Doctoral

As with our masters programs, the PhD program in economics is offered jointly by  the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Department of Economics in the College of Management (COM).   Faculty from both departments collaborate to offer a quantitatively rigorous program that prepares graduates for work in academia, research, government, and in private industry as consultants and analysts. 

The PhD in economics requires students to complete 72 hours of coursework.   Students entering with a master’s degree in economics may apply 18 hours of relevant graduate coursework toward this credit hour requirement.

Students entering without a master’s degree should expect to take five years to complete the PhD, three years of course work and two years of dissertation research.  Those with a master's degree in economics or agricultural economics should expect to take four years, two years of course work and two years of dissertation research.

PhD with en route ME degree

Students who enter the doctoral program without a master’s degree in economics may choose to earn the Master of Economics (ME) degree en route to earning the PhD.  This option allows students to apply 30 hours of coursework toward both the ME and PhD.   Students choosing this option work closely with the graduate director to choose an appropriate combination of master’s and doctoral courses that meet the requirements of both degrees while providing the appropriate foundation for students to move successfully from the bachelor’s degree toward the doctorate. These students often complete one year of master’s level coursework focusing on micro and macro theory, statistics and econometrics before beginning the doctoral core courses.

Prerequisites

Admission to the PhD program is based on the student’s undergraduate and previous graduate record, three letters of recommendation, personal statement, and GRE scores. The GRE subject test in economics is not required. Students who are admitted must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (B) or better.

An undergraduate degree in economics is not required.  However, applicants are required to have completed formal coursework in intermediate microeconomic theory and intermediate macroeconomic theory; self-study and personal inquiry into the discipline will not substitute for formal coursework. Additionally, students applying to the PhD program must have completed at minimum: two semesters of calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, one course in mathematical statistics and a course in econometrics. Please note that these are minimum requirements. Competitive applicants (and those given the most serious consideration for funding) have also completed coursework in calculus III and real analysis, along with a complete sequence in mathematical statistics. A good text that reviews the quantitative techniques with which doctoral students should be familiar is Mathematics for Economists by Carl P. Simon (author) and Lawrence E. Blume.

Students are admitted to the PhD program in fall only.

Requirements

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum includes two courses in microeconomic theory, two courses in macroeconomic theory and two courses in econometrics.

• ECG 701 Microeconomics I
• ECG 702 Microeconomics II
• ECG 704 Macroeconomics I
• ECG 705 Macroeconomics II
• ECG 751 Econometrics
• ECG 752 Topics in Econometrics or ECG 753 Microeconometrics

Field Courses

Students are required to take six doctoral level field courses, four of which should comprise two 2-course sequences. Fields with 2-course sequences include: agricultural economics, economic growth and development, industrial organization, international economics, macro-monetary economics, natural resource and environmental economics, statistics/econometrics, and financial economics.

Through a cooperative agreement between NC State, Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill, students may also take field courses at these universities if equivalent course are not available at NC State.

Written Comprehensive Examinations

In the summer following completion of the core courses in economic theory (701, 702, 704, 705), students are required to take two four-hour written comprehensive examinations; one inmicroeconomic theory and one in macroeconomic theory.

Students must complete the written preliminary examinations at the first offering following completion of their micro theory and macro theory core sequences.  Both exams must be taken at the same offering.

If a student fails one or both exams, the necessary exams may be retaken at the next offering (January). If a student fails one or both exams a second time, the student's doctoral program is terminated. There are no field exams.

Preliminary Oral Examination

The preliminary oral examination for the economics PhD addresses the student's ability to define a specific, realistic, and feasible research question. As a basis for the exam the student should prepare a substantive literature assessment focused on the specific area of interest.  Additional requirements should be discussed with the student’s advisory committee chairperson.

The preliminary oral examination takes place after the student has passed the written comprehensive exam and in accordance with the deadlines given below. The oral exam is conducted by the student's advisory committee and a representative from the Graduate School. A PhD student is admitted to candidacy upon passing the preliminary oral examination. Students receiving departmental funding should be aware that financial assistance may be discontinued if the examination is delayed.

Dissertation Proposal Defense

Students are also required to complete an oral presentation of a dissertation proposal. This presentation may occur during the preliminary oral exam, or during a second oral presentation by the student before the advisory committee. In other words, students may opt to present a fully developed dissertation proposal as the preliminary oral exam, obviating the need for the dissertation proposal later. The acceptance of the preliminary oral exam as satisfying the requirement for the dissertation proposal presentation lies at the discretion of the advisory committee.

Examination Deadlines

Final Oral Examination

The final oral examination is a defense of the complete written dissertation. The final oral exam is conducted by the student's advisory committee and a representative of the Graduate School.

Sample PhD Curriculum