Economics, Ph.D.

Admission Requirements

For admission to the doctoral program, candidates are expected to attain a GRE score of 302 or better. Candidates must also have completed, at a minimum, one semester of calculus and hold a baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4 point scale).

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

1. submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
2. submit official scores on the General Record Examination (GRE);
3. submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in Economics requires completion of a minimum of 64 semester hours, including a minimum of 51 hours of formal coursework and 13 hours of dissertation research. Students entering with a master’s degree in Economics may have up to 12 hours applied toward the 51 hours of formal coursework. Of the total 64 hours, at least 43 hours must be at the 7000 level.

Students must demonstrate competency in economic theory by passing the Qualifying Examination  in microeconomics and econometrics at the end of the the first year of study. Students must then complete six field courses and a research paper in their chosen field during the second year. During the summer of the second year, students develop a dissertation prospectus under the guidance of a dissertation chair. Each student is responsible for securing the agreement of a Ph.D. faculty member to become the chair of the student’s dissertation committee. The chair will suggest other potential committee members. Each student must successfully defend a dissertation prospectus in an oral examination and, upon approval by the student’s dissertation committee, prepare a dissertation as a Ph.D. candidate. The dissertation is completed with agreement of the chair and two additional committee members.

Curriculum: Economics

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.

Program Notes

On matriculation, students will complete a degree plan. The Ph.D. advisor must approve the degree plan. In some cases, it may be possible to complete the program on a part-time basis, but the program is designed for full-time students.

Candidate must

1. file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
2. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.