How to Apply to Economics at UW–Madison: A Large Major in the College of Letters & Science Declared After Enrolling, Not Admitted Directly, With BA or BS Degree Requirements and a Mathematical Emphasis Option, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is taught by the Department of Economics in the College of Letters & Science. It is not a direct-entry major: the admissions office says direct entry applies to Business, Engineering, Dance and Music, and students in most other majors declare after enrolling. This guide follows UW–Madison’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Business and computer science have their own guides on this site and are not covered here.

1. Economics degrees and options

• Two degrees: the Guide has separate Economics, BA and Economics, BS pages and says the major “can be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree requirements.” The College requirements differ: the BA asks for language through the fourth unit (or the third unit plus the second unit of another language) and 12 natural science credits including a 3-credit biological science course and a 3-credit physical science course; the BS asks for the third unit of a language, two intermediate or advanced courses of 3+ credits in MATH, COMP SCI or STAT, and 6 credits each in biological and physical science. Both require at least 120 credits, 108 liberal arts and science credits, 60 intermediate or advanced credits and a 2.000 GPA in UW–Madison coursework.
• Two options within the major: Option A: Economics, for employment or graduate work in business, law, public policy and related fields; and Option B: Economics—Mathematical Emphasis, with more mathematics and statistics, designed for graduate study in economics or careers as professional economists. A student declares one. The department says Option A focuses on policy and economic concepts rather than quantitative modeling.
• Honors: only students in the Mathematical Emphasis option can earn Honors in the Major (Section 2).
• Scale: the department says economics is among the largest majors in the College, with about 1,300 undergraduate majors and over 40 faculty.
• STEM designation: not stated on the pages we read.

2. Admission and declaring the major

• At application: applicants list a first and second choice major; the admissions office says that if it cannot offer the first choice, the second is considered. Requirements are the same for all students regardless of major, though expectations may differ for business, engineering, dance and music. Economics is not on the direct-entry list.
• Conditions to declare (Guide): complete one calculus course (MATH 211, 221 or 222; MATH 221 or 222 for the Mathematical Emphasis); complete any ECON course (except ECON 100) at UW–Madison; and have a 2.000 GPA in ECON and major (calculus) courses at the time of declaration. The department’s page words it slightly differently: one economics course at UW–Madison with a finalized grade; a calculus course taken at UW, transferred or by test credit, with MATH 211, 221 and 217 accepted; and a 2.0 GPA in UW economics and related math courses. The Guide lists MATH 222 while the department lists MATH 217, so confirm with an economics advisor.
• Process: email econadvise@ssc.wisc.edu from your wisc.edu address with your name, campus ID and whether you want the standard or Mathematical Emphasis major; if you qualify you are invited to a Canvas course, “Declaring Economics Major,” with five modules and a quiz you must pass at 100% before you can complete the declaration form. The department declares students weekly, and you can change tracks later.
• Capacity: the pages we read state no enrollment cap or competitive screening for the major.
• Honors (Mathematical Emphasis): a 3.300 university GPA and a 3.500 GPA in ECON and major courses; ECON 311, 312 and 580 taken for Honors with grades of B or better; and a capstone of ECON 581 (Honors Thesis) or ECON 681 and 682 (6 credits total).
• Not both: students may not be declared in both the Economics major and the Certificate in Economic Analytics.

