Details of the Ph. D. Program

The first year of the Ph.D. program is designed to give students a sound foundation in economic theory and quantitative methods to prepare them for advanced study in their second year. Material covered in the first year includes a mathematical review (ECON 204)  economic theory (ECON 201A-B); applied welfare economics, international trade, applied industrial organization, and micromodeling in agricultural and resource economics (ARE 201 and ARE 202); and econometrics and statistics (ARE 211 and ARE 212). At the end of the first year, students demonstrate mastery of microeconomic theory by completing a passing the preliminary examination. The Graduate Advisory Committee may exempt students who have an outstanding background in economics and/or quantitative methods from taking any or all of the required first-year courses. The requirement may be relaxed for a student with a weaker background, and some remedial classes may be required. In such cases, first-year requirements must be completed by the end of the second year. Without exception, however, all students must pass the preliminary examination..

The second year of the Ph.D. program is designed to be flexible, permitting students to explore their own interests. During the second year students take one course in macroeconomic theory (ECON 202A or B) and complete the third required course in the econometrics sequence (ARE 213). Students also submit an approved econometrics project (ARE 298). In addition, students are expected to develop two fields beyond basic microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, and quantitative methods. One field must be selected from among those offered by the Department (Environmental and Resource Economics, Agricultural and Resource Policy, International Development ). The second field also may be taken within the Department, in particular in one of the seven areas of specialization (Applied Econometrics, Intellectual Property Rights and Biotechnology, Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, International Trade, in addition to the three fields above), although many students choose a combination of courses offered by another department and selected with the advice and consent of the Graduate Advisory Committee. For example, students may take one field in other departments in the College of Natural Resources or in other campus departments such as Economics, Statistics, Demography, Business Administration, and others. To supplement their field courses, we encourage students to take courses in other departments. By the end of the second year (usually several weeks following the close of course work), students are expected to complete a field examination in one of their two fields.

After the second year the student develops a thesis topic in consultation with a small faculty committee. A research essay, which is a short thesis prospectus, serves as a basis for an oral examination taken during the third year. It normally takes about two years to write the dissertation. During this time students may take further course work. Four seminar/workshops are regularly offered for students in their dissertation years: the Department Seminar, the Environmental and Resource Economics Seminar, the International Development Workshop, and the Thesis Workshop. Other workshops are organized on an ad-hoc basis, either when visitors offer such an opportunity or when particular needs are felt by a group of students. Students taking workshops for credit are generally beyond the second regular year of their PhD program.