Frequently Asked Questions

There is no minimum for the GRE. We will look at your GRE scores, your transcripts, your personal statement, and your letters of recommendation to evaluate your ability to succeed in our program. The average GREs for the past few years were: Verbal 159, Quantitative 165 and Analytical 4.2.

The TOEFL exam, administered in foreign countries by the Educational Testing Service, is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. This requirement is waived only for applicants who will have received a bachelor’s degree, prior to matriculation at Yale, from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction. Applicants must have studied in residence at the baccalaureate institution for at least three (3) years to receive the waiver. The waiver is automatically determined based on these above factors once your application has been submitted.

You may alternatively take the IELTS exam.

Yes you can and should! IDE prides itself to be open to any background as long as it is very analytical and you have the necessary mathematical ability. To apply to the IDE program, an undergraduate economics major, while preferred, is not absolutely necessary. However, as the IDE Program is purely a master’s in economics, we always take people with exceptional analytical and usually economics backgrounds. Most students we accept are students who have taken microeconomics, econometrics, and macroeconomics. Additionally they have taken courses in multivariate calculus, probability and statistics, and we give preference to people who have had linear (matrix) algebra. Upon admission to the program, it may be required that a student take the “Math for Economists” course during the summer prior to beginning the program.

The IDE program requires a strong analytical background, so it is strongly suggested that prospective students take Microeconomics, with an analytical perspective if possible, then Econometrics, then Macroeconomics.

We admit students who have courses in multivariate calculus, probability and statistics. We give preference to people who have had linear (matrix) algebra.

In the past, many of the students entering the IDE program were early career professionals in the public or private sectors in developing countries. More recently, however, under its director Michael Boozer, the IDE program has taken on a more academic focus. About 80% of each IDE class come directly from their undergraduate studies with little or no work experience. The remaining 20% of students have some graduate training and/or early career experience.

Yes. Many of our students are out of the UK or India where this is the normal length of degree. While you can apply without having completed your studies you must have completed an undergraduate degree prior to starting at Yale.

The deadline for submitting your application is January 2 for consideration for admission to the fall term.

Test scores, official transcripts and other supporting documents will be accepted after the deadline.  However, you must upload whatever transcript you have available before the deadline. The application cannot be submitted without a transcript.  Once you have the final official transcript you can return to your application and replace the original with the final transcript. It is best to have your final documents added no later than January 31 or early February. 

Further questions can be directed to graduate.admissions@yale.edu

No writing sample is required as part of the application for IDE.

For most applicants we would expect three academic reference letters. For applicants that apply not immediately following the undergraduate education or for candidates whose applications have a major non-academic component, one of the referees may be a professional reference. 

Applicants to the IDE program who have taken several economics courses or are economics majors, they have done some work in a developing country, or they have worked or interned at the World Bank, IMF, UN or other international agencies.