Economics

economics.uoregon.edu

Van Kolpin, Department Head
541-346-8845
435 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall

Economics addresses the problem of using scarce resources to satisfy society’s unlimited wants. The discipline is divided into two general areas—microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics explores questions about the way society allocates resources; it applies to public policy in such areas as urban, industrial organization, and labor economics. Macroeconomics considers such questions as the causes of inflation and unemployment; it applies to such areas as monetary development and international economics.

Faculty

Bruce A. Blonigen, Philip H. Knight Professor (international trade, industrial organization, applied econometrics). BA, 1988, Gustavus Adolphus; MA, 1992, PhD, 1995, California, Davis. (1995)

Alfredo Burlando, assistant professor (development, labor economics, industrial organization). BA, 2003, MA, 2003, California, Davis; PhD, 2010, Boston. (2010)

Trudy Ann Cameron, Raymond F. Mikesell Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics (applied microeconomics, applied econometrics). BA, 1977, British Columbia; PhD, 1982, Princeton. (2001)

Shankha Chakraborty, professor (growth and development, macroeconomics). BS, 1992, Presidency; MA, 1994, Delhi School of Economics; PhD, 1999, California, Los Angeles. (1999)

Anca D. Cristea, assistant professor (international economics, industrial organization, applied econometrics). BA, 2003, Babes-Bolyai; MA, 2005, Clemson; PhD, 2010, Purdue, West Lafayette. (2010)

Timothy A. Duy, assistant professor with title of professor of practice (macroeconomics, monetary policy, international finance). BA, 1991, Puget Sound; MS, PhD, 1998, Oregon. (2002)

Christopher J. Ellis, professor (applied economic theory, public economics, political economy). BA, 1978, Essex; MA, 1979, PhD, 1983, Warwick. (1983)

George W. Evans, College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor; John Hamacher Chair in Economics (econometrics, macroeconomics). BA, 1972, Oxford; BA, 1974, MA, 1976, PhD, 1980, California, Berkeley. (1994)

Benjamin Hansen, assistant professor (labor economics, public economics, econometrics). BA, 2004, Brigham Young; MA, 2005, PhD, 2009, California, Santa Barbara. (2010)

William T. Harbaugh, professor (public economics, behavioral economics, neuroeconomics). BS, 1983, MS, 1986, Montana State; PhD, 1995, Wisconsin, Madison. (1995)

Van Kolpin, professor (microeconomic theory, game theory, social choice theory). BA, 1982, Coe; MS, 1983, MA, 1984, PhD, 1986, Iowa. (1986)

Peter J. Lambert, professor (public economics, income equality, tax and benefit systems). PhD, 1971, Oxford. (2002)

Ralph Mastromonaco, assistant professor (environmental, public, industrial organization). BS, 2005, Pittsburgh; MA, 2008, PhD, 2012, Duke. (2012)

Bruce McGough, associate professor (macroeconomics). BA, 1991, Reed; MS, 1993, PhD, 2000, Oregon. (2012)

Jeremy M. Piger, professor (macroeconomics, econometrics). BA, 1996, Seattle Pacific; MA, 1998, PhD, 2000, Washington (Seattle). (2006)

Nicholas Sly, assistant professor (international trade, labor economics, applied microeconomics). BA, 2004, Northern Iowa; MA, 2005, PhD, 2009, Michigan State. (2009)

Mark A. Thoma, professor (econometrics, macroeconomics). BA, 1980, California State, Chico; PhD, 1985, Washington State. (1987)

Michael B. Urbancic, instructor (behavioral economics, experimental economics, economic history). BS, BA, 2002, Arizona; PhD, 2012, California, Berkeley. (2012)

Anne van den Nouweland, professor (game theory, microeconomic theory). BA, 1984, MA, 1989, Nijmegen; PhD, 1993, Tilburg. (1996)

Glen R. Waddell, professor (applied econometrics, industrial organization, labor economics). BS, 1995, Trent; MS, 1996, Miami; PhD, 2000, Purdue. (2001)