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• University minimum high school units: English 4 years; mathematics 3 years including at least one year each of algebra, geometry and advanced math with an algebra or geometry prerequisite (statistics, business math and computer classes do not count); social science 3; natural science 3; electives 4; 17 units in total. Two years of one world language are highly recommended. The pages we read list no extra high school courses for economics.
• Option A: mathematics—MATH 221, or MATH 211 and 213, or MATH 211 and ECON 205 (5–10 credits); one statistics course (ECON 310 recommended; ECON 400, 410, MATH/STAT 309 or 431, STAT 311, 324 or 340 also accepted); and 30 credits of economics: principles (ECON 101 and 102, or accelerated ECON 111), intermediate microeconomics (ECON 301 or honors 311), intermediate macroeconomics (ECON 302 or 312), two “core” ECON courses and electives.
• Mathematical Emphasis: MATH 221, 222, 234 and 320 (or 340), or the honors sequence MATH 375 and 376; one statistics course; and 30 credits of economics that include ECON 410 Introductory Econometrics and three core courses.
• Residence and quality of work: 2.000 GPA in ECON and major courses; 2.000 on 15 upper-level major credits taken in residence; at least 15 ECON credits taken on the UW–Madison campus; at least two core ECON courses must be taken at UW–Madison, not by transfer or a UW study abroad program.
• Sample four-year plan: the Guide’s sample puts ECON 101 in the first fall, MATH 221 in the first spring, ECON 102 in the second fall, ECON 301 and 310 in the second spring and ECON 302 in the third fall; it is only one way to finish.
• AP, IB and credit: the admissions pages say UW–Madison grants credit for high achievement on AP, A-Level, Cambridge Pre-U, IB and CLEP exams, but the pages we read do not say which scores replace economics courses; see the Registrar’s credit-by-exam information.
• Planning for a PhD: the Guide advises Option B plus additional mathematics and statistics (MATH/STAT 309 and 310, MATH 421, MATH/STAT 431, MATH 521 and 522, MATH/I SY E/OTM/STAT 632), and consulting an advisor early in the second year.
• Research and internships: ECON 698 and 699 (directed study) require a 3.00 GPA in ECON, ECON 301 and 302 and at least one core ECON course; ECON 228 earns 1 credit for an approved internship of at least 100 hours per term, with a major GPA of 2.200, at least four ECON courses at UW–Madison, an intermediate theory course and departmental approval. SuccessWorks provides career advising and the university lists more than 300 study abroad programs.

4. Deadlines, materials and fees

• First-year timelines: Fall Early Action (non-binding) is due November 1 with materials by November 9 and decisions by January 31; Fall Regular Decision is due January 15 with materials by January 22 and decisions by March 31; Spring Regular Decision is due October 1. Applications open August 1, processing starts September 1, deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, and replies are due May 1. The pages do not label each date with a year; check that they are for fall 2027.
• Platform: the Common Application or the Universities of Wisconsin Application; UW–Madison prefers neither.
• Materials: $80 non-refundable fee (waivers available for hardship); two essays (a Common App prompt if you use the Common App, or “Each student is unique…” if you use the Universities of Wisconsin Application, plus the required prompt on why you want to attend UW–Madison and your major); course and grade information for grades 9–12 (self-reported in the Common App or an official transcript, with official transcripts required before enrollment); one required recommendation (a second is optional); and English test scores for applicants educated in non-English-speaking countries.
• Testing: the SAT/ACT is optional through the spring 2028 term (application deadline October 1, 2027). You choose at the time of application and the choice is final; not submitting does not disadvantage you. Only the top composite score is considered and superscores are not. Codes: SAT 1846, ACT 4656.
• Academic profile: the admissions office says applicants are read holistically without formulas, and that it “typically see[s] unweighted, academic GPAs between a 3.8 and a 4.0, and a class rank in the 85–97 percentile.”
• Interview: not described on the pages we read.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Cost (2026–27 estimate): undergraduate tuition and fees are $12,532 for Wisconsin residents, $45,518 for non-residents and $18,328 for Minnesota residents; housing and meals $14,994; course materials $700; personal $2,618; transportation $612 ($1,222 non-resident, $866 Minnesota); loan fees $68. Totals: $31,524 (Wisconsin resident), $65,120 (non-resident), $37,574 (Minnesota resident). A new student fee of $330 applies to first-years ($256 for transfers). The page lists tuition differentials for Engineering, Nursing and the School of Business but none for Letters & Science.
• Residency: determined by the Registrar. The pages we read describe no in-state admission preference; they describe the Connections Program, offered to a select group of Wisconsin residents given a wait-list spot, to start at a partner institution and finish at UW–Madison.
• Aid: need- and merit-based aid, determined with the FAFSA each year; scholarships are listed on the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH). The page adds that students applying for spring 2027 also complete a one-time CSS Profile.

