Economics

The Ph.D. program in economics trains students in theoretical and empirical skills, and exposes them to a broad range of policy issues to prepare them for careers in academia, business or government. The small size of the program, approximately ten new Ph.D. students each year working with twenty one full-time faculty members, promotes close collaboration between faculty and students.

We have a diverse group of faculty and students coming from over twenty countries from around the world. The Department welcomes students from all countries.

Students in the program can draw on faculty expertise from most areas in economics, including: international economics, population economics, labor economics, economics history, health economics, experimental economics, microeconomics, econometrics, macroeconomics, economic development, public economics, and environmental and resource economics.

PhD Program Student Learning Objectives

1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of economic theory and analytical and quantitative tools.
2. Students will demonstrate an ability to understand, integrate, and apply the various tools, concepts and principles of economics and quantitative methods to analyze and to develop solutions to economic problems in a clear and concise written form.
3. Students will demonstrate a “frontier” level competency and familiarity with the literature in the student’s perceived specialty area.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct independent and original research in economics.
5. Students will have the skills necessary to qualify for teaching positions at the university and college levels, and for research positions in the public or private sector.
6. Program graduates will be able to obtain employment that uses the level of expertise obtained in the PhD program.
7. Students will complete these goals according to the timeline described in the graduate program guidelines.

Core Courses

Ph.D. students must complete seven core courses with a grade of B- or better in each course. Normal progress requires completion of the core courses in the first three semesters of the student's enrollment. Three or four courses per semester constitute a full load for first- and second-year graduate students (two or three courses per semester for graduate assistants). If students have time for non-core courses during their first three semesters of enrollment, they may wish to undertake work in English as a second language; mathematics (e.g., calculus, differential equations, or linear algebra), statistics and probability theory; or graduate courses from other fields. Core courses are offered according to the following schedule.

Econ 606, 607, 627, and 629 are offered only in the fall semester, and Econ 608, 609, and 628 are offered only in the spring semester.

The Ph.D. student core begins in the fall semester, and Ph.D. students should plan on starting their program with the review sessions in Mathematics for Economists given during July/August prior to the beginning of the first year. Students with deficiencies in economics or mathematics should plan to enroll in summer school. Students with an M.A. degree in economics may in some cases be eligible for enrollment during the spring semester and should consult with the Graduate Chair. 

Ph.D. students who enroll with an M.A. degree in economics may be exempted by the Graduate Chair from taking some or all of Econ 606, 607, 608, and 609. However, they will still be required to take and pass the microeconomics and macroeconomics qualifying examinations. Econ 627 and Econ 628 may also be waived by the Graduate Chair if equivalent courses were passed in the student's M.A. program and the M.A. degree is of recent vintage. 
 

Qualifying Examinations in Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory

All Ph.D. students, as well as all M.A. students who would like to apply for admission to the doctoral program, must take qualifying examinations in microeconomics and macroeconomics at the end of their first year. Students must complete Econ 606 and 608 with grades of "B-" or better before taking the microeconomics qualifying exam and must complete Econ 607 and 609 with a grade of "B-" or better before taking the macroeconomics qualifying exam. Students receiving a grade lower than a "B-" in any of the microeconomics or macroeconomics core courses must retake and pass the course with a grade of "B-" or better before they are eligible to take the qualifying exam in that field. The deferred examination must be taken at the next scheduled examination date. An eligible student who does not sit for a qualifying exam at the end of the first year must take and pass the exam in August of the same year or the student will not be allowed to proceed in or be admitted to the doctoral program.

The two qualifying examinations will usually be scheduled during the second week following the final exam week of the spring semester. Those who receive passing grades on the two theory qualifying examinations will be admitted into or allowed to proceed in the doctoral program. A student who fails a theory qualifying examination must retake it in August of the same year. A student who fails a qualifying examination for the second time will not be admitted to or allowed to proceed in the doctoral program. The possible grades for these examinations are: High Pass, Pass and Fail. At their discretion, examining faculty members may append a plus (+) or a minus (-) to grades of High Pass and Pass. 

Courses Beyond the Core

Doctoral students are required to complete seven 600-level and 700-level courses in economics (including Econ 730) beyond the seven-course core. Students can petition the Graduate Chair to count up to two 600-level and 700-level courses at the doctoral level in other departments toward this requirement. 

Fields

Doctoral students are required to complete two fields, each consisting of two courses, from our five fields of specialization: Human Resources, Development Economics, Public Economics, International Economics, and Environmental and Resource Economics. The courses are as follows:

Students may petition in advance to substitute a field in another discipline or another field in economics for the five fields listed above.

Some field courses are offered more frequently than others. As early as practicable, students should decide on the field sequences they intend to take and determine the semesters in which they are offered. 
 

Third-Year Research Paper (Click here to download the form and instruction)

The third-year research paper is a transition experience between Ph.D. coursework and independent dissertation research. A successful paper will meet two criteria: (1) it will demonstrate a depth of knowledge within an area of specialization, and (2) it will demonstrate the ability to implement the research methods needed for dissertation-level research.

