Hagey Hall Hub located on Waterloo's main campus
Get a strong foundation in economic theory and econometrics. Conduct original research alongside world-renowned scholars. Discover innovative ways to tackle global water challenges with the PhD in Applied Economics Collaborative Water program.
You’ll receive training in the areas of public policy. This includes fields such as labour economics, macro-economics, monetary economics, econometrics, natural resources, environmental and health economics. Along with developing expertise in your area of economics research, two interdisciplinary courses will capture both theoretical and practical components of complex water problems. This includes in-class lectures, fieldwork, interdisciplinary group work, and individual research seminars.
Through this rigorous academic program and applied research experience, you’ll develop your communication and analytical skills across disciplines. You'll be prepared for a career in academia or the private sector as an economist, data analyst, policy advisor, economic consultant and many others.
Program overview
Department/School: Economics
Faculty: Faculty of Arts
Admit term(s): Fall (September - December)
Delivery mode: On-campus
Program type: Collaborative, Master's, Research
Length of program: 48 months
Registration option(s): Full-time
Study option(s): Thesis
Application deadlines
- February 1 (for admission in September)
Key contacts
Amanda Taves
econgadv@uwaterloo.ca
Admission limitations
Due to funding restrictions, the Faculty of Arts is currently limiting the number of international students we can admit. Please contact the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program.
Supervisors
- Review the finding a supervisor resources.
- No supervisor is required to apply to this program.
Admission requirements
- Master's degree in Economics.
- Minimum 80%, first class average in Master of Arts (MA) Economics degree.
- A one-page statement of Academic Interest.
- A GRE score is not required but is recommended for all international students applying to the program.
Degree requirements
- Review the degree requirements in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree.
- Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the Department of Economics graduate students.
Application materials
- Statement of interest
- A statement of maximum 500 words explaining your interest in and fit for the program you’re applying to, uploaded as a supporting document in the online application. Review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion.
- Program-specific questions (PSQ)
- These are questions specific to the program you’re applying to. They can be viewed once you’ve started an application and are completed through a form in the online application.
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Writing Sample
- References
- Three academic references are required.
- Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
- TOEFL 90 (writing 25, speaking 25), IELTS 7.0 (writing 6.5, speaking 6.5)
- The Department of Economics does not consider international applicants whose English language proficiency scores fall below the minimum requirements.
Tuition and fees
- Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program.
- Review living costs and housing.
- Learn about the PhD housing guarantee pilot program for newly admitted students in fall 2025 and winter 2026.
- Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students.