Agricultural and Resource Economics M.S.

• Applications are due by February 1 each year to be admitted in our Fall Semester (August) cohort. Due to course scheduling, we require students to begin the program in the Fall Semester. 

• Applications received after February 1, may be considered but it is unlikely that late applicants will be selected for graduate assistantships as these decisions are typically made in early February.  

• You may submit your application via this website.

• There is a $75 application fee. Fee waivers are only granted for specific programs, including our Borel Global Fellows Program (see the “Criteria and Eligibility” section for more information about who is eligible for the Borel program). Waivers are not granted for direct applicants to the AREC program. Additional details about application fees can be found here. 

• Application checklists for domestic and international students can be found at this site. Additional information for international applicants can be found here.

• Copies of official transcripts are required at the application stage from each institution where you have: i) earned (or will earn) a degree; ii) studied for one semester or more; iii) earned 12 or more hours of credit; or iv) taken classes that relate to your graduate study interests.

• Unofficial transcripts are allowed at the application stage. Official transcripts are required after admission to the program.Please review the UD Graduate College’s requirements for transcripts here.

• Official GRE scores are required. UD’s institution code is 5811.  Please review the UD Graduate College’s test requirements here.

• English Language Proficiency Test Scores  are required for non-exempt international students. Students for whom English is not their first language must meet a minimum of 100 on the TOEFL IBT examination. Please review the UD Graduate College’s test requirements here.

• The application requires a personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and your CV/resume.

• Personal statement - In your personal statement we ask you to outline your educational plans and career goals and discuss how your proposed plan of graduate study relates to them. Some areas of discussion might include: Specific attributes of the program at UD that lead you to believe that this degree is appropriate to help you achieve your professional objectives. Within the area of study you have selected, are there areas of special interest to you?

• Three letters of recommendation

• CV/resume

• *Additional information - You will also be given an opportunity to provide information about additional relevant experiences in the following topic areas: community involvement and/or service; leadership; overcoming social, economic, or physical barriers; personal and/or professional ethics; coachability; additional experiences. Responses for each topic area are limited to 300 words. This section is optional.

• All application materials and an applicant’s potential to excel and contribute to our department are considered. We evaluate an applicant’s academic record, work and personal experiences, ability to enrich our program with diverse perspectives and knowledge, and interest in conducting research that aligns with research programs in our department.

• Competitive applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and most successful applicants have GPAs above 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. 

• Competitive applicants have strong grades in intermediate microeconomics, Calculus II, and at least one semester of statistics. 

• GRE scores above the 60th percentile will increase the applicant’s chances of admission, and more weight is placed on the Quantitative Reasoning score. There is not a set minimum requirement for GRE scores.  

TOEFL / IELTS: AREC complies with the UD Graduate College’s requirements for demonstrating English language proficiency. More information about these requirements can be found here.

A waiver of proof of English Proficiency is allowed when:

• A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree has been or will be earned from a university recognized by the ministry of education in a country where English is the primary language. Our list of approved countries includes Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cameroon, Canada (except the province of Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, The United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

• A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree has been or will be earned from a college or university located in the United States and accredited by a regional accrediting association.