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Apr 25, 2024
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American University Catalog 2014-2015 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Economics (PhD)
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Admission to the Program
In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must earn a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general tests (verbal, math, analytical). Admission is based on academic record, test scores, and at least two letters of recommendation. Applicants who are not native speakers of English must submit the results of TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). In general, a B+ average for previous undergraduate work or a B+/A- average for previous graduate work, whichever is more recent, is the minimum required. (Most students admitted have higher grade averages.) As a rule, students are admitted for the fall semester only; application must be made by the previous February 1 in order to be considered for financial support. Tracks
Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, or Heterodox Economics Degree Requirements
- 51 credit hours of approved graduate coursework
- With the permission of the program director and in accordance with university academic regulations, a maximum of up to 6 credit hours may be applied to the PhD program as transfer credit.
- Field Requirement
- Students must take a major field and a minor field. Completing a major field requires grades of B- or better in two designated field courses from the list below and satisfactory completion of a written comprehensive examination. Completing a minor field requires grades of B or better in two designated field courses from the list below or two other related courses approved by the program director. No course may be applied to two different fields, nor to satisfy both a field and another course requirement.
- Three written comprehensive examinations:
- Preliminary theory: ECON-802 and ECON-803 must be completed before taking the examination
- Advanced theory (one of the following):
- Microeconomics: ECON-810 and ECON-813 must be completed before taking the examination
- Macroeconomics: ECON-811 and ECON-812 must be completed before taking the examination
- Heterodox: ECON-810 and ECON-811 must be completed before taking the examination
- One field comprehensive
- ECON-897 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar
- Students must attend the dissertation seminar in their third year, or when they begin working on their dissertation proposal. Students complete 3-12 credit hours of ECON-897 , which must be taken pass/fail, while they complete their dissertation proposals and prepare dissertations.
- Defense of dissertation proposal
- Subject to applicable university academic regulations, the student obtains approval for the dissertation topic from an interested and eligible faculty member in the field who then becomes chair of the dissertation committee. The student must submit the dissertation committee for approval before the oral defense of the proposal. Students must successfully present and defend a dissertation proposal to an approved dissertation committee by the end of the fourth year.
- Dissertation and oral comprehensive
- When the actual dissertation is nearly finished, an oral defense of the complete draft dissertation is held. Final approval of the dissertation depends on satisfactory completion of any changes required by the committee members following the oral defense. Dissertations are subject to all applicable university regulations.
Core Doctoral Courses (24 credit hours)
Advanced Theory Courses (9 credit hours)
Complete one of the following three tracks:
Advanced Microeconomics Track
Advanced Macroeconomics Track
Fields (12 credit hours)
- 6 credit hours must be completed with grades of B- or better in one of the fields below, followed by successful completion of a comprehensive examination; 6 additional credit hours must be completed with grades of B- or better in another of these fields, or in an additional field approved by the PhD advisor. These additional fields may include comparative economic systems, econometrics, industrial organization, and public finance. No course may be applied to two different fields, nor to satisfy both a field and another course requirement.
Research Seminars (6 credit hours)
Doctoral Dissertation Seminar
Doctoral-Level Seminar
One other doctoral-level seminar approved by department |
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