A writing sample for everyone
The page asks all applicants for a writing sample or research paper, and welcomes several.
Doctoral · MIT Economics
MIT Economics PhD: a writing sample, a ten-of-twelve core and a second-year paper
The MIT Economics PhD page invites applications to both the economics and business economics tracks and asks every applicant for a writing sample or research paper. After admission the curriculum page sets a staged path: at least ten of twelve half-semester core courses, met by a grade of B or better or a waiver exam, an advanced research methods course that guides a required second-year research paper, and two major and two minor fields by the end of year two.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What MIT asks for in MIT Economics PhD
Taken from the MIT Department of Economics PhD admissions page and its curriculum and thesis page and read on 2 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; MIT's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
Ten of twelve core courses
They are met by a B or better or a waiver exam.
A second-year research paper
A two-semester course guides it.
Official sources
- MIT Economics: PhD Program Admissionseconomics.mit.edu
- MIT Economics: PhD Curriculum and Thesiseconomics.mit.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the MIT Department of Economics PhD admissions page and its curriculum and thesis page, which describes 2027-28 entry. 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 MIT research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the programme page says.
It fits if
you can show research in a writing sample and are ready for a core that is passed by grade or waiver exam.
Think again if
you assume the first year is flexible. The curriculum page ties progress to the core and to field requirements by year two.
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 admissions page lists a writing sample or research paper, transcripts from every university attended, letters of recommendation, an English-language test for international applicants whose native language is not English, and a section on outside activities. It states a GRE requirement for the 2026-2027 cycle and a September 2027 start application window. This guide states no deadline, fee or funding term.
How the programme runs
Focus and working pattern
The curriculum page describes first-year and second-year core classes, coursework in major and minor fields and an advanced research methods course before the thesis stage. Core requirements can be met by a B or better or a waiver exam. Students complete two major fields and two minor fields by the end of year two, with minor options including computation and statistics.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not MIT rules and carry no probability.
Treating the core as a formality
At least ten of twelve half-semester core courses must be satisfied.
Leaving out a writing sample
The page asks all applicants for one.
Reading the GRE rule across cycles
The page states the GRE rule for the 2026-2027 cycle; check the page for your cycle.
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
MIT's programme page describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules MIT has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means MIT published it for the previous cycle and it 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 MIT's programme page, which carries no entry-year label. MIT has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. MIT 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 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 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 MIT Economics PhD ask for?
All applicants include a writing sample or research paper, and multiple samples are welcome.
Is a test required?
The admissions page states that the GRE is required for the 2026-2027 cycle (September 2026 admission). It does not state the GRE rule for a September 2027 start in the lines read, so check the page 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 MIT's funding sections and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the MIT 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.