Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of Economics and a Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Program Learning Outcomes for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Economics and a Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Upon completing the MA and PhD degrees in the field of Economics and a major concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, students will be able to:
- Carry out independent research in economics and finance, using mathematical, statistical, econometric, and computational tools.
- Write an independent and original thesis that is of sufficient quality to merit publication in a top economics or finance journal.
- Conduct a focused review of the literature and develop a research design to carry out independent research.
- Defend their research design and modeling choices by presenting their paper in a seminar environment.
Requirements for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of Economics
MA Degree Program
The MA degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements for non-thesis masters degrees, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Although students are not normally admitted to study for an MA, graduate students may earn the MA along the way to the PhD. In order to obtain the MA Degree in the field of Economics, students must:
- Pass the first year core courses with a grade point average of 2.67 or better.
- Complete 6 field courses with passing grades.
- Earn a satisfactory grade in ECON 700 in the last two semesters before graduation.
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Economics, or a PhD degree in the field of Statistics, have the opportunity to also earn a Master of Arts (MA) degree in either the fields of Statistics or Economics, respectively. For additional information, see the Opportunities tab.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor, or where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MA Degree in the field of Economics | 30 | |
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Economics
PhD Degree Program
For general university requirements, please see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Candidates for the PhD usually spend from 2 to 2-1/2 years in full-time coursework and at least 1 year writing the thesis; 5 years is a reasonable goal for completing the program. For the PhD degree in the field of Economics, students must:
- Attend the statistics and mathematics camp before starting their first year courses.
- Complete an approved program of at least 18 courses (including approved courses in other departments), no more than 4 of which are research workshops. At least 2 years of full-time study must be in residence at Rice.
- Perform satisfactorily on the required coursework.
- Write a research paper proposal before the start of their third year.
- Write and present a research paper before the end of their third year.
- Choose a thesis advisor by the end of their seventh semester.
- Attend a research workshop every semester after their first year and present their own research in a workshop once every semester after their second year.
- Submit a written progress report in every semester they register for ECON 800.
- Submit a thesis progress report every year starting with their fourth year.
- Defend their thesis proposal to the faculty and students in a seminar during the spring semester of their fourth year.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor, or where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the PhD Degree in the field of Economics | 90 | |
Requirements for the Major Concentration: Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Econometrics and quantitative economics are integral parts of the curriculum for the graduate program in economics. All students earning MA or PhD Degrees in the field of Economics additionally earn the Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics.
Policies for the PhD Degree in the field of Economics
Department of Economics Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the department of Economics publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2023_24/Economics_PhD_Graduate_Handbook.pdf
Admission
Preparation for PhD Program: Applicants to the PhD program should have a strong background in mathematics and statistics. All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Economics should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:
- Request for transfer credit will be considered by the program director on an individual case-by-case basis.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Economics website: https://economics.rice.edu/
Opportunities for the PhD Degree in the field of Economics
Additional Master's Degrees Options for the PhD Degree in the field of Economics and a Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, or the PhD Degree in the field of Statistics
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Economics and a Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, or a PhD degree in the field of Statistics, have the opportunity to also earn a Master of Arts (MA) degree in either the fields of Economics or Statistics, respectively.
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Economics and a Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics with a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in the field of Statistics
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Economics and a Major Concentration in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in the field of Statistics, with coordinated coursework, must complete:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 5 courses from departmental (ECON or BUSI) course offerings that have a strong statistics content. 1, 2 | 15 | |
| 5 courses from departmental (STAT) course offerings that are significantly different in content to courses in economics. 1, 3 | 15 | |
| Qualifier in Econometrics at the comparable level of an MA degree in Statistics. | ||
| A Major Project 4 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Courses that are jointly listed (cross-listed) between the 2 departments are counted towards the number of courses in the student's "home" department for the particular course. |
| 2 | ECON 510 and ECON 511 must each be completed with a minimum letter grade of B (3.00 grade points) per course. |
| 3 | Must include Advanced Statistical Methods and Multivariate Statistics. |
| 4 | This may be directed by Economics faculty, but must have strong statistical content. The doctoral proposal in Economics can count toward this requirement. |
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of Statistics with a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in the field of Economics
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of Statistics and the Master of Arts (MA) degree in the field of Economics, with coordinated coursework, must complete:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Select 5 courses from departmental (ECON) course offerings comprising: | ||
| ECON 501 | MICROECONOMICS I | 3 |
| ECON 502 | MACROECONOMICS | 3 |
| Select 1 from the following: | 3 | |
| COMPUTATIONAL ECONOMICS 1 | ||
| FINANCIAL ECONOMICS I 1 | ||
| ECON 508 | MICROECONOMICS II | 5 |
| ECON 511 / STAT 611 | ECONOMETRICS II 1 | 3 |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 5 courses from departmental (STAT) course offerings | 15 | |
| Qualifier in Statistics at the comparable level of a field examination for the MA degree in the field of Economics. | ||
| A Major Project 2 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 32 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Courses that are jointly listed (cross-listed) between the 2 departments are counted toward the number of courses in the student's "home" department of the particular course. |
| 2 | This may be directed by Statistics faculty, but must have strong econometrics content. The doctoral proposal in Statistics can count toward this requirement. |
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Economics website: https://economics.rice.edu/