Program Overview

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Economics, PhD

Overview

The PhD program in Economics is a small, highly selective and tightly focused program. Graduate training begins with a sequence of required core courses in the student’s first year; after that point, the students choose areas of specialization, with courses offered in the second and third years of study, and then proceed to the thesis. The core courses are capped by comprehensive examinations at the end of the first year. In choosing among specialized areas of concentration, students at Stony Brook may select from among game theory, macroeconomics, industrial organization, labor economics, and health economics. These areas represent the important specializations in which Stony Brook faculty possess excellent national and international reputations, and in which the department as a whole is committed to emphasizing in the future. The PhD program is STEM-designated, allowing F-1 visa students to work in the U.S. for up to 36 months to work in their field of study.

Admission Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree. Applicants with majors in economics, mathematics, computer science, the physical sciences, or engineering are encouraged.
• Letters of recommendation from three instructors or academic advisors. The referees should be able to evaluate the research potential as well as the mathematical preparation and ability of the applicant.
• Submission of results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical parts).
• For foreign students, provide scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the IELTS. However, if you have a degree (high school diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD) from an institution where English was the primary language of instruction, or if you have worked as a Teaching Assistant at an English-speaking institution, this requirement may be waived.
• In those cases where the departmental admissions committee deems it desirable, personal interviews with departmental representatives may be necessary.

Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

A minimum of 15 courses in economics must be completed. The PhD committee may approve a waiver of part of the 15-course requirement for students with graduate work elsewhere.

1. Core Courses

• Macroeconomics
  • ECO 510 - Macroeconomics I (3 credits)
  • ECO 511 - Macroeconomics II (3 credits)
• Microeconomics
  • ECO 500 - Microeconomics I (3 credits)
  • ECO 501 - Microeconomics II (3 credits)
• Econometrics
  • ECO 520 - Mathematical Statistics (3 credits)
  • ECO 521 - Econometrics (3 credits)

2. Additional Required Courses

• ECO 590 - Mathematical Foundations of Contemporary Economic Theory (0-3 credits)
• ECO 698 - Practicum in Teaching (0-3 credits)
• ECO 522 - Applied Econometrics (3 credits)

3. Elective Courses

In addition to required courses, students are required to complete six elective courses chosen out of the electives offered by the department. Typically, electives offered include at least two semesters of game theory, macroeconomics, industrial organization, labor economics, and health economics. Additional electives are offered depending on faculty availability and student interest.

Workshops and Seminars

Each student participates and contributes to at least one research workshop per semester, beginning with their fifth semester. The purpose of the workshops is to provide a structured introduction to research methodology. In addition, participation in department seminars is considered an essential part of a student’s progress toward the doctorate. Seminars in economic theory, applied micro, and macroeconomics are presented on a regular basis by faculty, visitors, and graduate students.

Comprehensive Examination

Comprehensive examinations are taken in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics at the end of the first year of study.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy must be achieved by the end of the sixth semester. It is achieved by satisfactory completion of the course requirements and successful defense of a dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal examination is both written and oral, and its syllabus is to be determined by the student’s dissertation committee in consultation with the student.

Dissertation

Completion of the PhD program requires a dissertation, presenting the results of original and significant research. The dissertation is evaluated and approved by a committee including the candidate’s principal advisor, two other department members, and one member from another department. The results of the dissertation will be presented at a colloquium convened for that purpose.

Teaching Requirement

PhD students in economics who are funded on state lines serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for classes taught by departmental faculty and instructors, or as research assistants (RAs). For all PhD students, regardless of source of funding, the department of economics requires that they take the teacher training course ECO 698.

Time Limit

The time limit for a doctoral degree is seven years for a student who has a previous graduate degree or 24 credits of graduate study in such a degree program. For all other students, the time limit for a doctoral degree is seven years after completion of 24 graduate level credits at Stony Brook University.

Dismissal Policy

A student may be dismissed from the program at the end of any semester in which he or she does not achieve a semester or cumulative B average or fails to meet the pertinent requirements for the PhD as specified.