Applying to the MSPE Program…The Basics

1. Complete an Application – We recommend that you complete an online application. For instructions or to start your online application, please click HERE. If you are not able to submit your application online (please note that you can apply online, only if you can pay the application fee by credit card), you can contact the program for a paper application and mail the completed application directly to the MSPE Program. Admission is currently being offered for only the fall term. The deadline for Fall 2012 applications is May 15, 2012.

2. Pay Application Fee – The University of Illinois application fee is $70 for domestic applicants and $90 for international applicants. The fee can be paid by credit card when you submit your online application. If you do not wish to pay by credit card, you can mail the application fee directly to the MSPE Program, along with a completed paper application. Checks or money orders drawn from a U.S.-affiliated bank are acceptable forms of payment. The check or money order should be made payable to the University of Illinois.

3. Provide electronic transcripts and degree certificates – Applicants must list on the online application each institution of post-secondary education from which they have earned credit. You must also upload electronic copies of your transcript / academic record (and diplomas or certificates of degrees if your degree is awarded and not listed on your transcript) for each of these institutions. Transcripts / academic records (and diplomas or certificates of degrees if your degree is awarded and not listed on your transcript) must be uploaded directly to the online application. English translations should also be uploaded if the credentials are not in English.

All credentials uploaded to the online application are considered unofficial. You will only be asked to submit official or attested credentials (transcripts, academic records, diplomas, certificates of degrees, etc) in a sealed envelope, with a certification stamp across the seal if you are admitted. These must be submitted to the graduate college during your first term of enrollment at the University of Illinois. Do not send original academic materials to the MSPE office.

4. Provide 3 letters of recommendation – Each applicant must submit at least 3 letters of recommendation from academic and/or business sources. Letters of recommendation should be completed online.

5. Provide a Statement of Purpose – Please provide a statement in your own words describing your interest in economics and what your goals are upon completion of the MSPE Program. The online application gives you the option to submit two essays but for applying to our program you only need to submit one essay as statement of purpose. Your essay should be submitted online during the application process.

6. Provide a Resume (optional) – The resume can be submitted online during the application process.

7. Provide a GRE score (optional) – The GRE is not required, however, if you already taken the GRE, we encourage you to submit your score. Not submitting a GRE score will not harm your chances for admission, but submitting a good GRE score can help solidify your chances. If you chose to submit a GRE score, you do not need to request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send the score to the University. You should upload an electronic copy of the score report as part of your online application.

Additiona Requirements For International Applicants

8. Provide Evidence of Financial Support for Duration of Program - All students that require a student visa to enroll at the University of Illinois must provide evidence of financial support before the University can provide the appropriate support. You are required to upload a copy of your proof of funding documentation if requesting an I-20 or DS-2019. English translations should be included if the documentation is not in English.

Please refer to the MSPE Financial Certification Form to determine the amount of funding you need to prove. Appropirate amounts of funding are required before the admission committe will review your application.

For more information regarding the Proof of Financial Support, please visit http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/instructions/04d. Please make sure to read the requirements before submitting your documentation.

9 Provide a TOEFL or IELTS Score – All applicants whose native language is not English are required submit either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. For admission purposes, TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid only for two years before the proposed term of entry; therefore, for the Fall 2011 semester, your TOEFL or IELTS score must be NEWER than August 2009.

You may be exempt from this testing if you have completed at least two academic years of full-time study within five years of the proposed date of enrollment at the University of Illinois, in a country where English is the primary language, and in a school where English is the language of instruction.

The University requires a TOEFL score of at least 550 (paper-based, PBT) 213 (computer-based, CBT), or 79 (internet-based, IBT) OR an overall IELTS score of at least 6.5 with a score of 6.0 or higher in all sub-sections. If you are admitted 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, an English Placement Test (EPT) will be required upon arrival at the University. On the basis of EPT results, students may be required to enroll in noncredit English courses and take a reduced academic load.

An electronic copy of your TOEFL or IELTS score should be uploaded as part of the online application. Applicants who have already taken the TOEFL should request the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their score to the University using our institution code of 1836 and program code of 00.

For more information about the English Proficiency requirement, please visit http://www.grad.illinois.edu/admissions/instructions/04c.

10. Provide Visa Information – The University is required to collect certain information as part of the online application in order to request either a F-1 (I-20) or J-1 (DS-2019) visa document from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. If you are requesting visa documents for dependant(s), you will be asked to list their information as well. An electronic copy of your passport is also required as part of the online application.

Brochures on the program are available upon request and inquiries about the program are welcomed. Please send brochure requests and inquiries to mspe@illinois.edu or call the MSPE office at 217-333-7651. Visits are also encouraged.