Before the end of the fourth semester in the program, students should reach an agreement with a UHM Economics faculty member to serve as their academic advisor and research paper advisor. Any member of the economics graduate faculty may serve as a paper advisor, and the arrangement is by mutual agreement. Students then invite two other faculty members to serve as readers of the paper. Students should have their paper advisor and readers indicate their willingness to serve by having them sign the research paper form, which can be obtained from the staff in the Economics Department office. Submit the form to the Graduate Chair for approval before or during the fall semester of your third year of graduate study. During that semester, students are required to register for Econ 730, Research Seminar, and make substantial progress on their research paper.

The research paper topic should fall within a subject area for which students have taken field courses or other advanced coursework. Often, the third-year research paper will serve as preliminary research for the dissertation, although students are not committing to a dissertation topic or advisor at this stage.

Students are encouraged to consult with their paper advisor periodically as they work on their research paper. Students may also consult with their second and third readers. Completed papers are to be submitted to the advisor and readers, who will evaluate the paper against the two criteria identified above. They will assign a grade of "pass," "high pass," or "fail." They will report the result on the field paper form. If revisions are needed, they will let their students know, and students will have one additional opportunity to submit a revised paper to satisfy the requirements. The deadline for submitting the paper is May 1 of the third year of graduate studies, and the deadline for resubmission is August 1. Students who do not meet these deadlines will be placed on academic probation in the fall semester of their fourth year of studies.

The research paper must represent original research output, and for this reason co-authored papers will not be accepted. The Seiji Naya Outstanding Third-Year Research Paper award is made each year to encourage early efforts at completing publishable research. The primary selection criteria is the quality of the paper and the importance of the research topic. In addition, the selection committee may also consider whether the paper has been submitted for publication, any journal reviews of the paper, and whether the paper has been published or accepted for publication. 

Oral Comprehensive Examination ("Proposal Defense")

Following successful completion of the core courses, six field courses, the two qualifying exams, the third-year research paper, and the dissertation proposal, an oral examination will be administered jointly with the defense of the dissertation proposal. In consultation with the graduate chair, the student selects a chair and dissertation committee members, to whom the proposal draft is circulated. The oral examination can include a broad probing of the student's general economic knowledge. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may repeat it once. A student who fails the second time is dismissed from the program. Students who pass the oral exam are advanced to the candidacy for the Ph.D. See the Milestones and Rules section below for more information regarding the timing of proposal defense. 

Final Oral Examination

An oral exam covers the candidate's defense of the final dissertation and related subjects. The exam must be announced on theNews@UH website and is open to the public. It is the candidate's responsibility to contact the Graduate Division to obtain and submit the necessary forms for the News@UH website. Candidates failing the final examination may repeat it once upon petition approved by the graduate faculty concerned and the dean of the Graduate Division. Those failing it twice are dismissed from the program. 

Dissertation

A dissertation acceptable to the dissertation committee must be submitted to the Graduate Division. UH regulations require that the dissertation be a scholarly presentation of an original contribution to knowledge resulting from independent research. The student must also comply with all university-wide criteria regarding the format and content of the dissertation. See the Milestones and Rules section (below on this page) for more information regarding the timing of dissertation completion. Normal progress for a student starting the economics graduate program as a Ph.D. program is as follows:

• 2 semesters into Ph.D. program

Pass Econ 606, 607, 608, 609, 627, 628 with grade of "B-" or better. Pass macroeconomics and microeconomics qualifying exams.

• 4 semesters into Ph.D. program

Pass 5 of the 7 courses required beyond the core. Pass Econ 629 with grade of "B-" or better.

• 5 semesters into Ph.D. program
• Enroll in Econ 730.
• 6 semesters into Ph.D. program

Pass all 7 courses (including Econ 730) required beyond the core. Complete research paper.

• 7-8 semesters into Ph.D. program

Pass proposal defense.

• 10 semesters into Ph.D. program

Dissertation completed. Graduation!

Some students transfer from the M.A. program to the Ph.D. program after completion of the M.A. program at the end of their 4th semester. Normal progress for these students is as follows:

• 2 semesters into Ph.D. program (6 total)

Pass all remaining core courses with grade of "B-" or better. Pass 5 of the 7 courses required beyond the core.

• 3 semesters into Ph.D. program (7 total)

Pass all 7 courses (including Econ 730) required beyond the core. Complete research paper.

• 4 semesters into Ph.D. program (8 total)
• Pass proposal defense.
• 6 semesters into Ph.D. program (10 total)

Dissertation completed. Graduation!

Requirements

1. Completed Online Application.
2. Application fee. The application fee cannot be waived.
3. Official copies of transcripts directly from the registrar of each post-secondary institution attended. Transcripts in a language other than English must be accompanied by certified English translations.
4. Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. GRE scores are required by the Economics Department for all applicants. Applicants should take the general test. The subject test is optional. Information may be obatined directly from the Educational Testing Service at http://www.ets.org/gre
5. Official transcripts of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)The minimum scores are 500 (PBT) and 61 (iBT)
6. The GRE should be taken early so that score transcripts can be submitted directly to the University of Hawai'i by the relevant application deadline. The GRE institution code is R4867, and the department code is 1801. The GMAT is not substitutable for the GRE. Experience has shown that the expense, timing, and logistical details of taking the GRE can be a hardship for students in certain countries. It is vital that planning for this element of the application dossier be carried out well in advance of all deadlines. Any difficulties that may prevent timely submission of GRE scores should be communicated to the Graduate Chair as early as practicable.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

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Scholarships

• Achievement Scholarships
• American Association of University Women (AAUW)