How to Apply to Economics at Georgia Tech: The STEM-Certified B.S. in Economics in the School of Economics (Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts), Two Joint Degrees, and Admission, Prerequisites and Transfer for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), undergraduate economics is taught by the School of Economics in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Georgia Tech’s official information, for domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and options

• B.S. in Economics: a Bachelor of Science only; there is no B.A. The school describes the curriculum as STEM-certified, and the catalog lists 122 credit hours. Focus areas listed include development, environmental, health, industrial organization and international trade economics.
• B.S. in Economics and International Affairs (EIA): a joint degree with the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. The page says 40 credit hours of required coursework plus 12 hours of upper-division electives, encourages at least two internships, and mentions study and internships abroad in Brussels, Shanghai, Buenos Aires and Costa Rica, among others.
• B.S. in Global Economics and Modern Languages (GEML): with the School of Modern Languages, with language concentrations in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian or Spanish. The page says 45 hours of general education including 24 hours of language, and 24 hours of economics.
• B.S./M.S. in Economics: for students with a 3.25 GPA in ECON courses, who apply after 30 hours at Georgia Tech and before 75 hours. ECON 3110, 3120 and 3161 come first, then 6 hours of 6000-level ECON electives that count toward the bachelor’s electives too.
• International Plan and Research Option: every School of Economics degree can carry the International Plan designation (language proficiency plus at least 26 weeks abroad in school or an internship), and the school takes part in the Research Option (nine hours of research, a proposal and a thesis).
• Minors: Economics, Microeconomics of Strategic Analysis (MESA), and joint minors with the School of Public Policy such as Health Policy and Economics and Economics and Policy of Environmental Sustainability.
• The School of Economics pages read mention no honors program and no majors named Business Economics or Quantitative Economics. Business (Scheller College) has its own article on this site.

2. How you apply and enter economics

• No admission by major, but an intended major counts: first-year applicants do not apply to a specific major or college, but choose an intended major on the Common App and may add a second. Georgia Tech says major consideration is an important part of review. To study economics, choose Economics.
• A separate economics cutoff: the pages read do not say whether economics has its own admission standard or capacity limit, and do not give a GPA threshold for entering economics after enrolling.
• Residency matters: as a public university, Georgia Tech aims for Georgia students to be the majority and calls residency one of the biggest factors in admit rates. About 4 to 5 weeks after you apply, your review residency status appears in the admission portal.
• Summer or fall start: Georgia Tech admits for both terms, every applicant is considered for both, and your start term is on the admission notification.
• Switching into economics: the pages read do not give conditions for changing from another major; ask the School of Economics academic advisor (Davis Palubeski).

3. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school: the University System of Georgia (USG) requires US-system graduates to have 4 units of English, 4 of math, 4 of science, 3 of social science and 2 of foreign language, sign language or computer science; schools outside the US system must provide a curriculum deemed equivalent by USG institutions or a NACES-approved evaluator. The pages read do not set a high school calculus requirement for economics.
• Math in the degree: the catalog requires MATH 1712 Survey of Calculus (or MATH 1552 Integral Calculus) and MATH 1711 Finite Mathematics (or MATH 1551 Differential Calculus with MATH 1553 Introduction to Linear Algebra). Among the 9 hours of STEM, business or policy courses, MATH 2551 is strongly advised.
• Economics core: ECON 2105 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECON 2106 Principles of Microeconomics, ECON 2250 Statistics for Economists; ECON 3110 Advanced Microeconomic Analysis, ECON 3120 Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis and ECON 3161 Econometric Analysis (C or better in these three); ECON 4010 Career Development Workshop (1 hour); and 24 hours of ECON electives. At least 39 hours must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.
• Two descriptions differ: the School of Economics page says 24 hours of required coursework plus 9 hours of upper-division electives, with 12 hours of non-major cluster electives and 20 of free electives, while the catalog lists 24 hours of ECON electives and 25 of free electives. Rely on the catalog and an advisor.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit (per the catalog): AP Macroeconomics 4 or 5 gives ECON 2105 and AP Microeconomics 4 or 5 gives ECON 2106; AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 gives MATH 1551 and BC gives MATH 1551 and 1552; IB Economics HL 5–7 gives ECON 2105 and 2106, while SL 6–7 gives ECON 2100; IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL 6–7 gives MATH 1551; Cambridge A-Level Economics (9708) grade A gives ECON 2105 and 2106. AP Statistics earns no credit, and AS-Level and O-Level results earn none.

