	773	780
GRE Analytical Mean	4.4	4.4	5.25
Undergrad GPA (4.0 basis)	3.5	3.55	3.7

What to Submit

Applicants are asked to submit the application fee directly to the Graduate School and application materials to the department; follow the checklists below and also consult this web site: http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/education/admissions/gschecklist.html. It is the applicant's responsibility to assure that all materials arrive by the deadlines noted below. Students applying to more than one department must send a complete set of application materials to each department. More information is available on the Graduate School's web site.

Send to the Graduate School

On-line application:

1. You will be asked to upload a Statement of Reasons for Graduate Study. 
2. Submit the names and email addresses of three people who will provide letters of recommendation; they will receive instructions on how to upload their letters.
3. Math/economics course work inventory form, listing math and economics courses, texbooks used and grades received.  This appears as a supplemental item in the on-line application and will be attached to the application
4. Request Official GRE scores for the general test (institution code: 1846; no department code needed)
5. Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  See instructions of the Graduate School Admissions Office for more details. 
6. $56 non-refundable application fee. Payable by
   credit card (mastercard or visa), debit/atm card, personal check or money order, drawn on a U.S. bank. Please do not send cash.
   
   

Please do not send transcripts, reasons for graduate study, letters of recommendations or any other departmental documentation to the Graduate School. These materials will not be forwarded to the department.

International applicants: Please do not send financial documents until requested by the Graduate School. This information will be requested upon a positive admission recommendation from the department/program.

Special note regarding the on-line "status check" feature:

Admissions materials are received by one individual, who will update the checklist of items received in early January.  Therefore, the checklist is not instantly and automatically updated as paper materials are received; rather, this is done by hand as time permits. 

Send to the Department

Admissions Committee

Agricultural and Applied Economics

427 Lorch St.

University of Wisconsin

Madison WI  53706

1. One copy of official transcripts or academic records from each institution attended.
   International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and an official signature.

Please do not send LinkedIn invitations to the admissions staffperson.

Deadlines

Applications will not be reviewed until all materials have been received. Also note that test scores for the GRE and TOEFL exams take 2-3 weeks to be reported. Applicants are urged to take the exams by November at the latest.

Because of the way courses are sequenced, the department rarely admits students for the spring semester. Applicants wishing to be considered for fellowships must have all materials on file by December 15. All other applicants, including those wishing to be considered for departmental assistantships, must have all materials on file by February 1.  Decisions about admissions and aid are reported in early March. 

Applicants may check their status on-line using the web site address sent in an email by the Graduate School following receipt of the application.

Still Have Questions?

Please consult the section on Frequently Asked Questions.

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"Wisconsin made my short list of schools based on its reputation for having both one of the best agricultural economics programs in the country and a top-notch economics department.  But it was my visit to Madison that convinced me to attend.  The faculty and staff in AAE were genuinely eager to meet me, answer my questions, and introduce me to their campus and city.   I'm very happy with my decision to attend the UW, both for its academics and for its people." 

Ken Baerenklau, Class of 2002, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside

 

"Faculty in the department have extended themselves to provide research support from internal and external sources so that students can get what they need to finish their program and succeed in the job market. I also found that the department doesn't just rest on its reputation and rigor in coursework, but faculty add an extra personal commitment to help students be successful. The high level of collegial support among students made us feel like we were coming to work among colleagues every day.”

Denise Stanley, Class of 1996, Department of Economics, California State Fullerton

"My decision to attend the University of Wisconsin to pursue my Ph.D. was somewhat arbitrary and uninformed. This has to have been one of the best random choices I've ever made! I entered in the fall of 1987, and found myself surrounded by interesting peers and top-notch professors, many of whom are leaders in their particular fields. The students and professors that I was able to interact with during my time at UW certainly enriched my education, extending it way beyond learning what was in the textbooks. This was surely enhanced by the Wisconsin Idea and the UW's very strong interest in reaching out to the local and global communities to solve real-world problems. I graduated not only with a degree from an internationally respected institution but also a wealth of theoretical and practical knowledge which I expect to serve me well throughout my life."

Elizabeth Troutt, Class of 1994, Department of Economics, University of Manitoba
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