Caroline E. Weber, assistant professor (applied microeconometrics, public finance). BS, 2006, Puget Sound; MA, 2008, PhD, 2012, Michigan, Ann Arbor. (2012)

Wesley W. Wilson, professor (applied econometrics, industrial organization, transportation economics). BS, BA, 1980, North Dakota; MA, 1984, PhD, 1986, Washington State. (1989)

Jiabin Wu, assistant professor (experimental economics, behavior economics, political economy). BA, 2008, Hong Kong; MS, 2010, PhD, 2014, Wisconsin, Madison. (2014)

Special Staff

Cathleen S. Leué, associate professor (econometrics, labor); director, Social Science Instructional Laboratory; director, Social Science Data Services Laboratory. BA, 1978, California State, Chico; PhD, 1985, Washington State. (1987)

Emeriti

Robert Campbell, professor emeritus. BA, 1947, California, Berkeley; BS, 1950, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; PhD, 1953, California, Berkeley. (1952)

Henry N. Goldstein, professor emeritus. BA, 1950, North Carolina, Chapel Hill; MS, 1953, PhD, 1967, Johns Hopkins. (1967)

Jo Anna Gray, professor emerita. BA, 1971, Rockford; AM, 1973, PhD, 1976, Chicago. (1989)

Stephen E. Haynes, professor emeritus. BA, 1968, PhD, 1976, California, Santa Barbara. (1978)

Chulsoon Khang, professor emeritus. BA, 1959, Michigan State; MA, 1962, PhD, 1965, Minnesota. (1966)

Joe A. Stone, professor emeritus. BA, 1970, Texas, El Paso; MA, 1974, PhD, 1977, Michigan State. (1979)

W. Ed Whitelaw, professor emeritus. BA, 1963, Montana; PhD, 1968, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (1967)

The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science
• Minor

Undergraduate Studies

The Department of Economics offers an undergraduate major leading to a bachelor’s degree. Undergraduate courses in economics provide broad knowledge of the field as a part of the program of liberal education offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. They also lay a solid foundation in economics to students interested in professional graduate training in economics or in careers in business, law, government, or journalism.

For more detailed information, students are encouraged to visit the department website.

Preparation

Suggested preparation for freshman students is four years of high school mathematics. Prospective majors are strongly urged to satisfy part of their science group requirement with an introductory calculus sequence and the combination of mathematics and computer and information science required for the bachelor of science degree, to be taken in the freshman or sophomore year. Suggested preparation for second-year college transfer students is

1. the equivalents of EC 201 Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics and EC 202 Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics and
2. the equivalents of MATH 251 Calculus I, MATH 252 Calculus II—or MATH 241 Calculus for Business and Social Science I, MATH 242 Calculus for Business and Social Science II for students not intending to pursue graduate training in economics—as well as MATH 243 Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics.

Career and Advising Services

The Career and Advising Services office in the Department of Economics provides academic planning and career development support for economics majors and minors. This includes advice about courses, minors, and concentrations, as well as assistance with résumés, job and internship search, and interviewing preparation. Career opportunities in economics include technical roles (actuarial, data analyst, financial analyst, researcher, consulting) as well as less technical roles (management, sales, human resources). Common employers include banks, financial institutions, government agencies, corporations, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.  

Online Economics Courses

EC 201	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics	4
EC 202	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics	4
EC 380	International Economic Issues	4

These courses are self-paced; the examinations are administered in the Social Sciences Instructional Laboratory for on-campus students and online for off-campus students. The courses, which must be completed within a standard ten-week term, are open to enrolled and community-education students and to high school students who want accredited university course work.

Careers

Career opportunities in economics are found in federal, state, and local government agencies; private industry; various nonprofit organizations; and journalism. A bachelor’s degree in economics provides an excellent background for graduate admission in law, business, and public policy. Students with superior undergraduate academic records frequently go on to graduate work in economics, which leads to careers in higher education, economic research organizations in government, and private industry.

