There are no formal course requirements for admission, but in order to do well in the program, students will need a strong background in mathematics. A number of criteria are used by the committee on admissions to evaluate each applicant-previous academic record, letters of recommendation, test scores, and the compatibility of the applicant's research interests with the program strengths in the department. Applicants should plan to take the GRE no later than October. Whether or not one is applying for financial aid, late applications will not be considered. This includes the possibility of taking courses in other departments within the Division of the Social Sciences, the Law School, the Graduate School of Business, the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Statistics, or the Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies.
Students normally take five years to complete the Ph.D. program.
Students who begin with the intention of obtaining the Ph.D. but who change their plans or fail to satisfy the Ph.D. requirements may be eligible for the A.M. degree. The comprehensive examination for the core fields is given in the summer quarter. A general examination in each field of specialization is given once a year. Students complete all economics program requirements but do not take a Master's degree, the J.D. degree being considered the equivalent. In addition, by petition only, and provided that Industrial Organization is not used as a second field, the above courses constitute a field of specialization in Law and Economics for the purpose of the Preliminary Examination requirement for the Ph.D. degree in economics.