Earning a Ph.D.

Earning a Ph.D. in Economics

The University Graduate School requires doctoral students to complete 90 credit hours, roughly half of which are formal coursework. The Ph.D. in Economics also requires 9 credits to fulfill the tool skill requirement, for a total of 99 credits.

Coursework

You are required to earn 48 credits in graduate courses.

Transferring credits

Students who have taken graduate work elsewhere may, with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies, transfer all or part of that work and receive credit at Indiana University. Up to 30 hours may be transferred and counted toward the 90 hours required for the Ph.D. Keep in mind that graduate work done elsewhere is not automatically transferable.

Core courses

You are required to take one semester of optimization theory, two semesters of microeconomic theory, two semesters of macroeconomic theory, three semesters of econometrics, one research skill, and courses in three fields, one primary and two supporting.

The first year of study includes the required classes in optimization theory (a 1-semester course) and 2-semester courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics.

Students are expected to complete their coursework and meet field requirements in 2-3 years of study. The remaining credit hours are earned through the dissertation work, which must be defended in an oral examination.

Core exams

At the end of the first year, you are required to take two core exams, one in microeconomics and one in macroeconomics. You are allowed one retake for each of these exams. The retakes are held in late July or early August. Students who successfully pass the core exams are qualified to continue graduate study toward the doctoral degree.

Field requirements

Your coursework includes 18 credits of field requirements, with work in at least three fields of economics.

Teaching course

All first year Ph.D. students must take Teaching Undergraduate Economics (ECON-E 502), prior to a TA or AI assignment (3 credits).

Grade point average

Throughout your studies, you must maintain a 3.0 (B) grade point average. Students are expected to complete their coursework and meet field requirements in 2-3 years of study.

Workshop participation

In addition to formal coursework, students are required to participate in a workshop. Current workshops are on Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Econometrics. After passing your core theory exams, you join a workshop of your choice, remaining associated with it for as long as you are in residence. In your third year, you must formally enroll in a workshop course for 3 semesters, earning 9 credits. The department encourages graduate students to present papers at workshops and at scholarly meetings, and to publish their research.

Third year research paper

In the third year of study, Ph.D. students are required to write a substantial research paper under the guidance of a preliminary advisory committee. The paper is expected to be of sufficient quality to be a basis of a dissertation chapter. The overall goal of the third-year paper requirement is to facilitate your transition from coursework to dissertation research.

Research hours

The remaining credit hours are earned through the dissertation work, which must be defended in an oral examination. The Ph.D. requires around 30 credits in research hours (ECON-E809), determined in consultation with your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Tool skill requirements

You fulfill these with 9 additional credits, for a total of 99 credits for the Ph.D. Courses used to fulfill a tool skill requirement do not carry graduate credit.

Proficiency must be demonstrated in one tool skill, choosing among Econometrics/Applied Statistics, Mathematics, Operations and Decision Technologies, or Computer Science.

Timeline to completion

The department encourages the completion of all requirements for the Ph.D. within five years. The exact amount of time depends, of course, on the student, the topic selected for the dissertation, the amount of data collection involved, and the many problems one can encounter while conducting original research.