Students may transfer graduate credits earned at other institutions with the approval of the Graduate College and the student's dissertation committee. Well-qualified students may enter the Ph.D. program directly from a bachelor's degree program, but most students complete one year in the M.S. program before beginning the Ph.D. core theory sequence. This coursework prepares students to pass qualifying exams in macroeconomics and microeconomics. Each student is given two opportunities to pass the exams. Students who have not passed exams in both macroeconomics and microeconomics by the end of allotted time may transfer to the M.S. program.
Students begin work on the dissertation topic during the third year.
The dissertation is completed under the supervision of a major professor. Guidance on the dissertation is also provided by a Program of Study Committee composed of four additional faculty. The major professor and the Program of Study Committee advise the student at all stages of the dissertation, from initial proposal to final submission of the document. A typical course sequence may be found here . There is a long list of distinguished economic researchers who have received their doctorates at Iowa State.