For more information, visit Bill Sherman, director of career and advising services, in 405 Prince Lucien Campbell Hall.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

EC 201   & EC 202	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics    and Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics 1	8
MATH 241–242	Calculus for Business and Social Science I-II 1	8
MATH 243	Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics 1	4
EC 311   & EC 313	Intermediate Microeconomic Theory    and Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory 2,3	8
EC 320,421	Introduction to Econometrics 2,3	8
Economics courses numbered 300 or above 3,4		28

1	Should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
2	Should be completed by the end of the junior year.
3	At least 28 of the 44 required upper-division credits required for the major (i.e., EC 311 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, EC 313 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, EC 320 Introduction to Econometrics, EC 421 Introduction to Econometrics, and the 28 required field course credits) must be taken at the University of Oregon
4	At least 20 credits in courses numbered 400 or above. No more than 8 of the 28 credits may be in courses numbered 401, 404, 405, or 408.

Grades of C– or better in courses taken to satisfy major requirements.

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements

EC 201   & EC 202	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics    and Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics 1	8
MATH 241–242	Calculus for Business and Social Science I-II 1	8
MATH 243	Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics 1	4
EC 311   & EC 313	Intermediate Microeconomic Theory    and Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory 2,3	8
EC 320,421	Introduction to Econometrics 2,3	8
Economics courses numbered 300 or above 3,4		28

1	Should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
2	Should be completed by the end of the junior year.
3	At least 28 of the 44 required upper-division credits required for the major (i.e., EC 311 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory, EC 313 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, EC 320 Introduction to Econometrics, EC 421 Introduction to Econometrics, and the 28 required field course credits) must be taken at the University of Oregon
4	At least 20 credits in courses numbered 400 or above. No more than 8 of the 28 credits may be in courses numbered 401, 404, 405, or 408.

Courses Offered Pass/No Pass Only

EC 401	Research: [Topic]	NaN
EC 404	Internship	NaN
EC 405	Reading and Conference: [Topic]	NaN
EC 408	Workshop: [Topic]	NaN

EC 320 Introduction to Econometrics (or EC 423 Econometrics) is a prerequisite for almost all 400-level courses. EC 311 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory and sometimes EC 313 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory are as well. Because MATH 242 Calculus for Business and Social Science II and MATH 243 Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics are prerequisites for EC 320 Introduction to Econometrics, it is important for students to take those courses early. See the course listings for details on prerequisites.

Advanced Options

Students interested in pursuing graduate work in economics, or who otherwise wish to pursue a more advanced track, may make any or all of the substitutions displayed to the standard requirements for the major.

EC 201   & EC 202	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics    and Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics 1	8
MATH 251–252	Calculus I-II 2	8
or MATH 261–262	Calculus with Theory I-II
EC 423–424	Econometrics 1,3	8
EC 411   & EC 413	Advanced Microeconomic Theory    and Advanced Macroeconomic Theory 4,5	8
Economics courses numbered 300 or above 3,4		28
Any upper-division mathematics course in statistics in place of MATH 243		4

1	Should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
2	In place of Calculus for Business and Social Science I-II (MATH 241–242).
3	In place of Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics (MATH 243), Introduction to Econometrics (EC 320), and Introduction to Econometrics (EC 421). Econometrics (EC 425) is recommended but not required. These can also count as 400-level field courses if one has already taken Introduction to Econometrics (EC 320) and Introduction to Econometrics (EC 421).
4	Take either course or both courses in place of Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (EC 311) and Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (EC 313). If Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (EC 311) and/or Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory (EC 313) have already been taken, these 400-level courses may be used as field courses. Should be completed by the end of the junior year.
5	At least 28 of the 44 required upper-division credits required for the major must be taken at the University of Oregon.

Departmental Honors

Qualified students may apply to graduate with honors in economics. Two requirements must be met:

1. Completion of upper-division economics courses with at least a 3.50 grade point average
2. Completion of a research paper, written under the guidance of a faculty member, for 4 credits in EC 401 Research: [Topic]. A copy of the completed paper, approved by the faculty advisor, must be presented to the department by Friday of the week before final examinations during the term the student plans to graduate

Students interested in honors also should consider taking EC 418 Economic Analysis of Community Issues I, EC 419 Economic Analysis of Community Issues II. Students who intend to satisfy these requirements should notify the director of undergraduate studies early in the term in which they intend to graduate.