4. Rounds, deadlines, fee, essays, recommendations and testing (2026-27 cycle)

• Common App only. Early Action 1 (non-binding) is for Georgia students and Georgia residents: apply by 15 October, documents by 30 October, decisions in early December. Early Action 2 (non-binding) is for students outside Georgia, including international applicants: apply by 2 November, documents by 16 November, decisions in late January. Regular Decision: apply by 6 January, documents by 22 January, decisions in mid-March. Deposits are due 1 May. For merit scholarships such as Stamps you must apply Early Action.
• Application fee: $75 ($85 for international applicants), non-refundable; fee waivers are available to qualifying applicants.
• A complete application: the Common App, transcripts listing 9–12 courses with 9–11 grades visible, self-reported or official SAT or ACT scores, and anything else requested in your portal. Deferred and Regular Decision applicants send an updated transcript with fall senior grades.
• Testing: every first-year applicant must submit at least one SAT or ACT; the ACT writing section and SAT essay are not required. AP, IB and AS and A-Level results are optional.
• Essay: one of the seven Common App prompts. Recommendations: up to three — one counselor and up to two teachers of core academic subjects — plus the school report.

5. Domestic applicants

• Georgia students use EA1 (15 October); students from other states use EA2 (2 November) or Regular Decision. The SAT or ACT is required, and residency has a large effect on admission (section 2).
• In-state versus out-of-state costs (2027-28 first-year estimate, US$, two semesters): Georgia resident tuition $10,618 and fees $1,496, for an on-campus total of $31,628 ($35,404 off campus; $23,692 living with parents); out-of-state tuition $33,596 and fees $1,496, for an on-campus total of $55,018 ($58,794 off campus; $46,670 with parents). Georgia Tech notes that the residency used in admission review and the tuition classification used for billing are separate processes; tuition classification follows USG policy and shows in the portal only after admission.
• The cost page says the standard cost depends on program, year, residency and housing; the tables read give no separate figure for economics and mention no school surcharge.

6. International applicants

• International applicants go through the same process as everyone else, though transcript requirements vary. Applications are read in the context of where you attend school. Records are required for every year of secondary school; if your curriculum is under four years, a fourth year of transcripts is needed before enrolling and may arrive after admission.
• English: the USG requires all international applicants to show English proficiency by an approved method; the score tables are on the USG site, which was not read for this article, so check USG. The Duolingo English Test and an unscripted InitialView or Vericant interview are welcome as supplements but do not satisfy the USG requirement, and should arrive by the document deadline.
• Credentials: IB has no minimum score, but competitive applicants mostly have 6s and 7s; British-pattern students should be on track for at least three full A-Levels before enrolling, and send IGCSE or O-Level, AS and predicted A-Level results; for other curricula applicants must complete the level of education that qualifies for a competitive home-country university, and sometimes more.
• University coursework: anyone who has taken university coursework after secondary school applies as a transfer student (advanced secondary coursework such as A-Levels does not count).
• Aid: international students cannot receive federal or state aid, and scholarships administered by the financial aid office are often not awarded to them. Private loans (most banks require a creditworthy US citizen or permanent resident co-signer) and an emergency tuition loan exist. Merit scholarships such as Stamps require Early Action; whether international students are eligible is not stated. Proof-of-funds requirements are not on the pages read; ask Admissions.
• 2027-28 first-year estimate for international (Out of Country) students: tuition $34,572 and fees $1,696; with books $800, housing, meals, personal and travel costs, the on-campus total is $56,194 ($59,970 off campus).

