Curriculum
Each student will complete 54 semester hours of coursework and 18 hours of dissertation credit to earn a Ph.D. degree. The courses are grouped as follows: (1) 8 required core courses (24 hours) in mathematical economics, economic theory, and econometrics, (2) 4 required courses in environmental and natural resource economics, including a research seminar (12 hours), (3) 6 electives, including independent studies (18 hours), and (4) dissertation (18 hours). The typical schedule for a well-prepared and assiduous student would be as follows.
Typical Course of Study for the Ph.D. in Economics
YEAR 1
FALL SEMESTER
- ECO 6403 Mathematical Economics (3 hours)
- ECO 6118 Microeconomic Theory I (3 hours)
- ECO 6206 Macroeconomic Theory I (3 hours)
SPRING SEMESTER
- ECO 6424 Econometrics I (3 hours)
- ECO 7116 Microeconomic Theory II (3 hours)
- ECO 7205 Macroeconomic Theory II (3 hours)
YEAR 2
FALL SEMESTER
- ECO 7426 Econometrics II (3 hours)
- ECP 6309 Env. and Natural Resource Economics (3 hours)
- One Elective Course (3 hours)
SPRING SEMESTER
- ECO 7117 Advanced Topics in Economic Theory (3 hours)
- ECP 7306 Environmental Economics (3 hours)
- One Elective Course (3 hours)
YEAR 3
FALL SEMESTER
- ECP 7311 Natural Resource Economics (3 hours)
- Two Elective Courses (6 hours)
SPRING SEMESTER
- ECP 7307 Research Seminar in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3 hours)
- Two Elective Courses (6 hours)
YEAR 4
FALL/SPRING SEMESTER
TOTAL (72 hours)
All doctoral students are required to take a Comprehensive Examination in Economic Theory at the end of the first year. This exam is used to gauge a student's readiness to advance to the second year of the program. It must be passed for a student to earn the Ph.D. degree. In the fourth year of the program, after passing the Candidacy Exam, students are expected to work full-time on their dissertation. When the dissertation is completed, each student takes the Final Examination, which is an oral defense of the completed dissertation.