Economics (Ph.D.)
Admission Requirements
Admission to this program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School. Applicants to this program must hold a bachelor’s degree and have a grade point average of at least 3.0. Applicants must include verbal, quantitative and analytical Graduate Record Examination scores and three letters of recommendation from officials or teaching staff of the institution(s) most recently attended. Applicants from other countries must demonstrate English proficiency by obtaining a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). All candidates must submit a Statement of Purpose as part of their applications.
Applicants are expected to arrive with the following preparation:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 5000 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 5050 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 5100 | Introductory Statistics and Econometrics | 4 |
MAT 2010 and MAT 2020 or similar introductory courses in differential and integral calculus providing minimal mathematics requirements. Additional courses in calculus and linear algebra are highly desirable.
Program Requirements
Ph.D. students in economics must successfully complete sixty six (66) credits in graduate study, consisting of forty eight (48) credits in course work and eighteen (18) credits in dissertation research. Note that all courses listed below are offered once every two years. Making adequate progress requires taking and passing each course when scheduled. Failure to take a course when scheduled, or failure to pass a course, will result in a delay of two years before that course can be repeated.
Candidacy
Advancement to candidacy is granted upon completion of the following requirements:
- Completion of a Plan of Work, approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School, filed no later than the end of the first year of study.
- Completion of the following courses in economic theory, and passing comprehensive exams in microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 7020 | Fundamentals of Economic Analysis I | 4 |
| ECO 7000 | Microeconomic Theory I | 4 |
| ECO 7010 | Microeconomic Theory II | 4 |
| ECO 7050 | Macroeconomic Theory I | 4 |
| ECO 7060 | Macroeconomic Theory II | 4 |
- Completion of the following courses in quantitative methods.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 7100 | Econometrics I | 4 |
| ECO 7110 | Econometrics II | 4 |
Plus ONE of the following courses (students may take both):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 6020 | Causal Inference and Research Practice | 4 |
| ECO 7120 | Econometrics III | 4 |
- Completion of four 7000-level courses offered by, and designated as field courses by, the Department, and passing a comprehensive exam in one of the fields covered in those courses. All field courses are 4 credits each, for a total of 16 credits of field courses.
- Passing an oral qualifying exam on the student's chosen area of research.
Dissertation credit: Once the student achieves candidacy, they can fulfill the 18 dissertation credit requirement by taking ECO 9991 and ECO 9992 and (Doctoral Dissertation Research and Direction I and II).
Academic Scholarship: All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Doctoral Dissertation Outline and Record of Approval: This form must be approved by the student’s Faculty Dissertation Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Dean of the Graduate School.
The Doctoral Dissertation: The student is required to submit a doctoral dissertation on a topic satisfactory to his/her Faculty Dissertation Committee.
Public Lecture and Defense: Upon acceptance of the dissertation, the student will deliver a final lecture and defense in accordance with Graduate School procedures.