Students participate in a large number of seminars and workshops. At some of these, faculty, advanced students, and postdoctoral fellows present their research in progress. At others, economists visiting from other universities present the results of their research. These offer students exposure to a variety of perspectives on research topics, and an opportunity to hear lively debates that clarify the areas of disagreement between competing theories or interpretations of evidence. It is not unusual for such a seminar discussion to serve as the beginning of a student's dissertation research.
Students also begin their own independent research in the second year of study.
This stage also includes further coursework at an advanced level. There are more than 25 courses taught specifically at the graduate level in the department. In particular, each student is expected to acquire in-depth knowledge of two fields of economics. A student may also request that a self-designed course of study be recognized as a field. The department is receptive to such a request if it is coherent and bears evident relationship to a student's prospective dissertation work.