Professional Concentrations

Given the breadth of a degree in economics, students are encouraged to choose one or more professional concentrations that are consistent with their career goals. Suggested course work for seven professional concentrations is described below. Sample programs for each concentration, descriptions of career possibilities, and recommendations for additional preparation are available in the undergraduate resource center and the department office.

Business Economics—Banking and Finance

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 370	Money and Banking	4
   or EC 470	Monetary Policy
   EC 360	Issues in Industrial Organization	4
   or EC 460	Theories of Industrial Organization
   or EC 484	Multinational Corporations
   EC 380	International Economic Issues	4
   or EC 480	International Finance
   or EC 481	International Trade

2. Complete a minor or approved equivalent in business administration

Business Economics—Management, Marketing, and Accounting

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 350	Labor Market Issues	4
   or EC 450	Labor Economics
   EC 430	Urban and Regional Economics	4
   or EC 432	Economy of the Pacific Northwest
   or EC 440	Public Economics
   EC 360	Issues in Industrial Organization	4
   or EC 460	Theories of Industrial Organization
   or EC 484	Multinational Corporations

2.  Complete a minor or approved equivalent in business administration

Economics and Public Policy and Administration

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 340	Issues in Public Economics	4
   or EC 440	Public Economics
   EC 430	Urban and Regional Economics	4
   or EC 432	Economy of the Pacific Northwest
   EC 360	Issues in Industrial Organization	4
   or EC 460	Theories of Industrial Organization
   or EC 484	Multinational Corporations
   EC 350	Labor Market Issues	4
   or EC 450	Labor Economics

2. Complete a minor or equivalent in political science or planning, public policy and management

Environmental Economics

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 333	Resource and Environmental Economic Issues	4
   or EC 433	Resource and Environmental Economics
   EC 340	Issues in Public Economics	4
   or EC 440	Public Economics
   EC 360	Issues in Industrial Organization	4
   or EC 460	Theories of Industrial Organization

2. Complete the environmental studies minor or an approved equivalent

Graduate Preparation in Economics and Mathematical Economics

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 411	Advanced Microeconomic Theory	4
   or EC 413	Advanced Macroeconomic Theory
   MATH 251–252	Calculus I-II	8
   or MATH 261–262	Calculus with Theory I-II
   EC 423   & EC 424	Econometrics    and Econometrics	8
   EC 427	Games and Decisions	4
   or EC 428	Behavioral and Experimental Economics

2. Complete a minor in mathematics

International and Development Economics

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 480   & EC 481	International Finance    and International Trade	8
   EC 390	Problems and Issues in the Developing Economies	4
   or EC 490	Economic Growth and Development
   or EC 491	Issues in Economic Growth and Development
   EC 360	Issues in Industrial Organization	4
   or EC 460	Theories of Industrial Organization
   or EC 484	Multinational Corporations
   EC 370	Money and Banking	4
   or EC 470	Monetary Policy

2. Complete a minor or the equivalent in business administration, political science, history, international studies, or an area studies program

Law and Economics and Political Economy

1. Complete major requirements including

   EC 340	Issues in Public Economics	4
   or EC 440	Public Economics
   EC 350	Labor Market Issues	4
   or EC 450	Labor Economics
   EC 360	Issues in Industrial Organization	4
   or EC 460	Theories of Industrial Organization
   or EC 484	Multinational Corporations
   EC 380	International Economic Issues	4
   or EC 481	International Trade
   EC 427	Games and Decisions	4

2. Complete a minor or equivalent in political science

Economics Minor

EC 201	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics	4
EC 202	Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics	4
EC 311	Intermediate Microeconomic Theory	4
EC 313	Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory	4
Two additional upper-division 4-credit courses in economics		8
Total Credits		24

Two of the four upper-division 4-credit courses must be taken from the UO economics department. Minor requirements cannot be satisfied with EC 401 Research: [Topic], EC 404 Internship, EC 405 Reading and Conference: [Topic], or EC 408 Workshop: [Topic]. Courses applied to the economics minor must be completed with grades of C– or better.

