Coursework

The graduate school requires 20 courses (60 hours) for the Ph.D. degree. The department requires 11 core courses, 6 field/elective courses, and 3 economic research courses (ECO 7000). Students with prior graduate work may transfer in courses as specified in the Graduate Catalog; however, no transfer credit will be given for any of the 11 core courses. All core courses in economics must be passed with minimum grade of C- to count toward the degree.

The eleven core couses are as follows:

          ECO 5312            Microeconomics I

          ECO 6312            Microeconomics II

          ECO 6313            Microeconomics III

          ECO 5311            Macroeconomics I

          ECO 6322            Macroeconomics II

          ECO 6323            Macroeconomics III

          ECO 5331            Econometrics I

          ECO 6332            Econometrics II

          ECO 6333            Econometrics III

          ECO 5301            Mathematical Ecomomics

          ECO 5318            History of Economics

These core courses should be completed before any field courses or approved electives are taken. Exceptions may be made with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Currently the department offers the following field and / or elective courses:  

Field or Elective Courses

          ECO 5343            Natural Resources and Environmental Economics

          ECO 5344            Environmental Economics

          ECO 5345            Energy Economics

          ECO 6341            Industrial Organization I

          ECO 6342            Industrial Organization II

          ECO 5355            Labor Economics I

          ECO 6356            Labor Economics II

          ECO 5353            Public Finance I

          ECO 6354            Public Finance II

          ECO 5364            Economic Policy

          ECO 5365            International Trade

          ECO 6366            International Finance

          ECO 6361            Monetary Economics

          ECO 6367            Forecasting

          ECO 6369            Growth and Development

          ECO 6340            Macroeconomics Labor Economics 

          ECO 5383            Time Series Economics 

          ECO 6363            Consumption and Investment: Microfoundation and Aggregate Dynamics

These courses are usually offered on a two-year cycle but note that because at least five students are required in order to offer a course, not all field/elective courses may be offered at a given time unless there is sufficient interest among current students. 

The required sequence of core and field courses is as follows (unless an exception is made by the Director of Graduate Studies):

Year 1:    Fall Semester         ECO 5312, ECO 5311, ECO 5331, ECO 5301

               Spring Semester    ECO 6312, ECO 6322, ECO 6332, ECO 5318 

Year 2:    Fall Semester         ECO 6313, ECO 6333, Elective (3 SCH)

               Spring Semester    ECO 6323, Field/Elective (6 SCH) 

Year 3:    Fall Semester         Field/Elective (6 SCH), ECO 7000, Research

               Spring Semester    Field/Elective (3 SCH), ECO 7000, Research (6 SCH)

Year 4:    Fall Semester         ECO 8000, Dissertation 

               Spring Semester    ECO 8000, Dissertation

Year 5:    Fall Semester         ECO 8000

               Spring Semester    ECO 8000                

Degree Plan

Students need to fill out a degree plan in their second or third regular semester. The degree plan lists the courses that are going to be used to fulfill the coursework requirements discussed above. The plan may be changed with relatively little hassle, but it should be kept up to date because when the time comes to graduate, the Graduate School will check the degree plan against the courses the student has actually taken.