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Economics Specializations

Ph.D. Fields

The Department currently offers major and minor fields in Environmental Economics, International Economics, and Health Economics (see below). Under special circumstances (e.g., visiting faculty, a special course offering) and with written approval from the faculty involved, students may petition the department to use an alternative course to fulfill the field requirements or to choose a field (with specified courses) not listed below. This petition must be submitted to the director of graduate studies and approved by the department.

International Economics

Requirements for Major Field    

  1. ECON 845, International Trade, and ECON 846, International Macroeconomics.
  2. One of the following classes: ADMN 846, International Financial Management; ECON 846, Multinational Enterprises; ECON 807, Economics of Sustainable Development; ECON 868, Seminar in Economic Development; or ADMN 840, International Management, or other approved course.
  3. Field Workshop
  4. Comprehensive Field Examination

Requirements for a Minor Field

  1. ECON 845, International Trade, and ECON 846, International Macroeconomics.

 

Health Economics

Requirements for a Major Field

  1. ECON 941, Survey of Health Economics, and ECON 942, Selected Topics in Health Economics
  2. One of the following classes: PHP 901, Epidemiology; PHP 907, Public Health Policy; PHP 922 Public Health Economics; or other approved course
  3. Field Workshop
  4. Comprehensive Field Examination

Requirements for a Minor Field

  1. ECON 941 and ECON 942

 

Environmental Economics

Requirements for a Major Field

  1. ECON 908, Environmental Economics: Theory and Policy, and ECON 909, Environmental Valuation
  2. One of the following: RECO911, Natural & Environmental Resource Management; ECON 807, Economics of Sustainable Development; or other approved course.
  3. Field Workshop
  4. Comprehensive Field Examination

Requirements for a Minor Field

  1. Two approved courses, at least one of which must be ECON 980 or ECON 909.

 

Field Exams

Field examinations will be given twice a year, at the end of September and at the beginning of January. Students are encouraged to take their field examination in the September following their second year of study and leave the January date available for a retake if needed. However, to sit for their field examination, students must have passed both of their theory comprehensive examinations. As with the comprehensive examinations, students are permitted two attempts to pass their field examination. Petitions for a third attempt are sometimes granted, but only in the case of extenuating circumstances.