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PhD Requirements

In order to earn a doctoral degree, graduate students in the Department of Economics must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Complete at least 72 credits of graduate level course work, 45 of which must be in graded courses in economics.
  • Complete two major fields  and one minor field of specialization.
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  • Achieve the following milestones:
    • Pass the preliminary examinations in microeconomics and macroeconomics in the summer of the first year in the program.
    • Write a second-year research paper which constitutes the PhD comprehensive milestone.
    • Form a dissertation committee and hold a dissertation overview.
    • Write and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation.