| |  | | Economics | Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information—Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics, University of Minnesota, 1035 Heller Hall, 271 19th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-625-6833; fax 612-624-0209; econdgs@econ.umn.edu; www.econ.umn.edu).
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General
Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that
apply to all major fields.
Curriculum—The economics graduate program offers degree work in both theoretical and applied fields of economics. It is possible to pursue thesis research in microeconomic or macroeconomic theory. In addition, the following fields of specialization are offered: econometrics, economic growth and development, financial economics, game theory, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, mathematical economics, monetary economics, and public economics. Students are admitted only for the Ph.D.; the M.A. is an optional part of the Ph.D. program.
Prerequisites for Admission—The general requirement is the capability to pursue Ph.D.-level work. Normally a student should have an undergraduate record from a recognized college that includes coursework in economic theory and mathematics (multivariate calculus and linear algebra).
Special Application Requirements—Students should submit their applications, including a record of GRE scores and three letters of recommendation, to the director of graduate studies. Applicants who would like financial aid should submit their materials no later than December 31. Students are admitted fall semester only.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).
 For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.
Courses—Please refer to Economics (ECON) in University Courses for courses pertaining to the program.
Use of 4xxx Courses—4xxx or 5xxx economics courses may not be included on the degree program form for the economics Ph.D. program. Students may include 4xxx, 5xxx, and 8xxx courses outside economics. Approval of the student's adviser and the director of graduate studies are needed to use 4xxx and 5xxx courses. |
M.A. Degree Requirements | | The M.A. is offered under Plan A (with thesis) or Plan B (without thesis). Coursework for the M.A. is drawn from the Ph.D. program and must include at least 10 credits of economic theory from the first-year Ph.D. sequences in theory (for majors) or microeconomic analysis (for minors) and macroeconomics. Beyond these restrictions, the general Graduate School requirements govern. For the Plan B degree, a Ph.D. student will have completed requirements for the M.A. when the written preliminary exams have been completed. Two Plan B projects consisting of research papers or literature reviews are required; the Ph.D. written preliminary exams required in two fields outside of economic theory (“field exams”) may be used to satisfy either or both of the Plan B projects. Because the standards used to judge whether a preliminary exam has satisfied the requirement for the M.A. are less rigorous than those for the Ph.D., students may qualify for the master's Plan B without having satisfied all requirements for the Ph.D. written preliminary exams.
Language Requirements—None.
Final Exam—The final exam is oral for Plan A, written for Plan B.
Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—A master's minor consists of 6 credits in 4xxx, 5xxx, or 8xxx economics courses, all taken A-F and completed with grades of B or better (one 8xxx course may carry a grade of C). The 6 credits include ECON 5151 and 5152 or more advanced courses in economic theory.
The economic theory requirement may be waived if, in the judgment of the director
of graduate studies, the student's previous work in economics has included
courses equivalent to ECON 5151 and 5152, though the requirement to complete
6 credits would still stand. | Ph.D. Degree Requirements | Emphasis in all aspects of the program is on careful development of the theoretical basis for the work, whether the work is theoretical or applied, and whether the relevant theory is drawn from economics, econometrics, mathematics, statistics, or other related disciplines.
Before undertaking research for a doctoral thesis, the student must pass written preliminary exams in micro- and macroeconomic theory, plus in two of the fields listed under the curriculum section above. The program does not specify a minimum number of courses for the major; rather, the courses taken to help prepare for the preliminary exams constitute the major program. In addition, students must complete 12 credits outside the major for a supporting program, which may include economics courses not included in the major.
Language Requirements—None.
Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—Requirements for a doctoral minor include five or more from among the following courses: ECON 8001-2-3-4 or 8101-2-3-4, and 8105-6-7-8; plus completion of at least two 8xxx courses in economics other than those listed above. All courses must be taken A-F, with no grade lower than C and no more than two course grades of C.
In addition, students must pass the microeconomics preliminary exam for minors or majors and either the macroeconomics preliminary exam for minors or majors, or a preliminary exam for majors in one of the fields listed under the program description above. |
Faculty | | For latest graduate faculty listings, see <www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/faculty.html>. Key to membership categories (abbreviations after faculty names).
Regents Professor
John S. Chipman, SM
G. Edward Schuh, Public Affairs, ASM
Professor
Beth E. Allen, SM
Patrick Bajari, SM
Varadarajan V. Chari, SM
Zvi Eckstein, SM
Roger D. Feldman, Public Health, ASM
Edward M. Foster, SM
Thomas J. Holmes, SM
Larry E. Jones, SM
Patrick J. Kehoe, SM
Timothy Kehoe, SM
Narayana Kocherlakota, SM
Erzo G. J. Luttmer, SM
Marcel K. Richter, SM
Aldo Rustichini, SM
Craig E. Swan, SM
Warren E. Weber, AM2
Jan Werner, SM
Associate Professor
George D. Green, History, AM2
Ellen McGrattan, AM2
Fabrizio Perri, SM
Christopher Phelan, AM2
James A. Schmitz, AM2
Assistant Professor
Christina Arellano, M2
Kyoo-Il Kim, M2
Minjung Park, M2
David Rahman, M2
Itai Sher, M2
Other
Simran Sahi, M2 | | | | | |
