Economics PhD
Program Code: G-ECON-PHD
Degree Designation: Doctor of Philosophy
Department: Economics Department
Website: econ.duke.edu/phd-program
Program Summary
Duke University offers a world-class doctoral program in economics, featuring a vibrant faculty of exceptional scholars and teachers along with superior research facilities. The faculty is dedicated to anchoring all teaching and research firmly in the core disciplines of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. The first year of the program lays the critical foundation necessary for later work in field courses and dissertation-level research.
Advanced study is offered in economic theory, macroeconomics, applied microeconomics (including industrial organization, labor economics, public economics, and development economics), econometrics, history of economics, and certain fields outside the Economics Department such as finance. The standard time to completion of the PhD is five to six years.
Students preparing to enter these programs will find an undergraduate background in mathematics, engineering, computer science, statistics, or economics to be very helpful.
For additional information, visit the program website.
Academic Requirements
In their first year of study, Economics PhD students complete a two-semester sequence of first-year core courses spanning microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. Students are required to meet qualifying criteria in each of these core sequences either by achieving sufficiently high marks, or by achieving a passing grade on the corresponding core subject qualifying exam administered in the summer. During the second and third years, students complete courses in major- and minor-area fields, leading to successful completion of a field paper, field exam, and, by the end of the third year, the preliminary exam. Following successful completion of the preliminary exam, students continue their research and coursework to prepare for their dissertation defense, typically conducted during the 5th or 6th year.
For more information about program requirements and fields of study, please see the Economics PhD Program Requirements page.