The GRE is required
At-home exams are accepted, and the subject tests are optional.
Doctoral · Cornell Economics
Cornell Economics PhD: a required GRE and proof-based mathematics through linear algebra
The Cornell Economics PhD page states that the GRE is required for admission, that at-home exams are accepted and that GRE subject examinations are optional. It also sets a mathematics standard that matters more to applicants than the test: strong results in proof-based mathematics at least through linear algebra, with courses called Mathematics for Economists or Econometrics explicitly not a substitute. An undergraduate degree in economics or mathematics is not required.
Official information · no entry-year label on the page
What Cornell asks for in Cornell Economics PhD
Taken from the Cornell Department of Economics page for prospective incoming graduate students and read on 2 November 2026. The page carries no entry-year label, so every value below is treated as previous-cycle evidence for a 2028-29 start; Cornell's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
Proof-based mathematics
The page names proof-based mathematics through linear algebra and says applied maths courses are not a substitute.
A second-year research paper
Students write a complete, independent research paper in year two.
Official sources
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Cornell Department of Economics page for prospective incoming graduate students, which carries no entry-year label. The application portal, deadlines, funding and the English-test scores were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Does your record fit what the programme page asks?
This guide concerns only the Cornell research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the programme page says.
It fits if
you have proof-based mathematics through linear algebra, can sit the GRE and want a Fall start.
Think again if
you rely on a mathematics-for-economists course. The page says such courses are not a substitute for formal mathematics.
Check the page
The Graduate School's programme page is the source; deadlines, funding and score thresholds change by cycle and are not stated here.
How the application is read
What the programme page lists
The page lists the GRE as required (at-home exams accepted; subject tests optional), letters of reference and TOEFL or IELTS scores, and says there is no pre-admission application: only files submitted through the application are reviewed. Students may start in the Fall only. An economics or mathematics undergraduate degree is not required. This guide states no deadline or funding term.
How the programme runs
Focus and working pattern
First-semester courses presume a thorough knowledge of microeconomics at the level of a rigorous treatment of undergraduate intermediate theory. A mathematics review course is offered before classes in August, though not required. Students write an independent research paper in the second year. Cornell is described as an open campus where students take courses outside economics. This page carries no entry-year label.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not Cornell rules and carry no probability.
Substituting applied maths for proof-based maths
The page says courses called Mathematics for Economists or Econometrics do not substitute.
Assuming a degree in economics is needed
The page says neither an economics nor a mathematics degree is required.
Relying on a pre-application
The page says there is no pre-admission application.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check your record
Compare your coursework and experience with the stated expectations.
Prepare the written work
Draft the statements and writing sample the page asks for, in the formats it lists.
Plan the tests
Check which tests are required, optional or not accepted.
Read the current page
Read the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Cornell's programme page carries no entry-year label. A start in 2028-29 means applying under rules Cornell has not yet published. Each item below is either read on the page and treated as previous-cycle wording, which may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the programme and the application
The expectations, the written work and the test policy are described on Cornell's programme page, which carries no entry-year label. Cornell has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Cornell publishes them per cycle; read the page again for the cycle you apply in.
What to do now
Check your record against the programme page, prepare the written work it lists and plan any required test.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Cornell University or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does the Cornell Economics PhD ask for?
The PhD does not require an undergraduate degree in economics or mathematics for admission.
Is a test required?
The page says the GRE is required for admission, that the department will accept at-home GRE exams, and that GRE subject examinations are optional. Check it for the cycle you apply in.
Does this guide state a deadline?
No. The page carries no entry-year label and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding. Check the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Does the programme include funding?
This guide did not use Cornell's funding sections and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Cornell Economics PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.