ECON-MPA Application for Graduate Select Admission

If you are interested in applying to the ECON-MPA Path, select and review the requirements and application procedures below. If you have any questions and comments, please contact Keri Ledezma.

• Requirements
  

  To be eligible to be nominated for the ECON-MPA Path via the Graduate Select Admission program, a student must have:

  •     1. Completed the following courses (or their equivalents):

            ECO 304K and ECO 304L

            ECO 420K and ECO 320L

            ECO 329

            M 408C and M 408D 

            ACC 311 and ACC 312 (see additional notes below)

  • 2. Earned a minimum 3.5 grade point average based on all courses taken at The University of Texas at Austin.
  • 3. Earned a minimum 3.5 grade point average based on economics courses taken at The University of Texas at Austin.
  • 4. Achieved senior standing (90 or more hours) prior to summer admission.

  • 5. International students: English skills are essential for success in the MPA program. As a result, it is important to demonstrate your ability to speak, read, write and understand English through the TOEFL or IELTS. Official scores from either the Internet-based TOEFL or IELTS must be on your UT record prior to the application deadline if your native language is not English. Our preferred minimum score for the TOEFL is 105 overall, with a minimum of 24 for each individual section, or minimum band scores of 7.5 for the IELTS. If your previously-submitted test scores do not accurately reflect your current English proficiency, we highly recommend that you retake the test and increase your scores.

         TOEFL website. UT-Austin’s TOEFL code is 6882.

         IELTS website. Test takers should provide the Graduate and International Center mailing address to have their official scores sent to UT-Austin.

           The completion of Introduction to Financial Accounting (ACC 311 or the equivalent) and Introduction to Managerial Accounting (ACC 312 or the equivalent) are not required but are highly recommended for nomination to the ECON-MPA path. Introduction to Financial Accounting is a prerequisite to ACC 381-Financial Accounting. ACC 381 is the first graduate-level course in the MPA curriculum and is offered only in the second summer session, immediately following admission to the ECON-MPA path. If a student is accepted to the ECON-MPA Path and has not completed ACC 311 (or the equivalent), he/she will be required to take ACC 311 in the first summer session, immediately following admission. Introduction to Managerial Accounting is a prerequisite to ACC 387.1-Managerial Accounting, which is offered in the fall and spring semesters. An ECON-MPA student will be required to complete ACC 312 (or the equivalent) prior to enrolling in ACC 387.1. Introduction to Financial Accounting and Introduction to Managerial Accounting may be completed at another institution, including a community college. The Business Economics Option Program is highly recommended as an option to fulfill these course requirements.

• Application Procedures

  Admission to the ECON-MPA Path is for the summer semester only. UT-Austin economics majors submit an application to be nominated for Graduate Select Admission to the MPA Program Office in the McCombs School of Business in the spring of their junior year. The application must be accompanied by an essay, resume, and three recommendation letters. Recommendations will be accepted only from tenure-track faculty or senior lecturers at UT-Austin. Please refer to the application for detailed instructions. The application deadline is April 1.

  From the applicant pool, the MPA Admissions Committee selects qualified candidates for nomination for Graduate Select Admission. The nominations are forwarded to UT's Graduate School for final selection. In approximately mid-May, the Graduate School notifies those students who are accepted into the program. There is no fee associated with applying to be nominated for Graduate Select Admission to the ECON-MPA Path.

  ECON-MPA Path admissions are competitive and limited to program capacity. Satisfying the above minimum requirements above does not guarantee nomination for Graduate Select Admission to the ECON-MPA Path.

 Application Form

ECON-MPA Admissions

Requirements

To be eligible for graduate standing in the ECON-MPA Path, the participant must have completed, or be enrolled in, courses that will enable completion of his/her B.A. degree by the semester of graduate standing,

Procedure

In the final semester of their B.A. degree, ECON-MPA Path participants initiate a change in status from undergraduate to graduate standing by completing a one-page Graduate Select Admissions form, which is provided by the Graduate School at the time of admission to the ECON-MPA path. The completed application is submitted to the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC). Form deadlines will conform to graduate application deadlines set by GIAC, which are typically one month prior to the start of full-time graduate studies. Through the Graduate Select Admission Program, no application fee, transcript fee, or standardized test score requirement is associated with acquiring graduate standing in the ECON-MPA Path.

Be advised that even though ECON-MPA path participants are accepted into the Graduate School Select Admission Program, they are not guaranteed automatic admission to graduate school. All participants must maintain the outstanding academic record that they have established as they progress through the rest of their bachelor's degree program. Participants may be denied admission to graduate school upon completion of their bachelor's degree if their academic record falls below the standards set by the MPA program or the Office of Graduate Studies. If a student's status is changed to graduate standing but the student is not awarded his/her B.A. degree, the graduate standing will be removed and MPA degree progress will not continue until the B.A. degree is conferred.

