Northern Illinois University
Department of Economics
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Students in the Ph.D. program are required to complete two fields consisting of two 700-level courses in one of the four fields we specialize in (Labor, Public, Financial, or Econometrics) and may take up to nine credit hours from outside the department subject to approval by the director of Graduate Studies unless that (students working toward their M.S. in Statistics and Probability are allowed more than nine credits and will take some statistics sources in place of economic electives). Any economies course numbered 500 or higher can qualify as an elective, however, no more than half of the student’s credit hours may be from 500-level coursework.

 Year One | Fall Semester

• Economics 590: Economics Statistics and Econometrics (3)
• Economics 591: Mathematical Methods for Economists (3) 
• Economics 691: Computational Methods for Economists (3)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

 Year One | Spring Semester

• Economics 660: Microeconomic Theory I (3)
• Economics 661: Macroeconomic Theory I (3)
• Economics 690: Econometrics I (3)
• Economics 692: Methods in Economics (1)

Year Two | Fall Semester 

• Economics 760: Microeconomic Theory II (3)
• Economics 761: Macroeconomic Theory II (3)
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

First attempts of theory exams are held the first full week of January.

Year Two | Spring Semester

• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3) or Economics 648: Introduction to Game Theory (3) {offered alternating years}
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

Year Three | Fall Semester

• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

Year Three | Spring Semester

• Economics 796: Research Seminar in Economics (3) 
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3) or Economics 648: Introduction to Game
• Economics Graduate Field Course or Elective (3)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

Year Four | Fall Semester

• Oral Presentation of Ph.D. Research Paper
• Economics 799: Doctorial Research and Dissertations (8)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

Year Four | Spring Semester

• Economics 799: Doctorial Research and Dissertations (8)
• Economics 798: Current Research Colloquium (1)

Year Five+ | Fall and Spring Semester (as needed)

• Economics 799: Doctorial Research and Dissertations (3-9)

While the degree may be earned in a little as four years, students receiving funding and in good standing will be funded for five years. Students have ten years to complete the degree according to the Limitations of Time requirements set by the Graduate School. Before registering for ECON 799 students must complete a Ph.D. research paper and have it successfully evaluated by three members of the graduate faculty.

The paper will also be presented as part of the ECON 798 Current Research Colloquium series. Students that do not pass the comprehensive exams a second time will be allowed to complete the fall semester of their third year and earn their terminal M.A. degree. Students seeking employment generally begin the job market process in the fall semester of their fourth or fifth year.