2011-2012 Archived Catalog Information

Ph.D. IN ECONOMICS

Equipped with a Ph.D. in Economics you will be able to formulate economic policy in government or in leading international economic institutions. Suffolk offers four fields of specialization: International Economics, Public Finance, Public Choice, and Financial Economics. A Ph.D. from Suffolk will set you apart and position you to advance in your field. The unique applied focus of the Ph.D. in Economics program enables graduates not only to seek academic appointments, but also to compete for jobs in the business sector. The program is designed for those who have just completed their bachelor's degree as well as for mid-career professionals. The Ph.D. in Economics program is academically rigorous with an applied focus. The core required courses provide a foundation in economics. The electives allow you to tailor your studies to your own particular interests in theory and research.

Admission Requirements

To be reviewed for admission into the Ph.D. in Economics programs, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and complete the application process. 

• Students must have scored at least a combined 1100 on the Quantitative and Verbal sections and at least 3.5 on the Analytical Writing section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within the five years prior to applying. 
• Students must submit three letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be an academic recommendation. 
• Students must have completed undergraduate microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics. Students must have completed a college-level calculus course prior to commencing studies in the program. Note that we will not be offering a departmental preparatory course. 
• International students must score 575/230 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam (TOEFL).

Degree Requirements

Each student must complete a combination of coursework and dissertation research. The program requires students to take at least 16 courses, including seven core courses, two field courses in each of the two chosen fields, one course in Philosophy of Economics, two research workshops, participation in a one-credit teaching workshop, at least two general electives and at least three semesters of dissertation research. Up to eight Ph.D. level courses can be transferred at the Graduate Program Director's discretion.

Qualifying Exams

The typical student will take courses in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics in their first two semesters after enrolling in the program. Upon successful completion of the core courses, a student in good academic standing will be allowed to take a qualifying exam in each of these three areas. The qualifying exams will be given twice a year. Students must pass the qualifying exams in no more than two attempts in order to continue in the program. Students must take the qualifying exams within six months of completing the core courses; any second attempt must be completed within six months of the first attempt. The coursework and the qualifying exams portion of the program must be completed within the first five years after enrollment.

Field Requirements

After the student has passed the comprehensive qualifying exams, students will continue in the program by taking additional courses in their field of specialization. Upon completion of the two required courses in two fields, students in good academic standing are required to enroll in the Ph.D. Research Workshop I, EC 880, offered during the fall semester. Students are expected to identify a research paper topic, in their areas of concentration, during the summer prior to enrolling in EC 880, and must submit a two-page description of their topic by the second week of the semester in which they enroll in EC 880. As part of the EC 880 course, students are required to write a research paper and to make a paper presentation by the end of the semester in which the course is taken. In addition, students are expected to write a field research paper, due no later than February 15th in the calendar year following completion of EC 880. The field research paper will normally be graded by two faculty members. The student must receive a grade of “B” or better on the paper to pass the field paper requirement. Following completion of EC 880, students will enroll in Ph.D. Research Workshop II, EC 881, during the spring of their third year. Students will continue to work on their dissertation research, and discuss and present their research at the workshop.

Dissertation

Upon completion of all required coursework and after completing the field paper requirement, students in good academic standing may make a proposal defense, leading up to the defense of the dissertation. The proposal defense will be made under the supervision of a Committee consisting of one advisor and two other faculty members who will serve as readers. A minimum of two members of the Committee must be from the Department of Economics. The student must defend the dissertation within a period of ten years after enrollment.

Time to Completion
The program is designed so that the typical full-time student can complete the degree in four to five years. If the student has not completed the dissertation after four full years (16 courses and at least three semesters of dissertation research), students will enroll in EC 999, Ph.D. Continuation, which will be assessed a fee of $300/ semester or up to $600/year, for the duration of dissertation writing. EC 999 does not carry any academic credit.

Academic Standing

Upon completion of a semester, should a student’s cumulative grade point average fall below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation. If a student’s cumulative average falls below 3.0 for two semesters and/or if the student receives two grades of “C” (including "C+") or lower, the student is subject to dismissal from the program.

Master’s Degree

A student who begins the Ph.D. program, and who is in good academic standing, may choose to exit the Ph.D. program and transfer credits earned towards a terminal master’s degree (M.S.) in Economics. In this case, the student must complete a total of 10 economics courses at the 700- or 800-level. Three of the ten courses must cover macroeconomics (EC 710 or EC 810), microeconomics (EC 720 or EC 820) and econometrics (EC 750 or EC 850). If one of these three courses is completed at the 800-level, it may not be repeated at the 700-level. Continuing Ph.D. students in good academic standing may apply for the M.S. upon completion of their required coursework.

Curriculum

Required Courses

EC 800 Quantitative Foundations of Advanced Economic Analysis

EC 802 Teaching Workshop (1 credit)

EC 803 Philosophy of Economics

EC 810 Macroeconomics I

EC 811 Macroeconomics II

EC 820 Microeconomics I

EC 821 Microeconomics II

EC 850 Econometrics I

EC 851 Econometrics II

EC 880 Ph.D. Research Workshop I

EC 881 Ph.D. Research Workshop II

General Electives: at least two courses

Note: Field courses may be counted as electives for non-specializing students. Students may take up to three courses at the 700-level across their field and general elective courses.

EC 724 Cost-Benefit Analysis and Impact Evaluation

EC 742 Transition/Development Economics

EC 760* Applied Time Series Methods

EC 827 Empirical Financial Economics 

EC 831 International Trade Policy: Issues and Analysis

EC 870 Industrial Organization

* Students who have taken EC 855 may not take EC 760 as a general elective.
 
Field Course Requirements: two required courses from each chosen field

International Economics Required Courses

EC 830 Advanced International Trade Theory

EC 840 Advanced International Monetary Economics

Public Choice Required Courses

EC 801 Economic Thought and Public Choice

EC 824 Political Economics

Public Finance Required Courses

EC 823 Economics of Regulation

EC 825 Advanced Public Finance

Financial Economics Required Courses

EC 826 Financial Economics

EC 855 Advanced Time Series Applications