Students generally take them immediately after the first year and begin to write field comprehensives at the end of the second year. The Department's course offerings are geared to the Ph.D. program, but qualified M.A. applicants are admitted. The requirements for the M.A. degree are the entire core curriculum of the Ph.D. program, two elective courses, and a written comprehensive examination. Back to top of document Admission Information Students who are quite sure they wish to pursue a Ph.D. should apply for admission directly to the Ph.D. program and not the M.A. program. Requirements for admission are at the same level for both programs, and students who are admitted to one may usually transfer, given satisfactory performance, to the other.
Financial aid is available only to full-time students in the Ph.D. program.
Applicants are required to submit college transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination's quantitative, verbal, and analytical tests. Ph.D. applicants interested in financial assistance awarded by the Department of Economics should ensure that their applications are completed by February 1. Applications completed beyond that date will be considered but will be subject to reduced chances of financial aid awards.