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 four courses in one major field of study. 

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

Practical Experience Milestone 

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 Academic Policies - Doctoral Degree Regulations  section of the Bulletin.

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

Core Requirements

Research Tools (24 units)

Microeconomics 

• ECON 316 - Consumer Theory and General Equilibrium
  • Note: For students who need a brush-up on Microeconomics, they can take Econ 313-Microeconomic Analysis before taking Econ 316. If they elect to take Econ 313, it will count as an elective.
• ECON 317 - Game Theory and Asymmetric Information

Macroeconomics

• ECON 302 - Macroeconomic Analysis I

Econometrics 

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

Transdisciplinary Requirement

One class (4 units).

Doctoral students are required to complete a Transdisciplinary (TNDY) course (T-Course) within the first two years of their program or by the completion of 48 units in their program. The course will count as 4 units towards the doctoral degree requirement. It will not add any additional units to the student’s degree requirements nor count against the total number of transfer units from previous graduate coursework. See the class schedule for TNDY classes.

Area of Study (20 units)

Electives (24 units)

 

Areas of Study 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 from the following:

• 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 from the following:

• 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 and their academic advisor

Dissertation Related Courses (8 units)

• Econ 420a - Behavioral Economics Incubator I (2 units)
• Econ 420b - Behavioral Economics Incubator II (2 units)
• Econ 328a - Programming for the Social Sciences (2 units Module I class) AND 
  • Econ 328b - Programming for the Social Sciences II (2 units Module II class) OR
  • Econ 322 - Behavioral Economics Seminar (2 units)

Public Economics (20 units)

• Econ 372 – Labor, Health, and Public Economics – Theory, Evidence, and Policy
• Econ 377b – Law & Economics
• Econ 328a – Programming for Social Scientists I (2 units)
• Econ 328b - Programming for Social Scientists II (2 units)
• Econ 386 – Advanced Applied Microeconomics
• Econ 387 - Applied Microeconomics Dissertation Workshop

 

International Economic & Development Policy (20 units)

Field Requirements (16 units)

• SP&E 359 - International Finance and Economic Development 
• Econ 350 - Global Money & Finance
• Econ 370 - The World Economy
• Econ 384 - Time Series Econometrics

Field Electives (4 units):

One approved field elective such as:

• SPE 411 - International Political Economy
• SPE 418 - Political Economy of International Development

Field Workshop (0 units):

• Each Fall and Spring, Econ 450 - Research Seminar in International Money, Finance & Economics Policy is offered. This workshop is designed to help students who are planning to embark upon, or have already begun writing a doctoral dissertation in the fields of International Money and Finance or International Economic & Development Policy. This workshop will help students learn to critique papers in an effective manner and prepare for their dissertation proposals and defenses and will also give them experience in presenting their ideas in a conference style setting.
  • Students on Doctoral Study are requred to audit Econ 450 on a continuing basis
  • Students in coursework are encouraged to audit Econ 450 each semester
  • Note: Students can audit one class free of charge every Fall and Spring if they are A) enrolled in 12 units or more, or B) enrolled in Doctoral Study. See Program Coordinator for details.

 

International Money and Finance (20 units)

Field Requirements (16 units)

• ECON 336 - Financial Economics
• ECON 350 - Global Money & Finance
• ECON 358 - Advanced Topics in International Money & Financial Economics

Field Electives (4 units)

One approved field elective such as:

• Econ 303 - Dynamic General Equilibrium Modeling
• Econ 337 - Behavioral & Empirical Finance

Field Workshop (0 units)

• Each Fall and Spring, Econ 450 - Research Seminar in International Money, Finance & Economics Policy is offered. This workshop is designed to help students who are planning to embark upon, or have already begun writing a doctoral dissertation in the fields of International Money and Finance or International Economic & Development Policy. This workshop will help students learn to critique papers in an effective manner and prepare for their dissertation proposals and defenses and will also give them experience in presenting their ideas in a conference style setting.
  • Students on Doctoral Study are requred to audit Econ 450 on a continuing basis
  • Students in coursework are encouraged to audit Econ 450 each semester
  • Note: Students can audit one class free of charge every Fall and Spring if they are A) enrolled in 12 units or more, or B) enrolled in Doctoral Study. See Program Coordinator for details.