ECON-MPA FAQs

• How does the ECON-MPA path process work?

  1. In early April, economics majors make initial application to the program. ECON-MPA path admission is for the summer semester only, and the applicant must complete at least 90 undergraduate hours before the summer of admission.

  2. In mid April, the MPA committee selects a group from the initial pool. The nominations and essays, resumes, and recommendation letters of the nominees will be forwarded to the Graduate School for final selection.

  3. In mid May, the Graduate School notifies those students who are accepted into the program.

  4. In the second summer session, participants enroll in ACC 381 (graduate course) and attend MPA orientation .

  5. In subsequent semesters, participants enroll in up to 9 hours of additional graduate accounting courses along with their undergraduate courses.

  6. In the final semester of the B.A. degree, participants complete the final courses required for their undergraduate degree and apply for graduate standing. Once participants reach the 12-hour graduate coursework cap, they will not be allowed to complete additional graduate-level courses until they complete their B.A. degree and obtain graduate standing.

  7. In the following semesters, if the participants are in good standing and meet the same standards of satisfactory performance that are required of all MPA degree candidates, they may continue taking graduate accounting coursework pursuant to completion of an MPA degree.

• I'm a senior by hours. Can I still apply to the ECON-MPA path?

  Yes, seniors can apply to the program as long as they will not graduate with their undergraduate degree until the August following admission to the ECON-MPA path. If you plan to graduate with your undergraduate degree prior to the summer semester of admission to the ECON-MPA path, you should apply for direct entrance into the traditional MPA program. Information about this process can be found on the MPA program website. Please contact Keri Ledezma with any questions.

• I do not meet the GPA requirements due to a past bad semester(s)/extenuating circumstances, but I am very interested in the ECON-MPA path, and my recent scholastic performance is good. Can I still apply? 
  

  Due to the competitive nature of the ECON-MPA path admissions, your chances for admission would be greatly reduced by not meeting or exceeding the minimum GPA requirements. The purpose of the ECON-MPA path (via the Graduate Select Admission Program) is to encourage academically exceptional undergraduate economics students to remain at The University of Texas at Austin for the MPA degree. If your GPA does not meet the minimal requirements, we recommend that you raise your GPA while you complete your bachelor's degree and apply to the traditional MPA.

• Is there a way to apply online?

  There currently is no online application available. However, a downloadable application is available on the ECON-MPA website. Applications and supporting materials must be turned in to the MPA Program Office, McCombs School of Business, GSB 4.112C or mailed to the address listed on the application.

• Can I obtain a recommendation from a lecturer or graduate student (who was employed as an assistant instructor or teaching assistant) or my internship supervisor? 
  

  No. The recommendation letters must come from tenure-track faculty or senior lecturers at The University of Texas at Austin. This is a Graduate School requirement that cannot be waived.

• Does gaining admission to the ECON-MPA path assure admission to the MPA program?

  As long as you meet the same standards of satisfactory performance that are required of all MPA degree candidates, you can continue in the MPA program. Be advised that even though ECON-MPA path participants are accepted into the Graduate School Select Admission Program, they are not guaranteed automatic admission to graduate school. All participants must maintain the outstanding academic record that they have established as they progress through the rest of their bachelor's degree program. Participants may be denied admission to graduate school upon completion of their bachelor's degree if their academic record falls below the standards set by the MPA program or the Office of Graduate Studies. In the spring of their senior year, ECON-MPA path participants initiate a change in status from undergraduate to graduate standing by completing a form provided by the Graduate School. After completing the B.A. degree and acquiring graduate standing, students may continue their graduate MPA coursework. To receive the MPA degree, an ECON-MPA path participant must satisfy all MPA degree and program requirements.

• I am currently enrolled in one of the courses listed as required to meet the eligibility requirements. Can I still apply even though I do not have a final grade in this course yet? 
  

  Ideally, applicants should have completed all required courses at the time of application. However, if you are enrolled in one of the upper-division courses at the time of application (such as ECO 320L) and you have already completed the other upper-division economics courses (ECO 420K, ECO 329) prior to application, you can still apply for nomination to the ECON-MPA path.

• Will I have access to the McCombs Career Services as soon as I am admitted to the ECON-MPA path?

  ECON-MPA path participants will have access to certain MPA resources including, but not limited to, academic and career advisory services, career workshops, and the MPA career fair.

 If you have additional questions not addressed here, please contact Keri Ledezma.