Kindergarten through Secondary Teaching Careers

Students who complete a degree in economics are eligible to apply to the College of Education’s fifth-year licensure program in middle-secondary teaching or the fifth-year licensure program in elementary teaching. More information is available in the College of Education section of this catalog.

The Department of Economics offers graduate work leading to the degrees of master of arts (MA), master of science (MS), and doctor of philosophy (PhD). Graduate fields include macroeconomics; applied econometrics; game theory; economic growth and development; industrial organization; and international, labor, public, environmental, experimental, and health economics. A detailed description of degree requirements may be obtained from the department website.

General information about graduate work at the University of Oregon is available in the Graduate School section of this catalog.

Applicants for admission must submit the following to the department:

1. Scores on the general test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), sent by the testing center
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. Complete transcripts of previous work sent by the issuing institutions
4. A brief statement of purpose or personal statement
5. Curriculum vitae or résumé

At minimum, applicants should have substantial knowledge of intermediate economic theory and of mathematics equivalent to:

EC 311	Intermediate Microeconomic Theory	4
EC 313	Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory	4
MATH 251	Calculus I	4
MATH 252	Calculus II	4
MATH 253	Calculus III	4
MATH 281	Several-Variable Calculus I	4
MATH 341	Elementary Linear Algebra	4
MATH 243	Introduction to Methods of Probability and Statistics	4
or MATH 425	Statistical Methods I
MATH 315	Elementary Analysis (recommended)	4

Strong grades in economics and mathematics courses, in addition to scholarly potential, will be valued by the admissions committee.

Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from an American university must also submit their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL or TOEFL Internet-Based Test) or the International English Language Testing System examination. Applicants to the PhD program whose native language is not English must also submit a Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) or TOEFL Internet-Based Test score. 

Master’s Degree

The Department of Economics offers a master’s degree program to prepare students for consulting and applied research positions in private industry and government, teaching positions in two-year colleges, or study for a PhD in economics.

The master’s degree program consists of the following departmental requirements in addition to university and Graduate School requirements for the master of arts (MA) or the master of science (MS) degree. Each master’s degree candidate chooses either the course work or the research option.

Credit Requirements

The course work option requires a minimum of 48 graduate credits. The research option requires a minimum of 45 graduate credits if the candidate writes a research paper or a minimum of 51 graduate credits if the candidate writes a thesis.

Master of Arts Degree Requirements

Core Courses
EC 523–525	Econometrics (or equivalent) 1	12
EC 511	Advanced Microeconomic Theory 1	4
EC 513	Advanced Macroeconomic Theory 1	4
Elective Economics Courses 2
Option 1: Course work 3
Select one of the following:
EC 607	Seminar: [Topic] (Time-Series Econometrics)
EC 607	Seminar: [Topic] (Microeconometrics)
Six elective courses, at least three of which must be at the 600 level 3
Option 2: Research
Five elective courses, at least two of which must be at the 600 level 4

1	To be completed by the end of the first full academic year. An average grade of B– or better must be achieved in these courses. Courses receiving grades less than B– must be retaken the following year.
2	Excluding EC 503 Thesis, EC 601 Research: [Topic], EC 605 Reading and Conference: [Topic], EC 609 Practicum: [Topic], and PhD-level micro- and macroeconomics core courses (EC 607 Seminar: [Topic]). PhD students who transfer to the master’s program and who have completed the micro- and macroeconomics core courses (EC 607 Seminar: [Topic]) may apply those courses to master’s degree requirements.
3	The 600-level courses must be approved by the candidate’s advisor before the course work option is begun.
4	No more than 5 credits in EC 601 Research: [Topic] may be applied to the 45-credit minimum for the research paper and no more than 9 credits in EC 503 Thesis may be applied to the 51-credit minimum for the thesis.

