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Progress to the Degree

Our Ph.D. program is designed so that the Ph.D. degree can be awarded after four years of diligent study.

This page is a summary of the requirements for making satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. in Economics. Any variations or exceptions for an individual student must be approved in writing by the Graduate Committee and by the student's Special Committee.

The First Year

Students are expected to qualify before the beginning of their second year in four areas:

• Econometrics
• Macroeconomics
• Mathematics for Economists
• Microeconomic Theory

Qualifying in Macroeconomics and Microeconomic Theory requires passing qualifying examinations in these areas during June after the first year (or, if necessary, passing a re-take in August after the first year). To prepare for these examinations students should take the following courses in their first year:

• Macroeconomics I and II
• Microeconomic Theory I, II, and III (in the 2005-2006 academic year Microeconomic Theory III will be replaced by Econ 669)

To qualify in Econometrics, students must achieve a grade of at least B- in the first year in each of the two courses, Econometrics I and II (or in a more advanced course approved by the instructors of Econometrics courses and the Graduate Committee).

To qualify in Mathematics for Economists, students must pass the Mathematics Proficiency examination given at the beginning of the first year of graduate study or achieve a grade of at least B- in the Intermediate Mathematics Economics I.

In extraordinary cases, students may petition to the Graduate Committee (by November of the first year) to defer some of the first-year requirements until the second year.

Second Year

Workshops
Participation in at least one workshop in the second year is strongly encouraged. After the second year, students must participate on a full-time basis in at least one workshop program. We currently offer workshops in:

• Applied Microeconomics
• Development Economics
• Econometrics
• International Economics
• Labor Economics
• Macro/Monetary Economics
• Microeconomic Theory
• Public Economics

Research Project
Students are required to begin a research project in the second year. They will be expected to present this work in the Fall semester of the third year in a Second-Year-Paper workshop. Attendance at this workshop and presentation of the second year paper is required for all third year students.

Special Committee
Students are assigned a Special Committee Chair upon initial enrollment. Usually this is the Director of Graduate Studies. This assignment is temporary. Prior to registering for the third year, students must form a permanent Special Committee to advise them on courses and research. The committee consists of a Chair and at least two other members. The Chair represents the student's major area of research and the other members represent minor areas.

Major and Minor Fields
Students must also qualify in one major and at least two minor fields. This is typically done in the second and third years. The requirements for qualifying in fields are determined by the committee member representing each field.

The A exam
Students are expected to pass an Admission to Candidacy Examination administered by their Special Committee during the third year of graduate study. This examination must be passed by the end of the third week of the fourth year.

The Third Year and Beyond

The Dissertation and the B Exam
Students are expected to begin work on their dissertation in the third year of study and to finish the dissertation by the end of the fourth or fifth year of study. The program is designed so that the Ph.D. can be awarded in four years and students should plan to finish in four years. However, in some circumstances, a fifth year of doctoral study may be needed in order to complete the requirements. Completing the Ph.D. requires passing an oral examination, the B Exam, administered by the student's Special Committee followed by filing a completed Doctoral Dissertation approved by the Committee. Our placements have been strong, and generally universal (Click for Information about our alumni since 1983).