We are pleased that you are considering our graduate program, and in this message I hope to convey some of the things that set our program apart from others. This message gives you information about our department, the University of Washington, and the Pacific Northwest that will help you make a decision about where to go to graduate school.
The UW Department of Economics has a tradition of combining contemporary theory with empirical analysis. In macroeconomics we focus on international macroeconomics, time series analysis, and macroeconomic theory, especially macroeconomic dynamics. In microeconomics, we have strengths in applied fields such as international trade, labor economics, property rights and contracts, as well as more policy-oriented fields such as development, natural resources and public finance. You should know that, unlike some departments, we do not attempt to be all things to all people. For instance, students whose primary interest is mathematical economic theory or urban economics might wish to seek a better match.
Our graduate program is successful in training productive scholars, fine teachers, and skilled professionals. In recent years, our students have been well placed at research universities and teaching colleges, as well as in nonacademic positions. For example, recent academic placements include Ohio University, Washington State University, the Economic Growth Center at Yale University, and Wellesley College. Other graduates have taken positions with the Conference Board in New York City, the IMF, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. To view a detailed list of some of our recent placements, click Placement. Our Ph.D.'s are very successful at publishing in major journals. An article in the April 2000 issue of Economic Inquiry shows that our graduates ranked 8th in a list of the top thirty-six journals and 25th in the top five journals. While publication is not the goal of everyone applying to our program, we provide good training for those who wish it.
A distinctive and important feature of our program is the willingness of faculty to involve graduate students in their research. This not only provides an environment that nurtures scholarship, it has also led to collaborative research efforts culminating in joint papers written with faculty. As a consequence, our students often graduate with completed research papers that are well advanced in the publication process.
For years our department has ranked in the twenties among graduate economics programs in the United States. This is a position we will maintain and, indeed, hope to improve in the future. We have an excellent faculty, and will be recruiting new faculty in the coming year. To view a list of our permanent and visiting faculty along with some of their recent publications, click Faculty. This will give you a better idea of our current research interests.
You will find the first year of our program quantitatively demanding, but rewarding. In the first year, we emphasize the core material of micro, macro, and econometric theory--an emphasis that is designed to provide a solid foundation for subsequent course and research work. In their second year, students select from our extensive menu of courses in advanced theory and in the many applied fields. Doctoral students go on to take a number of research seminars that help them select and complete their dissertation research. Most of our doctoral students select research topics that involve quantitative analysis and make extensive use of the applied micro and macro economic theory emphasized in our program. We take our master's degree program seriously and expect our students to acquire the microeconomic and macroeconomic theory and econometrics that enables them to compete for jobs as applied economists.
We offer a number of opportunities for joint work with other departments and centers. Students with interests in health sciences, law, and political science benefit from outstanding supporting resources at the University. In natural resources, the College of Forest Resources, the School of Fisheries, the Institute for Marine Studies, the Program on the Environment offer additional faculty and resources. Students with an interest in demography can have access to the teaching, research, library, and computing resources of the Center for the Study of Demography and Ecology, and those with a strong interest in statistical methods can make use of the facilities of the Center for Social Science Computation and Research. In international economics, there are complementary courses in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, as well as in the International Business program in the Graduate School of Business Administration. In monetary and financial economics, the business school has excellent faculty in finance, and many of our graduate students take these courses. In addition, two new research centers affiliated with the department, one in international economics and the other in family economics, foster interdisciplinary research. These centers provide students both with research opportunities within economics as well as links to other units of the University.
If your career goal is teaching at the university level, we strongly recommend our program. Many graduate students have the opportunity to teach their own courses (after the first year), which helps them in their graduate work by reinforcing their understanding of basic principles and requiring them constantly to organize, analyze, and communicate their own ideas. Each year we award two or three fellowships, as well as a prize to the best graduate teaching assistant. Our graduate students tend to be mutually supportive, and students who receive assistantships find that teaching similar introductory courses encourages interaction and joint effort. Students receiving departmental financial aid are assigned offices.
Seattle has been rated consistently one of the best places in the United States to live. With a metropolitan population in excess of one million, Seattle offers extraordinary cultural and recreational opportunities. The climate is mild, though not always sunny, and outdoor activities are considered the best in the country. The University of Washington is located in a residential section of Seattle, five miles north of downtown. Despite its urban location, the campus has a park-like atmosphere with 680 acres that include tall evergreen trees as well as an abundance of rhododendrons and other flowering trees. Two lakes border the campus, and on clear days, mountains are visible in three directions. This constant reminder of natural wilderness, from the midst of urban amenities, makes the campus and the city attractive to city-dwellers and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
The population of Seattle is cosmopolitan; people from every part of the world having discovered this port city and settled here. A large Asian community is centered in the International District just south of downtown. Seattle has distinct neighborhoods, including the University District, which surrounds the campus. All of these elements make Seattle a very livable city and an outstanding place to go to graduate school.
If, after reading this message, you find that what we offer matches your interests and needs, we welcome your application.
Robert Halvorsen
Professor and Chair
The Ph.D. program in economics consists of three phases:
There is no foreign-language requirement for the doctorate in economics.
Phase 1: Core Courses and Examinations
All doctoral students regularly complete a set of core courses in microeconomics (Econ 500, 501, and 508), macroeconomics (Econ 502, 503, and 509), and econometrics (Econ 580, 581, and 582). All Ph.D. students are expected to pass core examinations in microeconomics and macroeconomics. The core courses are completed during the first year of the doctoral program and the core examinations are taken two weeks before the second year begins. Although students are not expected to have done course work beyond the core courses before taking these examinations, they are expected to review and integrate material from the first year courses in preparation for the exams.
Phase 2: Field Courses and Examinations
In addition to the core courses, each doctoral student must satisfactorily complete at least eight elective field courses in economics at the graduate level. At least one of these must be in advanced microeconomics or advanced macroeconomics, and at least three must be in applied areas.
Each doctoral student must satisfy the requirements for two fields of specialization. The field requirements can be satisfied either by passing two field examinations or by passing one field examination and receiving an average grade of at least 3.8 in the elective courses corresponding to a second field.
Phase 3: Dissertation Research
The doctoral dissertation is the final major requirement for the Ph.D. degree. After completing the core and field requirements, the student chooses a dissertation topic and a doctoral supervisory committee is appointed. Students are encouraged to discuss potential dissertation topics with faculty members early in their graduate studies. The Department offers three ongoing workshops in the areas of macro and international economics, labor and development economics, and natural resource economics to assist students in finding and developing dissertation topics. The faculty uses these workshops to present work in progress as well. Each workshop meets weekly at around noon. Participants bring their own bag lunches in keeping with the relatively informal nature of the presentations and discussion.
After the supervisory committee has been appointed and a dissertation topic has been developed, the student takes the general examination. This examination is an oral defense of the formal dissertation proposal. When the dissertation is completed, the student takes the final examination, which is an oral defense of the completed dissertation.
The doctoral program is designed to be completed in four years, although most students take slightly longer. During the last few years, the average length of time to completion of the Ph.D. was five years.
copied from http://www.econ.washington.edu/
