Department of Economics
Requirements for Doctor of Philosophy in Economics
The Department of Economics offers a 60 credit hour graduate program of study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy in economics for students who have earned a master’s degree in economics at UNCG or another institution. Up to 18 of the 60 hours may be accepted from UNCG’s MA in economics program or transferred from a comparable master’s program. Students who enter the program with a master’s from another institution may be required to take additional courses if their prior degree does not adequately cover the required material in the core requirements of the UNCG MA program as stated above.
Required Core Courses in Microeconomic and Econometric Theory (9 hours)
- ECO 741 Advanced Mathematical Economics (3)
- ECO 742 Advanced Microeconomic Theory (3)
- ECO 745 Advanced Econometric Theory (3)
Required Courses in Advanced Microeconomic and Econometric Theory (6 hours)
- ECO 743 Advanced Microeconomic Theory II (3)
- ECO 746 Advanced Econometric Theory II (3)
Required Research Methods (9 hours)
- ECO 721 Empirical Microeconomics (3)
- ECO 725 Data Methods in Economics (3)
- ECO 731 Applied Policy Methods (3)
Required Empirical Field Courses (12 hours)
Students must complete at least twelve (12) hours chosen from:
- ECO 733 Special Topics in Applied Public Policy (1-4). May be repeated for credit.
- ECO 735 Labor Economics (1-4). May be repeated for credit.
- ECO 736 Public Economics (1-4). May be repeated for credit.
- ECO 737 Health Economics (1-4). May be repeated for credit.
- ECO 738 Topics in Economics (1-4). May be repeated for credit.
- ECO 739 Independent Field Course 1-4). May be repeated for credit.
Required Supervised independent field research (12 hours)
Students must complete 6 hours each of research seminars ECO 797 and 798.
Comprehensive Examinations
For the Ph.D. degree, every student is required to successfully complete a qualifying examination in economic theory and econometrics after completion of the PhD core. The qualifying examinations are administered in the summer after completion of the first year of coursework, and students who do not pass either examination may retake it once in the following December.
Ph.D. students must also pass a written and oral preliminary examination administered by their dissertation committee before being admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree and before registering for dissertation credit. The preliminary examination is administered after the student has completed the required field courses.
Dissertation Research (12 hours)
Each candidate for a doctoral degree must prepare and present a dissertation that reflects an independent investigation of an economic topic that is acceptable in form and content to the student’s advisory/dissertation committee and The Graduate School.