Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must earn a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general tests (verbal, math, analytical). The GRE test in economics is recommended. Admission is based on academic record, test scores, and at least two letters of recommendation. Applicants who are not native speakers of English must submit the results of TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). In general, a B+ average for previous undergraduate work or a B+/A- average for previous graduate work, whichever is more recent, is the minimum required. (Most students admitted have higher grade averages.) As a rule, students are admitted for the fall semester only; application must be made by the previous February 1 in order to be considered for financial support. 

Tracks

Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, or  Heterodox Economics 

Degree Requirements

• 72 credit hours of approved graduate work: 

48 credit hours must be taken in designated courses; no more than 40 percent of course work and no more than 6 hours of independent study or reading courses (exclusive of dissertation hours) may be taken with any one professor. Credit may be given for previous graduate work in accordance with university academic regulations. 

• Tools of research 

The following courses must be completed with grades of B- or better: 

ECON-619 U.S. Economic History 

or 

ECON-618 Economic History of Europe and the World 

ECON-620 Economic Thought 

ECON-705 Mathematical Economic Analysis 

ECON-723 Econometric Methods 

ECON-724 Advanced Econometric Methods 

• Field Requirement 

Students must take a major field and minor field. Completing a major field requires a grades of B- or better in two designated field courses and the satisfactory completion of a comprehensive exam. Completing a minor field requires a B- or better in two designated field courses. Courses can not be applied to two different fields. 

• Four comprehensive examinations: 

Preliminary theory: ECON-702 and ECON-703 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

Advanced theory (one of the following): 

Microeconomics: ECON-701 and ECON-713 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

Macroeconomics: ECON-711 and ECON-712 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

Heterodox: ECON-701 and ECON-711 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

One field comprehensive 

Defense of dissertation proposal 

• Dissertation and oral comprehensive 

Students must attend the dissertation seminar in their third year, or when they are working on their dissertation proposals. Between 6 and 24 credit hours of ECON-799 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar, which must be taken pass/fail, are taken while students complete their proposals and prepare dissertations.  

The student obtains approval for the dissertation topic from an interested faculty member in the field who then becomes chair of the dissertation committee. Committees are appointed following the successful oral defense of the dissertation proposal. When the actual dissertation is nearly finished, an oral defense of the complete draft dissertation is held. Final approval of the dissertation depends on satisfactory completion of any changes required by the committee members following the oral defense. Dissertations are subject to all applicable university regulations. 

Course Requirements

Theory (15 credit hours)

The following courses must be completed with grades of B- or better: 

• ECON-702 Macroeconomic Analysis I (3) 
• ECON-703 Microeconomic Analysis I (3) 

Microeconomics Track 

• ECON-701 Micro Political Economy I (3) 
• ECON-711 Macro Political Economy II (3) 

or 

ECON-712 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3) 

• ECON-713 Microeconomic Analysis II (3 

Macroeconomics Track 

• ECON-701 Micro Political Economy I (3) 

or 

ECON-713 Microeconomic Analysis II (3 

• ECON-711 Macro Political Economy II (3) 
• ECON-712 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3) 

Heterodox EconomicsTrack 

• ECON-701 Micro Political Economy I (3) 
• ECON-711 Macro Political Economy II (3) 
• ECON-713 Microeconomic Analysis II (3) 

or 

ECON-712 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3) 

Fields (12 credit hours)

• Two courses in each of two of the following fields completed with grades of B- or better: 

Comparative Economic Systems 

• ECON-551 Comparative Economic Systems {3} 
• ECON-552 Economics of Transition (3) 

Development Economics 

• ECON-662 Development Microeconomics (3) 
• ECON-663 Development Macroeconomics (3) 

Economic History 

• ECON-618 Economic History of Europe and the World (3) 
• ECON-619 U.S. Economic History (3) 
• ECON-778 Seminar in Economic History (3) 

Gender Economics 

• ECON-574 Gender Perspectives on Economic Analysis: Microeconomics (3) 
• ECON-575 Gender Perspectives on Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics (3) 

Industrial Organization 

• ECON-546 Industrial Economics (3) 
• ECON-547 Economics of Antitrust and Regulation (3) 

International Economics 

• ECON-671 International Economics: Trade (3) 
• ECON-672 International Economics: Finance (3) 

Labor Economics 

• ECON-573 Labor Economics (3) 
• ECON-789 Seminar in Labor Economics (3) 

Monetary Economics 

• ECON-630 Monetary Economics (3) 
• ECON-633 Financial Economics (3) 

Public Finance and Fiscal Policy 

• ECON-541 Public Economics (3) 
• PUAD-607 Economics and Politics of Public Policy (3) 

Tools of Research (15 credit hours)

The following courses must be completed with grades of B- or better: 

• ECON-618 Economic History of Europe and the World (3) 

or 

ECON-619 U.S. Economic History (3) 

• ECON-620 Economic Thought (3) 
• ECON-705 Mathematical Economic Analysis (3) 
• ECON-723 Econometric Methods (3) 
• ECON-724 Advanced Econometric Methods (3) 

Research Seminars (6 credit hours)

• ECON-782 Seminar in Empirical Macroeconomics (3) (for students who have taken ECON-711 and ECON-712) 

or 

ECON-783 Seminar in Empirical Microeconomics (3) (for students who have taken ECON-701 and ECON-713) 

• One other seminar approved by department

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must earn a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general tests (verbal, math, analytical). The GRE test in economics is recommended. Admission is based on academic record, test scores, and at least two letters of recommendation. Applicants who are not native speakers of English must submit the results of TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). In general, a B+ average for previous undergraduate work or a B+/A- average for previous graduate work, whichever is more recent, is the minimum required. (Most students admitted have higher grade averages.) As a rule, students are admitted for the fall semester only; application must be made by the previous February 1 in order to be considered for financial support. 

