7.0. Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program

The doctoral program in Agricultural and Applied Economics is designed to develop a broad based competence in economic theory and in techniques of quantitative analysis. Dissertation research of students in our department usually addresses applied problems using contemporary economic theory and analytical methods. Students completing our program have demonstrated a high degree of success in academics, business, and government.

Two options are offered for the Doctor of Philosophy in the Agricultural and Applied Economics program. The first option does not require a minor. The second option includes a minor in Family Financial Planning—a joint Ph.D. program between the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the College of Human Sciences. Completion of the Doctoral program in Agricultural and Applied Economics with a minor in Family Financial Planning qualifies graduates to take an exam administered by the Certified Financial Planning Board of Standards to become Certified Financial Planners.

6.1. Prerequisites

Most students will have completed the requirements for an M.S. degree or its equivalent before admission to the doctoral program. If the Master's degree does not meet the prerequisite requirements for entering our Master of Science program (see Section 5.1) then those requirements must be met in order to enter the Ph.D. program. Some exceptional students will be offered the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. directly from a Bachelor's program. In this case, see the Graduate Coordinator for course and program requirements.

Background in algebra, partial and total differentiation, integration and basic matrix or linear algebra operations are very useful to perform well in coursework and research work.

6.2. Credit Hour Requirements

The doctoral program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate degree and at least 12 credit hours of dissertation research (AAEC 8000).

6.3. Transfer of Credit

Transfer of graduate credit from other academic institutions may be allowed. The request for transfer must be initiated by the student and supported by the student's committee chair. Transfer decisions are made by the department Graduate Coordinator and must be approved by the Graduate School. Information required in support of transfer requests includes academic transcripts and course catalogue descriptions of each course proposed for transfer. Course syllabi may also be requested to support transfer decisions.

6.4. Substitution for Core Courses

Substitutions for core courses are allowed only under unusual circumstances. Requests for substitutions for core courses must be initiated by the student and his or her committee chair, to the department Graduate Coordinator and must be approved by the Graduate School. Final decisions on substitutions for core courses taught outside our department are made by the department Graduate Coordinator. Decisions on core courses taught in the department are made by the current instructor of the core course being replaced.

6.5. Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the Ph.D. comprehensive examination is to test the student's ability to integrate knowledge from various subject matter areas and apply appropriate concepts and tools to issues and problems relevant to the discipline. The comprehensive exam is administered by a departmental committee twice each year (usually in May and August) and is normally taken at the end of the first full year of coursework. The exam has two parts which are taken separately. Part 1 of the exam focuses econometric methods and Part 2 covers microeconomic theory. Students have two opportunities to pass both parts of the exam. If both parts of the exam are passed on the first attempt then the student has successfully completed this degree requirement. If one or both parts of the exam are failed on the first attempt (usually in May), the student must retake the failed part(s) at the next offering (in the following August). A second failure of either part of the comprehensive exam will result in dismissal from the student's Ph.D. program.

6.6. Qualifying Examination and Admission to Candidacy

Graduate school rules require that all doctoral students successfully complete a Qualifying Examination for admission to candidacy for the doctor's degree. In the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics the Dissertation Proposal Defense serves as the Qualifying Exam. Students are allowed two attempts to satisfactorily complete this examination. Failure to satisfactorily complete the examination on a second attempt will result in dismissal from the Ph.D. program. Further information on the Dissertation Proposal and Proposal Defense is provided in Section 9.0 of this Handbook.

6.7. Final Examination

All doctoral candidates are required to pass a public final oral examination which is usually over the general field of the dissertation. Candidates should consult the Graduate School for details regarding scheduling of the final examination. After the final examination, the professor conducting comprehensive exams will send a written notification of the results to the Graduate Secretary for the student's graduate file.

Doctoral candidates, with their major advisor, are required to find their own Dean's Representative for the Graduate School for their defense, preferably someone outside of the department.

Public announcement of exams will be done through the department Graduate Secretary. Exams must be announced at least four weeks prior to the exam date, without exception.

6.9. Degree Program Course Requirements

Listed below are the course requirements for the Ph.D. program options. Courses listed specifically by number are core courses. Note that the option II course requirements have been revised in consultation with the Department of Personal Financial Planning.

Ph.D in Agricultural and Applied Economics - No Minor Required (option1)¹

Course number / Course title / credit hours

• AAEC 5303 / Advanced Production Economics / 3
• AAEC 5307 / Applied Econometrics I / 3
• AAEC 6316 / Advanced International Trade and Policy / 3
• AAEC 5321 / Research Methodology in Economics/ 3
• AAEC 6302 / Food, Ag., and Nat. Resource Policy Analysis / 3
• AAEC 6305 / Economic Optimization / 3
• AAEC 6308 / Advanced Natural Resource Economics / 3
• AAEC 6310 / Demand and Price Analysis / 3
• AAEC 6311 / Applied Econometrics II / 3
• AAEC 6301 / Microeconomic Theory II / 3
• AAEC 6315 / Applied Microeconomics I / 3
• ECO 5311 / Macroeconomic Theory and Policy / 3
• Committee Approved Field Courses / / 24
• AAEC 8000 / Doctor's Dissertation / 12

Total Credit Hours 72

Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics - Minor in Family Financial Planning (option 2)^1,2

Course number / Course title / credit hours

• AAEC 5303 / Advanced Production Economics / 3
• AAEC 5307 / Applied Econometrics I / 3
• AAEC 6316 / Advanced International Trade and Policy / 3
• AAEC 5321 / Research Methodology in Economics/ 3
• AAEC 6302 / Food, Ag., and Nat. Resource Policy Analysis / 3
• AAEC 6305 / Economic Optimization / 3
• AAEC 6308 / Advanced Natural Resource Economics / 3
• AAEC 6310 / Demand and Price Analysis / 3
• AAEC 6311 / Applied Econometrics II / 3
• AAEC 6301 / Microeconomic Theory II / 3
• AAEC 6315 / Applied Microeconomics I / 3
• ECO 5311 / Macroeconomic Theory and Policy / 3
• AAEC 8000 / Doctor's Dissertation / 21
• PFP 5371 / Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning / 3
• PFP 5372 / Asset Management II / 3
• PFP 5373 / Personal Financial Planning Cpstn. / 3
• PFP 5394 / Retirement Planning / 3
• PFP 5497 / Risk Management and Insurance Planning / 4
• PFP 5398 / Estate Planning / 3
• PFP 5362 / Asset Management I / 3
• PFP 5377 / Client Communication and Counseling / 3
• ACCT 5311 / Individual Study in Accounting / 3

total credit hours 85

¹Numbered courses are core courses.²Draft revisions pending review and approval of AAEC faculty.

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