The department sponsors a continuing Dissertation Seminar to assist students in preparing their proposals and as a forum for the presentation of later stages of dissertation work. A student need not register for the Dissertation Seminar during the semester in which he or she attends the seminar, however, and need not attend the seminar when registered. Foreign students may apply for a Hall of Nations Award from the University. Hall of Nations Awards give 18 hours of tuition remission per academic year and do not include a stipend. The application deadline for financial aid is February 1 for the following academic year.
All financial aid is based on academic merit and is highly competitive.
Fellowships are normally renewed, contingent on good performance, for two additional years beyond the initial award. Students entering with a substantial number of previous graduate credits may be awarded aid for a total of one or two years, depending upon the needs of the individual student. In general, fellowships are intended to support students through their comprehensive exams but not during the writing of his or her dissertation. Graduate fellows and assistants must maintain at least a 3.3 GPA in their economics Ph.D. courses and perform their service assignments satisfactorily. In addition, students should make good progress in completing comprehensive examinations.