Program Overview

Economics, Ph.D.

The Department of Economics offers a Ph.D. program in Economics, drawing upon the Schools strong quantitative tradition. The program specializes in public choice, transportation economics, urban economics, econometrics, macroeconomics, and applied microeconomics. Admission is highly selective and limited to students whose interests mesh closely with those of the faculty.

Overview

The program offers extensive faculty contact within a tutorial framework, making it highly attractive to motivated and well-qualified students due to its small size and great flexibility. Self-discipline and an inquiring mind are prerequisites for success in the program.

Admission

The deadline for application for admission is December 1 for fall quarter. Students are admitted for winter or spring quarters only under exceptional circumstances. Late applications are considered on a space-available basis. All applicants must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) prior to the application deadline. Applicants whose primary language is not English must also submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.

Requirements

• All students must show competence in the core areas of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics by taking the three-quarter required course sequences with no grade lower than a B and with a grade point average across these courses of at least 3.25.
• The Department may also require students to pass a written qualifying exam in one or more of the core course sequences after taking the courses.
• Students take the oral candidacy examination based on their research.
• A student making satisfactory progress in the program will have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy before the beginning of their third year.
• Students must master two fields of economics by taking a two-course sequence and writing a research paper in each field.
• Students must enroll for at least four quarters in the graduate colloquium.
• Two or three quarters before the expected completion of the dissertation, the dissertation committee will organize an oral examination of the candidates dissertation prospectus.

Concentrations

Ph.D. in Economics with a Concentration in Transportation

Students can pursue a Ph.D. in Economics with a concentration in Transportation Economics, drawing upon transportation researchers on the campus. The requirements for this concentration include:

• Instead of the third quarter of microeconomics and macroeconomics, students may substitute specified courses.
• One of the students two required fields of competence must be transportation economics.
• Students must take at least one additional course from a list of designated courses in transportation and related subject areas.

Ph.D. in Economics with a Concentration in Public Choice

Students can pursue a Ph.D. in Economics with a concentration in Public Choice, an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of Economics and Political Science. The requirements for this concentration include:

• One of the students two required fields of competence must be public choice.
• Students must obtain a background knowledge in political science equivalent to that provided by a one-year undergraduate survey course.

Ph.D. in Economics with a Concentration in Monetary Policy and Central Banking

Students can pursue a Ph.D. in Economics with a concentration in Monetary Policy and Central Banking, drawing on faculty's expertise in this area. The requirements for this concentration include:

• Fulfilling the requirements for the macroeconomics subfield as one of the two fields of specialization.
• Fulfilling the requirements for either the international economics subfield or the econometrics subfield as the second field of specialization.
• Taking a specified course, ECON 224A.
• Ensuring the dissertation is aligned with the research initiatives undertaken by central banks.

Program in Law and Graduate Studies (J.D./Ph.D.)

Highly qualified students can undertake concurrent degree study under the auspices of UC Irvines Program in Law and Graduate Studies (PLGS), pursuing a coordinated curriculum leading to a J.D. degree from the School of Law in conjunction with a Ph.D. degree in Economics.

Research Facilities

The university has an excellent library with over 3.2 million volumes and special interlibrary loan arrangements. The School of Social Sciences provides computer rooms, conference rooms, and offices for graduate students. The Economics Department has a small library with current journals and unpublished working papers. Students also have access to advanced computing resources and research units such as the Institute of Transportation Studies and the Center for Economics & Public Policy (CEPP).