OhiDoctor of Philosophy in EconomicsThe Ohio State University · Columbus, Ohio, United States

Program Overview

Dates and tuition are specific to the 2027 intake

Please check the official program website (link below) for specific writing guidelines

Statement of purpose

Approximately 1–1.5 pages.

CV or resume

Writing sample

Optional

Not required but encouraged; research proposal or paper.

Recommendation letters x 3

Academic letters required. May arrive a few days after November 30 but must be received by December 10.

Official transcript(s)

One set per institution; scanned official transcripts uploaded for Graduate Admissions.

Academic: Bachelor's degree with GPA 3.0/4.0; Graduate School minimum undergraduate GPA for admission with or without financial support. Fellowship consideration typically uses a 3.50 undergraduate GPA benchmark, not a hard admissions cutoff.
Prerequisites: Quantitative background; Substantive economics preparation covering intermediate micro and macroeconomic theory and elementary econometrics is highly desirable. Substantial undergraduate mathematics with emphasis on calculus, real analysis, probability and statistics is recommended.
IELTS: 6.5 overall; University Graduate School minimum for applicable international applicants. Programs may require higher. Ohio State does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake.
TOEFL: New scale: 4.0 overall | Old scale: 79 overall; Department cites Ohio State English proficiency: 79 iBT / 4.0 on the updated TOEFL launched January 2026. University code 1592.
GRE: Required (no minimum published); Official GRE General Test required for all applicants.