Master of Science Degree Requirements

Core Courses
EC 523–525	Econometrics (or equivalent) 1	12
EC 511	Advanced Microeconomic Theory 1	4
EC 513	Advanced Macroeconomic Theory 1	4
Elective Economics Courses 2
Option 1: Course work 3
Select one of the following:
EC 607	Seminar: [Topic] (Time-Series Econometrics)
EC 607	Seminar: [Topic] (Microeconometrics)
Six elective courses, at least three of which must be at the 600 level 3
Option 2: Research
Five elective courses, at least two of which must be at the 600 level 4

1	To be completed by the end of the first full academic year. An average grade of B– or better must be achieved in these courses. Courses receiving grades less than B– must be retaken the following year.
2	Excluding EC 503 Thesis, EC 601 Research: [Topic], EC 605 Reading and Conference: [Topic], EC 609 Practicum: [Topic], and PhD-level micro- and macroeconomics core courses (EC 607 Seminar: [Topic]). PhD students who transfer to the master’s program and who have completed the micro- and macroeconomics core courses (EC 607 Seminar: [Topic]) may apply those courses to master’s degree requirements.
3	The 600-level courses must be approved by the candidate’s advisor before the course work option is begun.
4	No more than 5 credits in EC 601 Research: [Topic] may be applied to the 45-credit minimum for the research paper and no more than 9 credits in EC 503 Thesis may be applied to the 51-credit minimum for the thesis.

The thesis or research paper, on a topic from the area of economics in which a 600-level field course was taken, must be approved by two department faculty members. The candidate’s committee must have approved a prospectus for the thesis or research paper before the term in which the thesis or research paper is approved.

Courses taken to satisfy master’s degree requirements (except EC 503 Thesis, EC 601 Research: [Topic], and EC 605 Reading and Conference: [Topic]) must be taken for letter grades and completed with at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average. A GPA below the level of 3.00 at any time during a graduate student's studies or the accumulation of more than 5 credits of N or F grades, regardless of GPA, is considered unsatisfactory and may lead to termination from the program.

Unless on-leave status has been approved, a student must attend the university continuously until all program requirements have been completed. The student must register for 3 graduate credits each term, excluding summer sessions, to be continuously enrolled. A minimum of 30 credits toward the master's degree must be taken in residence over a period of at least two terms. In addition, at least 9 credits in courses numbered 600–699 must be taken in residence.

Substitutions and Waivers

Substitutions of alternative courses or courses taken elsewhere require the joint approval of the master’s program committee and the department head before they can be counted toward the credit minimum. Any other waivers or exceptions to departmental requirements require the approval of the department faculty.

Time Limits

Students who choose the course work option must complete all the master’s degree requirements within three years. Students who choose the research option must complete all the master’s degree requirements within five years.

The master’s degree typically requires five to six terms of full-time work. A few well-qualified students have satisfied requirements for the degree in four terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

A PhD in economics prepares students to teach at liberal arts and research universities; to work in state, federal, and international organizations; and to conduct research or work as a consultant for private industry. Graduate students seeking the PhD degree in economics at the University of Oregon must complete the following departmental requirements as well as all university requirements. Except for EC 601 Research: [Topic], EC 603 Dissertation, EC 605 Reading and Conference: [Topic], and EC 609 Practicum: [Topic], economics courses must be taken for letter grades.

Microeconomic theory (three terms) 1
Macroeconomics theory (three terms) 1
Econometrics (three terms) 1
EC 607	Seminar: [Topic] (two-term sequences) 2	1-5
EC 601	Research: [Topic] 3	6
EC 607	Seminar: [Topic] (five courses) 4	1-5
EC 603	Dissertation 4	18