6. International applicants

• Same process: there is no separate application; international students apply as first-year or transfer students under the same deadlines, and required materials and curriculum documents must arrive by the deadlines. UW–Madison says it enrolls over 7,000 F- and J-visa students.
• English tests: first-year applicants educated in non-English-speaking countries must submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores unless English was the primary language of instruction in all four years of secondary school. Minimums: Duolingo 115; IELTS 6.5; TOEFL iBT 80 for tests on or before January 20, 2026 and 4.5 for tests on or after January 21, 2026. MyBest scores and superscoring are not accepted, and reports may not be more than two years old. TOEFL code 1846. The page says it does not accept the TOEFL iTP Plus for China but does accept the iBT Special Home Edition. Applicants who qualify for the waiver policy can submit an ELP Waiver Request in the Student Center.
• Testing: the SAT/ACT is optional for international applicants too.
• After admission: admitted international students complete a Financial Verification Form and the I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) process; the amount of funds required is not stated on the pages we read.
• Cost and scholarships: the cost page says international students have additional expenses including International Student Fees, without an amount on that page; students from particular countries may be eligible for international scholarships such as King-Morgridge, and International Student Services has a funding page.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages we read do not mention the Gaokao; ask the admissions office (onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu).
• Transcripts (national curriculum): the international page has a China entry. Students still in upper secondary submit transcripts from lower middle school (grade 9) and upper middle school (grades 10–11), in both Chinese and English, and must submit an official 12th-grade transcript with final grades before enrolling; if the transcript does not show a graduation date, the Chinese graduation certificate with English translation is also required. Students who have finished submit grade 9 and grades 10–12 transcripts in both languages. Transfer applicants from China do not need to submit grade 9 transcripts.
• Translation: transcripts not in English need an official translation of the entire document, done by the school (for example a counselor or English teacher) or an EducationUSA official in your region; both the original and the translation must arrive by official methods (email is not official).
• International curricula: A-Level applicants submit IGCSE/O-Level certificates, AS results, courses in progress and predicted grades, and the page says competitive applicants will have completed at least three A-Level examinations; IB applicants submit grade 9–11 transcripts and predicted grades, with official IB results sent by the IBO before enrolling.
• English: see Section 6.

8. Transfer students

• Eligibility: at least 24 transferable semester hours completed or in progress after high school graduation (AP, A-Level, IB and CLEP do not count toward the 24); freshman-level transfers are not admitted.
• Deadlines: Fall Priority February 1 (materials February 16, decisions by March 31); Fall Regular March 1 (materials March 15, decisions by April 30); Spring October 1. The fall application opens December 1. The pages do not label each date with a year; check that they are for fall 2027.
• Materials: the Universities of Wisconsin Application; $80 fee; two essays; official transcripts from every college attended and an official high school transcript; one recommendation. SAT/ACT scores are not considered for transfer admission. The high school record must show 1 year of algebra, 1 year of plane geometry, 1 year of college-preparatory math (or one college course at the Algebra 2 level or beyond) and two years of one world language (or two college semesters).
• Economics: the department says you are not automatically accepted into economics when you transfer, even if you declared it elsewhere; you must complete at least one economics course at UW–Madison and earn at least a 2.0 in economics and required math courses taken there. At least two core ECON courses must be taken at UW–Madison, and at least 15 of the 30 required intermediate or advanced credits must be earned there.
• Credit: admissions does not pre-evaluate courses; the Registrar sends an evaluation after admission, and Transferology shows existing equivalencies. The Department of Economics does not handle credit evaluation requests.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by November 1 (Early Action) or January 15 (Regular) with two essays and one recommendation; materials are due November 9 / January 22; the SAT/ACT is optional
• Complete the 17 high school units, including algebra, geometry and advanced math; list first and second choice majors; declare economics after enrolling (calculus, one UW economics course, 2.0 GPA)
• For aid, file the FAFSA

International applicants (including China):

• Same timeline as domestic applicants; submit English scores at the minimums in Section 6; provide Chinese and English transcripts and an official translation; ask admissions how the Gaokao may be used
• After admission, submit the Financial Verification Form for the I-20

Transfer students:

• Have 24 transferable semester hours; apply by February 1 (priority) or March 1; take one economics course at UW–Madison before declaring

Sources: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Guide: Economics, BA; Guide: Economics, BS; Guide: Mathematical Emphasis; Economics: declaring the major; Economics: transfer students; Deadlines and decisions; Required materials; What we look for; Direct entry programs; International students; Apply as a transfer; Transferring your credit; Financing your education; Cost of attendance. The deadline pages do not label every date with a year (the test-optional policy is stated through the spring 2028 term, whose application deadline is October 1, 2027); check UW–Madison’s website to confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry.