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.

his program is offered in-person with some coursework offered in an hybrid/online modality and can be completed in six semesters of full-time attendance (twelve units/semester).

Program Outcomes

• Students will have theory-based grounding within economics, along with analytical expertise.  

• Prepared to work in both academic and other economic positions both domestically and internationally. 

Degree Requirements

A total of 72 units of graduate-level coursework is required. Twenty of these units will be selected in one of the following concentrations: Applied Microeconomics or International Economics and Development Policy (IEDP). All students must also successfully pass the qualifying examinations (determined by the student’s concentration), satisfy the Practical Experience Milestone, and succesfully defend their dissertation.

Coursework

Required Courses (8 units)

• ECON 308 - Math for Economists (4 units)  *
• ECON 302 - Modern Macroeconomics: Analysis, Policy and Applications (4 units)  

*Students may request exemption via examination. If successful, students are required to complete an additional four units of electives. Students who take the course for credit may count the course as an elective.

Research Tools (24 units)

Students are required to complete two Research Tools:

Econometrics Sequence:

• ECON 381 - Probability & Statistics for Econometrics (4 units)  
• ECON 382 - Econometrics I (4 units)  
• ECON 383 - Econometrics II (4 units)  
• SP&E 489 - Computational Tools for Social Science (4 units)  

Microeconomics Sequence:

• ECON 316 - Consumer Theory and General Equilibrium (4 units)    

• ECON 317 - Game Theory and Asymmetric Information (4 units) ​

Completing a research tool with coursework completed at a prior institution. Students may petition to apply coursework completed from a prior institution toward the research tool to your CGU degree program. Non-CGU tools must meet the following qualifications:

1. Transfer credit requirements apply – that is, graduate level achievement from an accredited institution and documented on an official transcript.
2. In compliance with transfer credit policies, grades received in non-CGU coursework must be B or better.
3. Tools completed at another institution must have been accomplished within three years of the date of your petition.
4.  A faculty advisor must approve the transfer.

Transdisciplinary Studies (4 units)

Students will select four units of TNDY coursework in consultation with their academic advisor.

Electives (16 units)

Economics electives should be chosen in consultation with the academic advisor. A maximum of eight units of independent studies coursework is allowed to count toward the elective requirement.

Concentration (20 units)

All students completing the Ph.D. in Economics must complete one of the concentrations noted below.

Applied Microeconomics

Students who have chosen Applied Microeconomics as their field should consult with their faculty advisor regarding the best 20 units of Applied Microeconomics coursework to advance their PhD goals, understanding, and skills.

International Economics and Development Policy (IEDP)

• ECON 350 - Global Money & Finance (4 units)  

• ECON 351 - Contemporary Issues in International Finance and Economic Development (4 units)  

• SP&E 410 - Political Economy of International Development (4 units)  

• ECON 384 - Time Series Econometrics (4 units)  

• One course selected from:

  • SP&E 359 - Economic Development: Household and Local Development Issues (4 units)  

  • ECON 304 - Growth & Development Policy (4 units)  

Qualifying Examinations

Successful completion of core qualifying examinations in Microeconomics and Econometrics is required for all students in the Economics PhD program.

Exams are comprehensive and written by those most closely involved with the area being examined. Qualifying exams in Microeconomics and Econometrics are scheduled at the beginning of each Spring semester and start of the Summer term.

Only two attempts are permitted to pass each exam.  A third attempt may be requested via petition. All petitions are reviewed by the examination committee with final approval from the DPE Director. Failure to pass the required qualifying exams results in the student’s dismissal from the PhD program.

Practical Experience Milestone

All doctoral students in the Division of Politics and Economics must meet the Practical Experience Milestone in one of the following ways:

• A research project with CGU or 5C faculty 

• One or more articles submitted for publication 

• Completion of one or more semesters in Doctoral Study that includes relevant work experience and/or progress on the doctoral dissertation.

Students must have their milestones approved by the department prior to the submission of their Final Approval Form. This milestone is to be completed during the time to degree at CGU (7 years for doctoral students). Extensions of Time to Degree citing the need to complete this milestone will not be approved. Students can have a maximum of 4 years of experience for the Practical Experience Milestone.

Dissertation

Dissertation procedures are detailed in the current Policies and General Information Bulletin.​