1	Students who complete these courses with a GPA of 2.90 or higher will be invited to take the qualifying examination in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory when it is offered in early summer. Records of students whose GPA is lower than 2.90 are evaluated to determine eligibility for the qualifying examination. Students who fail the qualifying examination may be asked to retake it early the following September. Students who pass the qualifying examination but have a GPA less than 3.00 in econometrics must take a competency examination in econometrics, which is administered the Thursday before the first week of fall classes. Students who fail the competency examination must retake each econometrics course in which they received a grade of less than B and pass it with a grade of B or better. Students must file an approved program of study by December 15 following the qualifying examination.
2	Sequences in two fields of economics must be completed with a 3.00 GPA or better. Credit for Research: [Topic] (EC 601), Dissertation (EC 603), Reading and Conference: [Topic] (EC 605), or Practicum: [Topic] (EC 609) cannot be counted toward the field requirement.
3	By winter term of the third year, a research paper for at least 6 credits must be completed in one of the fields and approved by two members of the faculty with specialties in that field
4	Must be taken outside the two fields of economics previously chosen and completed with a 3.00 GPA or better. Credit for Research: [Topic] (EC 601), Dissertation (EC 603), Reading and Conference: [Topic] (EC 605), or Practicum: [Topic] (EC 609) cannot be counted toward the field requirement. Advancement to candidacy may be requested after the student has completed the above requirements and orally defended a prospectus for the dissertation, which must include a minimum of 6 credits in Research: [Topic] (EC 601). Students must be enrolled for at least 3 credits during the term of advancement.
5	The dissertation must be a significant contribution to the field and must be completed in conjunction with at least 18 credits of Dissertation (EC 603). A formal, public defense must take place on the UO campus at a date set by the committee chair and approved by the Graduate School.

Time Limits

The seven-year time limit for completion of PhD degree requirements begins with the first term of admission—either conditional or unconditional—as a doctoral student at the university. The required year of residency on the Eugene campus, passing of comprehensive examinations for advancement to candidacy, and completion of the doctoral dissertation must all be accomplished within this seven-year limit.

Courses other than those described above and courses taken elsewhere may not be substituted without approval of the PhD program committee and the department head. In no instance can the qualifying examination be waived.

Students in the PhD program may apply to be awarded a master’s degree upon completion of the master's program requirements and the approval of the master's program advisor.

Detailed information is given on the department’s website.

Support Services

College of Arts and Sciences Data Services Laboratory

Garron Hale, Director
541-346-1335
451 McKenzie Hall

The College of Arts and Sciences Data Services Laboratory specializes in data acquisition, access to online data, and the archiving of local data. The laboratory’s membership in the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research entitles the university community to order data from the largest data archive in the world. Data available to consortium members include the panel study of income dynamics, international financial statistics, census data, national crime statistics, and current population surveys. The laboratory also participates in the National Center for Health Statistics' electronic data dissemination program. The laboratory stores data from the panel study of income dynamics, international financial statistics, World Development Indicators, Global Insight, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Users can easily obtain data at their desks by using file transfer protocol (FTP).

Laboratory services include using the Internet to locate data, ordering data, subsidizing data purchases, creating subsets of those data, and offering users advice on data structures. The laboratory also archives data sets generated by campus researchers.

Social Science Instructional Laboratory

Garron Hale, Director
541-346-2547
442 and 445 McKenzie Hall

The Social Science Instructional Laboratory is an advanced microcomputer laboratory that facilitates teaching with technology. Staff members assist social science instructors with educational technology applications, computer classroom laboratories, distance education course design, and course testing software. Staff members teach students computer applications, offer consulting services, provide students with access to real-world data, and provide research assistance to social science graduate students. Any UO student may use the laboratory when it is not in use by a class.

The facility consists of a twenty-six-station laboratory, a thirty-six-station laboratory, and an eight-station advanced lab. All three have state-of-the-art computers with fast processors and ample RAM and storage in a campus-networked environment. The two larger classroom laboratories are equipped with an instructor station, teaching software, a wheelchair-accessible station, a scanner, and a computer projector system. Printing capabilities include color laser printers and a large-format plotter. The classroom laboratories have a large selection of statistical software and software for geographic information systems, web editing, graphics, and specific class needs.

The Social Science Instructional Laboratory houses the instructional geographic information systems (GIS) laboratory, in which students can use the powerful ArcInfo software to create maps and conduct spatial analyses.