RICHARDSON, Texas (July 29, 2003) - Beginning with the fall semester, The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will offer a Ph.D. in economics aimed at students who are pursuing research careers in academia, government and industry, at both the local and national levels.

The 90-credit-hour program, which was formally approved last month by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, will require a dissertation and will be administered by UTD's School of Social Sciences, whose economics faculty has expertise in human resources economics, public policy analysis, development economics, industrial organization and behavioral economics.

The new offering will include a strong foundation in economic theory and econometric methods, but also will offer a limited number of courses in specialty fields within economics. In addition, the program will integrate research opportunities at UTD's Cecil and Ida Green Center for the Study of Science and Society and the Bruton Center, which conducts basic and applied research on the trends, forces and public policies that pertain to urban and regional development.

"This new curriculum is a logical extension to our portfolio, building on our successful interdisciplinary Ph.D. in political economy, and it is another indicator of research capabilities that are mounting at UTD," said Dr. Wim Vijverberg, economics program director for the School of Social Sciences.

The new offering brings the total number of doctoral programs at the university to 23 and all degree programs to 105. As announced in May, the School of Social Sciences also is adding a Ph.D. in political science in the fall semester.

For more information on UTD's new Ph.D. in economics program, please contact Vijverberg at vijver@utdallas.edu or (972) 883-2042.

About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 13,000 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's Web site at http://www.utdallas.edu.