The minimum requirements of the program are as follows:

• Applicants must have a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent with a "B" or better grade point average from an accredited college or university.
• In addition, applicants from non-English speaking countries must have a TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper-based or PBT) or 213 (computer-based or CBT) or 79 (internet- based or iBT) or an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a score of 6.0 or higher in all sub-sections before beginning study in the Program.
• The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not a requirement, but applicants are encouraged to take this test and submit the results (quantitative, verbal, analytical) to us.

More information on English requirement:

Applicants interested in fall 2012 admission should take the TOEFL or IELTS before February 2012. In addition, TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for only two years before the proposed term of entry; therefore, for the Fall 2012 semester, your score must be NEWER than August 2010.

Applicants with a TOEFL or IELTS score below the minimum requirement may receive conditional admission to the Program. To gain conditional admission, the applicant must submit a plan of English language study that would be expected to bring his/her English proficiency to the minimum requirement by the time he/she enrolls. This can best be done by enrolling in an intensive English language institute, preferably in the United States. If this plan is approved by the Program, the applicant will be issued an I20/DS2019, conditional on successful completion of the planned English study. Students with a weak background in economics or statistics should select an institute which also offers training in those areas.

All international students entering the University with a TOEFL score below 613 PBT, 257 CBT, or 103 IBT OR an IELTS score of 6.5 with one or more sub-sections below 6.0 must take an English placement test after they arrive. Depending on performance on this test, students may be required to enroll in noncredit English as a Second Language (ESL) course(s). Students in this category would normally take four or eight graduate hours of course work plus the noncredit English course instead of the usual twelve or sixteen graduate hours of course work. To complete the course work required for the Master's degree, these students must remain at the University of Illinois during the fall semester of 2012 and possibly during the spring semester of 2013 to complete the required course work.

A few students who will likely have to take noncredit ESL courses and remedial economics and/or mathematics courses may be admitted to the spring semester. However, since some required core courses are not offered in the spring term, students entering the Master's Program in the spring must plan to remain in the Program an extra semester in order to meet all requirements.

Students who feel that their English background is weak and want to improve their background before applying to the Program may wish to attend the Intensive English Institute at the University of Illinois.

While the language requirements may seem rigorous, they are necessary to do well in the Program. They also reflect the caliber of fellow students in the Program.

Students are admitted specifically to the Policy Economics Program and may not transfer to other programs or departments in the University until they have completed all requirements for the Master of Science degree in Economics.