Graduate Study

Graduate Study in Economics

If you are an economics major at Cal State San Marcos and considering graduate work in economics, please speak with an economics faculty member.  (One of the things the faculty member will advise you to do is to take additional math classes  (see "Recommended Course of Study" below).  Graduate study in economics requires both good math and statistics skills.) In the interim, here is some information on graduate study in economics.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Register for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) - both the general test and subject test (if required). Keep in mind that the GRE general test is a very important examination and your score on the exam will be a major factor in determining what graduate school you attend.  Prepare for the exam over a period of 8 months to a year.  One way to  prepare is by taking a GRE Prep course.  Princeton Review and Kaplan offer such courses.  Also, you should purchase a few GRE preparation books and work through the books carefully and often.

Information on Graduate Study in Economics and Program Rankings Stipends.

• Information on Graduate Schools at GradSchools.com
• Books to Study Before Going to Graduate School
• More books
• Also see Graduate School in the USA.
• For a listing of Graduate Schools
• More departments with Top ranked Economics Programs and Ph.D. Candidates in Economics
• U.S. News and World Report rankings (you will need a subscription to get more detailed information than is provided on this page).

Carefully read the information each Economics Departments places on the Web about its graduate program in economics. 

When applying, consider the following:

1. requirements necessary for admission (GPA + GRE score + score on GRE subject test if required)
2. required core courses
3. field courses

Recommended Course of Study for Students Intending Graduate Study

Students who intend to apply to do graduate work in economics should take MATH 160 instead of MATH 132. These students are advised to speak to the department chair in economics at their earliest convenience for a suggested course of study to consist of completing additional mathematics courses, including MATH 162, 260, 262 or 362, and 264 or 374.