OpenVerified · 2026-10-19

University at Buffalo — PhD in Economics

University at Buffalo, Department of Economics · United States

Degree level: PhD / Doctorate
Programme: PhD in Economics
Funding type: Competitive FULL-TIME FUNDED Economics PhD TA/GA/RA assistantships (not guaranteed admission funding): Fall 2027 minimum USD $27,000 on 10-month appointments plus FULL TUITION WAIVER; campus USD $35,100 minimum only on qualifying 12-month funded appointments
Covers: Tuition, Living stipend
Details: COMPETITIVELY AWARDED, FULLY FUNDED ECONOMICS PHD ASSISTANTSHIPS (NOT ALL APPLICANTS OR ALL ADMITTED STUDENTS). EFFECTIVE FALL 2027: UB Economics and Graduate School list the following campus PhD MINIMUM AWARD PACKAGES: - Eligible FULL-TIME, FULLY FUNDED PhD students on TEN-MONTH academic-year TA/RA/GA appointment: USD $27,000 ACADEMIC-YEAR STIPEND and a FULL TUITION WAIVER. - Eligible FULL-TIME, FULLY FUNDED PhD students on TWELVE-MONTH appointment: USD $35,100 MINIMUM ANNUAL STIPEND under UNIVERSITY-WIDE PhD Excellence Initiative. THIS IS NOT AN AUTOMATIC 12-MONTH ECONOMICS OFFER and must not be advertised as a guaranteed individual award. - The university says CENTRAL COMPREHENSIVE FEES are funded recurrently for TA AND GA appointments only, not categorically for RA appointments; confirm an individual award's fee remission. - Economics awards assistantships competitively, typically funding APPROXIMATELY 8–10 doctoral students per year. Departmental assistantships may be renewed UP TO THREE TIMES, typically supporting through end of FOURTH PhD YEAR, depending on 3.5 GRADUATE GPA, passing exams, research progress, satisfactory TA/GA performance and funding availability. TA/GA work usually up to 20 hours/week. NOT a guaranteed four-year package for EVERY admission or automatically beyond year 4. - International students who want/need aid BEYOND YEAR TWO require UB's SPEAK assessment according to Economics funding page; this is separate from an entrance IELTS or TOEFL exemption. - HEALTH INSURANCE: UB offers eligible TAs/GAs/RAs access to employment-based insurance, but actual premium contributions and enrollment vary by appointment/pay line and individual status. Mandatory international-student insurance is not automatically a fully paid scholarship benefit. DO NOT set covers_health_insurance=true as a blanket grant. Confirm rate, enrollment, subsidization and student-paid premium on written assistantship offer with UB Benefits and programme office. - Cost items like housing, flights, visa fees and application fees are NOT guaranteed funding benefits. - Presidential Fellowship is competitive; Schomburg programme's US citizen/permanent-resident eligibility restricts most Ghanaian international applicants from that specific fellowship. - GRE is REQUIRED for Economics PhD even when university ELP waived. APPLICATION CHARGE: Non-refundable USD $75 PhD application fee. The published PORTAL FEE WAIVER mechanism is for U.S. citizens and CURRENT U.S. permanent residents ONLY, upon completing application and uploading all required documents. Do NOT imply Ghanaian overseas applicants generally obtain an application fee waiver. - IMPORTANT: February 1, 2027 is the FUNDING priority deadline; March 1, 2027 the LAST international admissions deadline. OFFICIAL: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/economics/apply.graduate-application.html ; https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/economics/graduate/financial-aid.html ; https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/explore/funding/phd-level-funding.html ; https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/life-on-campus/health/medical-care/health-insurance/ta-ra-ga.html
Intake: Fall 2027
Deadline: Deadline 1 February 2027 (time not confirmed).
Schedule: UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO (SUNY), DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS PhD — FALL 2027 ENTRY ONLY. MULTIPLE DISTINCT DEADLINES: (1) JANUARY 10, 2027: priority date for PRES IDENTIAL FELLOWSHIP consideration (correct opportunity name: Presidential Fellowship). This is an additional competitive award, not guaranteed to every applicant. Both domestic and international applicants can be eligible subject to fellowship rules; the separate Schomburg fellowship generally requires US citizenship or permanent residence. (2) FEBRUARY 1, 2027 — FUNDING-PRIORITY DEADLINE, CRITICAL FOR SCHOLARSHIP MATCHING: Completed PhD in Economics applications by this date are AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED for departmental assistantships and fellowships, with no separate Economics departmental funding application. Students who primarily need funding should target FEBRUARY 1, rather than assume admission before March 1 secures funding. THIS RECORD'S APPLICATION_DEADLINE FIELD REPRESENTS THE FUNDING-CONSIDERATION DATE, NOT THE ABSOLUTE LATEST ADMISSIONS DEADLINE. (3) MARCH 1, 2027 — FINAL ADMISSION DEADLINE FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD APPLICANTS, INCLUDING GHANAIANS. Applying after February 1 and before March 1 may be possible for international admission but does NOT guarantee full departmental funding consideration. (4) MAY 1, 2027 — FINAL ADMISSION DEADLINE FOR DOMESTIC PHD APPLICANTS. Admissions to PhD only for FALL term; unlike Economics MA/MS, doctoral applications are NOT rolling. The Economics admissions page does not specify an exact clock time or deadline timezone for these dates; students should submit early. The university's graduate ELP requirement is distinct from any assistantship SPEAK oral proficiency tests. OFFICIAL SOURCE: https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/economics/apply.graduate-application.html ; https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/economics/graduate/financial-aid.html

Fall 2027 University at Buffalo PhD in Economics. International students including Ghanaian applicants eligible. COMPETITIVE assistantships support qualifying funded PhD students with minimum USD $27,000 10-month stipend plus full tuition waiver; not all admittees funded. For automatic full funding consideration apply by February 1 2027; final international admissions March 1 2027. GRE required. Ghanaian citizens educated in English medium qualify for UB general graduate English-test exemption.

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