Progress Timeline 

The first year of the economics PhD program is usually devoted solely to coursework.

In the second year, most students take courses in specialized fields and may take additional work outside the department in mathematics, statistics, finance, or one of the other social sciences.  Most students write two written preliminary exams in the fields of their choice at the end of the second year.

In the third year, a student will usually complete his or her coursework and preliminary exams (if necessary), and explore thesis topics. 

The fourth and fifth year are devoted to work on the thesis.  While working on their dissertations, students participate in research workshops in which they and the faculty contribute to and learn from each other's research.  Currently workshops are organized in applied microeconomics, econometrics, macroeconomics and money, public economics, mathematical economics, international trade and development economics.  For more information about our workshops please visit the workshop page.

When the thesis is nearly complete, the student explores the job market.  The Department of Economics provides a substantial amount of assistance to students on the job market and in most years, all of our students have found positions.

Preliminary Oral Exam

This examination is scheduled after the student has passed all four of the written preliminary examinations and completed all or most of the courses for the supporting program or minor.  

A four-member committee, suggested by the student and approved by the Graduate School, conducts the exam.  

The student has the option of being examined on either his preliminary examination fields or his proposed dissertation research.

Thesis and Final Oral Examination

The purpose of the thesis is to provide evidence that the student is capable of conducting independent research in a professionally accepted manner.  

Thesis research should be concerned with significant problems involving analysis rather than merely compiling data or surveying the existing literature, and it should be sufficiently limited in scope to allow a thorough analysis of the issue. 

 Typically a piece of thesis research resembles an article in a high quality journal, although other formats may be appropriate. Ideally only minor modifications are needed to prepare the article for submission to an academic journal. Sometimes a thesis consists of one such article, but it is also common for a thesis to consist of two or three such essays. 

The thesis must display substantial expository skill as well as mastery of the related literature and relevant data sources. 

When the thesis is complete, it is submitted for approval to the student's committee, which includes the adviser. 

When approved, it is defended at the final oral examination. 

The final oral exam begins with a public seminar and concludes with a private examination by the student's committee.