http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/socsci/
Professors: Brian J. L. Berry, Lloyd J. Dumas, Catherine Eckel, Donald
A. Hicks, James Murdoch, Barry J. Seldon, Wim P.M. Vijverberg
Associate Professors: Sheila Amin Guti�rrez de Pi�eres, Nathan Berg, Kurt
J. Beron, Susan Williams McElroy, Kevin Siqueria
Assistant Professors: Roxanne Ezzet-Lofstrom, Magnus Lofstrom, Isaac
McFarlin
The Ph.D. Program in Economics prepares students for careers in academics as
well as for research-oriented positions in the private and public sectors. It
provides a cutting-edge education in micro- and macroeconomic theories, the
development of a rigorous toolkit of mathematical and econometric techniques,
and extensive exposure to various research areas in economics. This education
enables students to analyze and contribute to the study of issues in their
areas of specialty, as defined by their respective economic literatures.
To prepare students for teaching in academic careers, teaching
assistantships will be made available to as many students possible on a
competitive basis.� Teaching assistants
will work closely with faculty in undergraduate courses, assisting in courses
in the School�s undergraduate program in Economics and Finance. Teaching
assistants may also assist in faculty research. Students will be mentored and
supervised as they proceed through their training. Furthermore, the curriculum
incorporates several components (in a course setting) where students make
multiple oral presentations.
To prepare for their academic or non-academic research careers, students
will select a topic of study, analyze the literature, conduct their research
(developing new theory, collecting data, analyzing data), make oral
presentations, and write reports at various stages of the process. This
experience is completed with the submission of the research paper for
publication in the economics literature. Furthermore, students write a
dissertation as part of the graduation requirement. This experience is
invaluable for positions both within and outside the academic sector where
students may find employment in banking or financial institutions, insurance,
corporate strategic planning, real estate, journalism, management, marketing,
labor arbitration, regulation of private firms, environmental planning, and
urban and regional planning.
Students have access to the computing facilities in the
The University�s general admission requirements are discussed here.
Applicants will be judged and evaluated by the existing admission standards
as set forth by the University in its Graduate Catalog. These standards include
a bachelor�s degree from an accredited institution or its equivalent, fluency
in written and spoken English, a grade average of 3.25 or better in
upper-division and graduate course work in economics and related courses,
submission of official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores: GRE scores in
the verbal and quantitative components of the exams should total to at least
1200. Students may also wish to consider submitting their score from the
writing component of the GRE test as additional evidence of their writing
skills.
Standardized tests scores are only one of the factors taken into account in
determining admission. Given the demands that will be placed on the student in
his/her study of economics, a strong background in calculus, linear algebra,
and mathematical statistics is highly desirable. Furthermore, a student also
may be admitted to the Ph.D. program after being accepted by the Master of
Science in Applied Economics and achieving at least a 3.0 grade point average
in the core courses.
Students should submit all transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and
a one-page essay outlining the applicant�s background, education, and personal
objectives.
Students who lack the necessary background to start the program are advised
to take courses at the
Students who have previous graduate work pertinent to the Ph.D. Program in
Economics may be given transfer credit. Up to 45 hours of credit hours may be
transferred, but students must fulfill the requirements outlined in the next
section below at the
The University�s general degree requirements are discussed here.
Students seeking the Ph.D. in Economics must (i) complete core courses with
an average GPA of 3.00; (ii) pass comprehensive exams in micro- and
macroeconomic theory and in econometrics (although the econometrics exam will
be waived for students who complete each of the required econometrics courses
with a grade of A); (iii) be certified in two research areas within the science
of Economics; and (iv) submit an approved dissertation. The following paragraphs
elaborate on these requirements.
Students are required to complete the following core courses:
ECO 5301 Microeconomics Theory I
ECO 6307 Microeconomics Theory II
ECO 5302 Macroeconomics Theory I
ECO 6308 Macroeconomics Theory II
ECO 5309 Mathematical Economics
ECO 6109 Econometrics I Lab
ECO 6311 Statistics for Econometrics
ECO 6309 Econometrics I
ECO 6310 Econometrics II
In addition, they are required to register for the following courses at the
appropriate stages of their study:
ECO 7V01 Survey/Research Seminar
ECO 8V01 Dissertation Seminar
In order to assure that the student progresses satisfactorily, each student
is required to consult with the Director of Economics Programs prior to
registration in every semester.
�For research area certification, the
student must select the two research areas, preferably during the second year
of study, and advise the Program Director of the selection. The Program
Director will, in conjunction with the Economics curriculum committee, advise
the student regarding which research area courses will satisfy the
certification requirements. The general guideline for certification consists of
(i) making a grade of B or better in three courses within each area; (ii)
writing a major literature survey on a topic in each area; and (iii) writing an
acceptable research paper in one area. The student will write the literature
surveys during the second year and present them orally. The research paper will
normally be written during the third year and will also be discussed in various
oral presentations. The expectation is that a completed research paper may be
submitted for publication, presented at professional meetings or offered at a
professional forum. In addition, the student may decide to pursue further work
on that topic and develop a dissertation from it.
The submission of an approved dissertation will complete the course of study
on the Ph.D. degree in Economics. The procedure for approval of the
dissertation is outlined in the UTD Graduate Catalog.� See Graduate
Registration Requirements.
The program highlights six research areas. The definition of these areas
offers a guideline; however, students may wish to request a customized research
area definition that better suits their research objectives. Such requests will
be evaluated by the Program Director in conjunction with the Economics
Curriculum Committee. In the following research area descriptions, courses that
are required within the area are denoted by an asterisk.
ECO 6315 Time Series Econometrics
ECO 6316 Spatial Econometrics
ECO 7311 Special Topics in Applied Econometrics
ECO 6321 Financial Economics I*
ECO 6322 Financial Economics II*
ECO 6325 Cost Benefit Analysis
ECO 6315 Time Series Econometrics
ECO 6331 Labor Economics I*
ECO 6332 Labor Economics
ECO 6336 Economics of Education
ECO 6358 Population and Development
ECO 7321 Special topics in Human Resources
ECO 6340 Industrial Organization*
ECO 6343 Economic Regulation of Business
ECO 6344 Transfer Pricing
ECO 6345 Innovation Dynamics and Economic Change
ECO 6362 Industry, Technology, and Science Policy
ECO 7331 Special Topics in Industrial Organization
ECO 6351 Development Economics*
ECO 6352 World Political Economy
ECO 6355 International Trade
ECO 6356 International Finance
ECO 6358 Population and Development
ECO 7341 Special Topics in International Development�
ECO 6361 Public Sector Economics*
ECO 6362 Industry, Technology, and Science Policy
ECO 6325 Cost Benefit Analysis
ECO 6335 Health Economics
ECO 6336 Economics of Education
ECO 6343 Economic Regulation of Business
ECO 7351 Special Topics in Public Policy
ECO 6371 Urban Economics
ECO 6372 Local Economic Development
ECO 7391 Special Topics