The rigorous training and applied nature of the department’s core offerings and doctoral fields provide the analytical expertise and practical experience for both domestic and international positions.

Students fulfill a standard set of core requirements and qualify in one major doctoral field. Students must complete the coursework described below, pass the written and oral qualifying examinations, complete a satisfactory dissertation, and defend it in an oral examination.  A typical program for the doctoral student may be envisioned to focus study in the following way:

• First year: core courses, research tools, TNDY class
• Second year: core and field courses, research workshops
• Third year: elective courses, research workshops, written qualifying exams, dissertation proposal and advancement to candidacy
• Fourth year: composition of the dissertation

Admission policies are detailed in the Admissions    section of the Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

Coursework.  A minimum of 72 units of graduate-level coursework is required, including completion of the core course requirements listed below.

Field of Study.  Student must successfully complete five courses in one major field of study. For interfield students, some of the economics fields require only four courses.

Transdisciplinary Course Requirement.  See the Doctoral Degree Regulations    section of the Bulletin.

Research Tool.  Completion of the institutional research tool requirement. This requirement is met by successful completion of the Microeconomics and Econometrics sequences.  Other guidelines and forms are available on the registrar’s Research Tools webpage. Upon successful compleiton of core courses and qualifying examinations, research tools will be logged.

Qualifying Exams.  Successful completion of qualifying examinations in Microeconomics, Econometrics, and the major field of study.  Exams are comprehensive and written by those most closely involved with the area being examined. Each type of qualifying exam is scheduled twice each year. Failure to pass the required qualifying exams results in the student’s termination from the doctoral program.  Two attempts are permitted for each qualifying exam.  A third attempt may be petitioned to the examination committee, Dean, and Provost, however, approval is generally subject to the student having passed other qualifying exams.

Dissertation.  Dissertation procedures are detailed in the Doctoral Degree Regulations  section of the Bulletin.

University Policies.  University policies detailed in the Academic Policies    section of the Bulletin apply.

Core Requirements

Microeconomics (8 or 12 units)

• ECON 313 - Microeconomic Analysis I (if needed)
• ECON 316 - Consumer Theory and General Equilibrium
• ECON 317 - Game Theory and Asymmetric Information

Macroeconomics (4 units)

• ECON 302 - Macroeconomic Analysis I

Research Tool (12 units)

• ECON 381 - Probabilitiy & Statistics for Econometrics
• ECON 382 - Econometrics I
• ECON 383 - Econometrics II

Field Courses (20-24 units)

Electives (20-24 units)

 

Field Options

Courses in the non-transcripted fields below provide students with the background to successfully complete the field qualifying examination. To maximize exposure to key concepts, students should consult with their advisors before embarking on a particular field.  Additional fields may be proposed, provided a faculty member is available to supervise the field with the rigor commensurate with existing fields.  Approval of the department executive committee is required for all new fields.

 

Applied Microeconomics (20 units)

The Applied Microeconomics areas of specialization that we offer include: Health & Labor Economics, Behavioral & Neuro Economics, and Micro Policy Evaluation. Most students combine at least two of these fields in their dissertations. Please choose one of the following areas of specialization:

Health & Labor Economics (12 units)

Choose 3 classes:

• Econ 301 - Applications of Behavioral Economics
• Econ 373 - Labor & Health Economics
• Econ 375 - Behavioral Public Finance
• Econ 331 - Evaluation of Health Policy Interventions

Behavioral & Neuro Economics (12 units)

• Econ 312 - Behavioral Neuroscience of Decision-Making
• Econ 318 - Foundations of Psychology & Economics
• Econ 320 - Experimental Economics

Micro Policy Evaluation (12 units)

Choose 3 classes:

• Econ 301 - Applications of Behavioral Economics
• Econ 375 - Behavioral Public Finance
• Econ 331 - Evaluation of Health Policy Interventions
• Econ 329 - Economic Policy Evaluation

Self-Designed Applied Microeconomics Concentration (12 units)

Choose three 4-unit courses approved by your faculty advisor

• Students design their own concentration around a unifying theme of interest to them
• Students must obtain permission from the Department Chair

Dissertation Related Courses (8 units)

• Econ 399a - Dissertation Workshop I (2 units)
• Econ 399b - Dissertation Workshop II (2 units)
• Econ 322 - Behavioral Economics Seminar (2 units, taken once in the Fall and once in the Spring)

 

 

International Economic & Development Policy (24 units)

• SPE 411 - International Political Economy
• SPE 418 - Political Economy of International Development
• ECON 359 - International Finance and Economic Development 
• Econ 370 - The World Economy
• Econ 384 - Time Series Econometrics
• Econ 450 - Research Seminar in International Money, Finance & Economic Policy (2 units, taken once in the Fall and once in the Spring)

 

International Money and Finance (24 units)

• ECON 336 - Financial Economics
• ECON 350 - Global Money & Finance
• ECON 358 - Advanced Topics in International Money & Financial Economics
• Econ 303 - Dynamic General Equilibrium Modeling
• Econ 384 - Time Series Econometrics
• Econ 450 - Research Seminar in International Money, Finance & Economic Policy (2 units, taken once in the Fall and once in the Spring)