Our curriculum features 24 credit hours of first year core courses, at least 24 credit hours of field courses, electives and workshops, and at least 24 credit hours of dissertation research. Thus, the minimum number of credit hours to be fulfilled is 72.
First Year Core
As in every distinguished Ph.D. program in Economics in the U.S., students receive rigorous training in microeconomic theory and quantitative methods during their first year of study.
Mathematics for Economists: the main goal of this course is to provide students with the necessary quantitative skills to perform well in the subsequent core coursework. The course covers matrix algebra, limits and open sets, implicit functions and their derivatives, quadratic forms, and definite matrices, unconstrained and constrained static optimization, and dynamic optimization.
Microeconomic Theory I: the students learn the axiomatic theory of consumer behavior, consumer choice, classical demand theory, aggregate demand, choice under uncertainty, producer theory, and partial equilibrium analysis.
Microeconomic Theory II: covers topics in externalities and public goods, general equilibrium, economics of information, and inter-temporal dynamic analysis.
In addition to Mathematics for Economists, students take three courses in Quantitative Methods: a two-course sequence in statistics and econometrics and a course in empirical research methods.
Econometrics I: a comprehensive introduction to mathematical statistics principles underlying statistical analyses in economics.
Econometrics II: students learn linear and nonlinear regression analyses, hypothesis testing, ordinary and generalized least squares, instrumental variables estimation, the generalized method of moments, the method of maximum likelihood, methods for stationary time series, unit roots and cointegration, and specification testing.
Empirical Research Methods: a course that complements the two-course sequence in statistics and econometrics by providing students with up-to-date theory in panel data modeling and analysis.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Training
Students who receive a graduate teaching assistantship must complete the graduate Tech to Teaching certificate. The certificate consists of two foundation-level courses, CETL 8713: Fundamentals in Teaching and CETL 8717: Course design, as well as a teaching capstone, by either co-teaching a course or teaching a course as the instructor of record. No GTA will be appointed as instructor of record without having completed the foundation-level courses.
Curriculum and Sample Schedule for the Ph.D. Program
All courses are three credit hours.
| Fall | Spring |
|---|---|
| First Year | |
| Microeconomic Theory I Econometrics I Mathematics for Economists Required elective |
Microeconomic Theory II Econometrics II Empirical Research Methods Required elective |
| Second Year | |
| Major Economics Field, Course I Minor Economics Field, Course I Electives |
Major Economics Field, Course II Minor Economics Field, Course II Electives |
| Third Year | |
| Dissertation Research | Dissertation Research |
| Fourth Year | |
| Dissertation Research | Dissertation Research |
| Fifth Year | |
| Dissertation Research | Dissertation Research |
Required elective options: ECON 7015, ECON 7031, ECON 7032, ECON 8997, CETL 8713, CETL 8717, or course approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.