Tracks

Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, or  Heterodox Economics 

Degree Requirements

•   72 credit hours of approved graduate work: 

48 credit hours must be taken in designated courses; no more than 40 percent of course work and no more than 6 hours of independent study or reading courses (exclusive of dissertation hours) may be taken with any one professor. Credit may be given for previous graduate work in accordance with university academic regulations. 

• Tools of research 

The following courses must be completed with grades of B- or better: 

ECON-619 U.S. Economic History 

or 

ECON-618 Economic History of Europe and the World 

ECON-620 Economic Thought 

ECON-705 Mathematical Economic Analysis 

ECON-723 Econometric Methods 

ECON-724 Advanced Econometric Methods 

• Field Requirement 

Students must take a major field and minor field. Completing a major field requires a grades of B- or better in two designated field courses and the satisfactory completion of a comprehensive exam. Completing a minor field requires a B- or better in two designated field courses. Courses can not be applied to two different fields. 

• Four comprehensive examinations: 

Preliminary theory: ECON-702 and ECON-703 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

Advanced theory (one of the following): 

Microeconomics: ECON-701 and ECON-713 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

Macroeconomics: ECON-711 and ECON-712 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

Heterodox: ECON-701 and ECON-711 must be taken completed before taking the examination 

One field comprehensive 

Defense of dissertation proposal 

• Dissertation and oral comprehensive 

Students must attend the dissertation seminar in their third year, or when they are working on their dissertation proposals. Between 6 and 24 credit hours of ECON-799 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar, which must be taken pass/fail, are taken while students complete their proposals and prepare dissertations.  

The student obtains approval for the dissertation topic from an interested faculty member in the field who then becomes chair of the dissertation committee. Committees are appointed following the successful oral defense of the dissertation proposal. When the actual dissertation is nearly finished, an oral defense of the complete draft dissertation is held. Final approval of the dissertation depends on satisfactory completion of any changes required by the committee members following the oral defense. Dissertations are subject to all applicable university regulations. 

Course Requirements

Theory (15 credit hours)

The following courses must be completed with grades of B- or better: 

• ECON-702 Macroeconomic Analysis I (3) 
• ECON-703 Microeconomic Analysis I (3) 

Microeconomics Track 

• ECON-701 Micro Political Economy I (3) 
• ECON-711 Macro Political Economy II (3) 

or 

ECON-712 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3) 

• ECON-713 Microeconomic Analysis II (3 

Macroeconomics Track 

• ECON-701 Micro Political Economy I (3) 

or 

ECON-713 Microeconomic Analysis II (3 

• ECON-711 Macro Political Economy II (3) 
• ECON-712 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3) 

Heterodox EconomicsTrack 

• ECON-701 Micro Political Economy I (3) 
• ECON-711 Macro Political Economy II (3) 
• ECON-713 Microeconomic Analysis II (3) 

or 

ECON-712 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3) 

Fields (12 credit hours)

•  Two courses in each of two of the following fields completed with grades of B- or better: 

Comparative Economic Systems 

•  ECON-551 Comparative Economic Systems {3} 
•  ECON-552 Economics of Transition (3) 

Development Economics 

•  ECON-662 Development Microeconomics (3) 
•  ECON-663 Development Macroeconomics (3) 

Economic History 

•  ECON-618 Economic History of Europe and the World (3) 
•  ECON-619 U.S. Economic History (3) 
•  ECON-778 Seminar in Economic History (3) 

Gender Economics 

•  ECON-574 Gender Perspectives on Economic Analysis: Microeconomics (3) 
•  ECON-575 Gender Perspectives on Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics (3) 

Industrial Organization 

•  ECON-546 Industrial Economics (3) 
•  ECON-547 Economics of Antitrust and Regulation (3) 

International Economics 

•  ECON-671 International Economics: Trade (3) 
•  ECON-672 International Economics: Finance (3) 

Labor Economics 

•  ECON-573 Labor Economics (3) 
•  ECON-789 Seminar in Labor Economics (3) 

Monetary Economics 

•  ECON-630 Monetary Economics (3) 
•  ECON-633 Financial Economics (3) 

Public Finance and Fiscal Policy 

•  ECON-541 Public Economics (3) 
•  PUAD-607 Economics and Politics of Public Policy (3) 

Tools of Research (15 credit hours)

The following courses must be completed with grades of B- or better: 

•  ECON-618 Economic History of Europe and the World (3) 

or 

ECON-619 U.S. Economic History (3) 

•  ECON-620 Economic Thought (3) 
•  ECON-705 Mathematical Economic Analysis (3) 
•  ECON-723 Econometric Methods (3) 
•  ECON-724 Advanced Econometric Methods (3) 

Research Seminars (6 credit hours)

•  ECON-782 Seminar in Empirical Macroeconomics (3) (for students who have taken ECON-711 and ECON-712) 

or 

ECON-783 Seminar in Empirical Microeconomics (3) (for students who have taken ECON-701 and ECON-713) 

•  One other seminar approved by department