Dec 26, 2024

2017-2018 Graduate Catalog

2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [NOTE!!!! THIS IS AN ARCHIVED CATALOG. FOR THE CURRENT CATALOG, GO TO CATALOG.NIU.EDU]

Doctor of Philosophy in Economics

A person who has earned the doctorate in economics is qualified both to teach economics at the university level and to do original research in academe, government, and the private sector. The doctoral program in economics features a strong core of courses in theory and econometrics and a focus on the four applied fields of labor economics, public finance, financial economics, and econometrics. Other fields may be approved by the department’s director of graduate studies, subject to student demand and faculty availability.

The doctoral program in economics also offers a concentration in econometrics and statistics in which a student specializing in econometrics may earn an M.S. in Applied Probability and Statistics while enrolled in the Ph.D. in Economics program.

Check departmental information for any additional requirements.

The student learning outcomes for this degree are located at http://www.niu.edu/assessment/clearinghouse/outcomes/index.shtml.

Course Requirements

All doctoral students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate course work, including ECON 648, Introduction to Game Theory (3), ECON 690, Econometrics I (3), ECON 692A, Methods in Economics: Econometrics, ECON 760, Microeconomic Analysis II (3), and ECON 761, Macroeconomic Analysis II (3). Prerequisites for these courses include ECON 590, ECON 591, ECON 660, and ECON 661. Students who have not satisfactorily completed these courses or their equivalents will normally be required to do so.

In addition, each student must take two courses at the 700 level in each of two applied fields and must earn at least a B in each field course. Courses in the applied fields that are the primary focus of the department will be offered on a regular basis. Information about the availability of course work in other applied fields may be obtained by consulting the department’s director of graduate studies.

All doctoral students must earn at least 3 credits in ECON 796, Research Seminar in Economics, and 6 semester hours in ECON 798, Current Research Colloquium (at least 2 of the hours in ECON 798 must be taken after the student has passed the candidacy examinations). No more than 12 credits may be counted toward the Ph.D. from 500-level courses.

Research-Tool Requirement

The Department of Economics research-tool requirement is fulfilled by successfully completing ECON 590, ECON 591, ECON 690, and ECON 692A, which are required in the doctoral program

Admission to Candidacy

All students are required to take candidacy examinations in microeconomic theory and in macroeconomic theory. Students must take the candidacy examination in microeconomics the first time it is offered after satisfactory completion of ECON 660 and ECON 760 and must take the candidacy examination in macroeconomics the first time it is offered after satisfactory completion of ECON 661 and ECON 761. A student who fails either of these examinations may, with the permission of the examining committee, repeat it after the lapse of at least one semester. A student who fails either of these examinations a second time will be dismissed from the doctoral program.

After successfully completing the candidacy examinations and two courses in an applied field, a Ph.D. student is required to enroll in the Research Seminar in Economics (ECON 796) to write a professional research paper in one of his or her fields of study. This paper generally serves as a basis for the student’s dissertation. The paper will be evaluated by a committee of three faculty members. Upon receiving a satisfactory evaluation, the student will be admitted to candidacy. The Ph.D. research paper will be presented in the weekly research seminar (ECON 798) within one year after completing course work for the applied fields. The student must enroll in ECON 796 every semester until he or she has completed the Ph.D. Research Paper and the presentation in ECON 798. Failure to complete the Ph.D. Research Paper and Presentation within one year after completing the course work for the applied fields will result in dismissal from the doctoral program. Under exceptional circumstances this time limit may be extended by the department’s Graduate Committee.