7. Applicants from China

• The pages read do not say whether the gaokao is considered, what the huikao (academic proficiency test) materials should be, or give any dedicated note for Chinese applicants. Check the international applicant pages at admission.gatech.edu or email admission@gatech.edu.
• Transcripts: students on a national curriculum submit records for every year of secondary school. Georgia Tech’s own example: if you finish high school in China, where it is grades 10, 11 and 12, you also need your grade 9 transcript before enrolling.
• If your national curriculum has fewer than twelve years or no calculus course, Georgia Tech suggests demonstrating subject mastery through free schoolhouse.world certification, particularly in calculus.
• The SAT or ACT is required; see the previous section for English. IB and A-Level students: see the previous section.
• The School of Economics also offers the GEML degree, whose language options include Chinese (24 hours at the 2002 level or above).

8. Costs, internships and research

• Costs are in sections 5 and 6. Merit scholarships need Early Action but no separate application. Aid for international students is limited.
• The School of Economics site has an internships and jobs page, the degree includes ECON 4010 Career Development Workshop, internships are encouraged, and students can do research with faculty through the Research Option. Specific internship programs and numbers are not on the pages read.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: international transfer applicants must have graduated from secondary school, completed the minimum course requirements for their major, and have at least 30 semester credit hours.
• Deadlines (the page prints no year, so confirm they are for fall 2027): the fall window runs 18 January to 1 March, documents are due 16 March, course requirements are due 30 May, regular transfer decisions arrive in mid-May, and the deposit is due 1 July. Spring: 1 August to 15 September. Summer: 1 December to 15 January. The application fee is $75 ($85 for international applicants).
• GPA: at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts applicants; the average overall GPA of the 2025 class was 3.7.
• Course requirements for Economics: every major needs equivalents of English Composition 1101 and 1102 and Calculus I (MATH 1551); Economics also lists two lab science courses (sequence optional; biology, chemistry, calculus-based physics, earth and atmospheric sciences or environmental science, each with lecture and lab and at least 4 semester hours). Calculus II is not listed for economics. All must transfer with a C or better.
• An official credit evaluation comes only after admission. The School of Economics says substituting an outside course for a core course is decided case by case by the Director of Undergraduate Programs, and online courses are not accepted for transfer credit.
• International transfers: coursework from outside the US needs a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from an evaluation service, and syllabi or course outlines may be requested. English proficiency is shown by completing the two English Composition courses; official test scores are not required, though TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo and similar scores may be self-reported.

Checklist

Domestic applicants:

• Georgia students: Early Action 1 by 15 October; other states: Early Action 2 by 2 November or Regular Decision by 6 January; choose Economics as the intended major
• The SAT or ACT is required; Early Action is needed for merit scholarships

International applicants (including China):

• EA2 by 2 November or Regular Decision by 6 January; the SAT or ACT is required, with English shown by a USG-approved method
• Records for every school year, plus grade 9 for Chinese high schools; consider schoolhouse.world certification if there is no calculus course
• Plan for about $56,194 (on campus) for 2027-28

Transfer students:

• At least 30 credits for international transfers, a 3.0 GPA, and the fall window closing 1 March
• English Composition 1101 and 1102, Calculus I and two lab science courses, all with a C or better

Sources: Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S. in Economics; Economics and International Affairs; Global Economics and Modern Languages; Minors; Welcome from the Undergraduate Director; School of Economics advising and FAQ; Catalog: BS in Economics; AP credit; IB credit; A-Level credit; Deadlines; Standardized tests; Major selection; Application fees; Academic preparation; Application review; Essays; Recommendations; International first-year applicants; Transfer deadlines and fees; Transfer course requirements by major; Transfer GPA requirements; International transfer applicants; Undergraduate costs; International aid. Information is for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry); costs are 2027-28 estimates, and the transfer pages print no year, so verify dates. Check Georgia Tech for the latest details.