UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS
Academic Program Approval
This form is a routing document for the approval of new
and revised academic programs. Proposing department should
complete this form. For more
information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.
Submitted by: _____Saul Hoffman_______phone
number x1907________________
Department: _Economics_________email
address hoffmans@lerner.udel.edu
Date: ________Dec. 1, 2009____________________________________
Action: _____ Revision of Graduate Program Requirements and Policy Statement______
(Example: add major/minor/concentration, delete
major/minor/concentration,
revise major/minor/concentration,
academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change,
etc.)
Effective term_________10f______________________________________________________________________________
(use format 04F, 05W)
Current degree______PhD
__________________________________________________________
(Example: BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA,
Proposed change leads to the
degree of: ____PhD_______________________________________
(Example: BA,
BACH,
Proposed name:_____NA________________________________________________________
Proposed new name for revised
or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit
(if applicable)
Revising:
Undergraduate major / Concentration:______________________________________
(Example: Applied Music – Instrumental degree BMAS)
Undergraduate minor:____________________________________________________
(Example: African
Studies, Business
Administration, English, Leadership, etc.)
Graduate Program Policy statement change:_________________________________
(Must attach your
Graduate Program Policy Statement)
Graduate Program of Study:______PhD Economics___________________________
(Example: Animal Science: MS Animal Science: PHD
Economics: MA Economics: PHD)
Graduate minor / concentration:___________________________________________
Note: all graduate studies
proposals must include an electronic copy of the Graduate Program Policy
Document, highlighting the changes made to the original policy document.
Please
see Appendix II.
List new courses required for
the new or revised curriculum. How do they support the overall program
objectives of the major/minor/concentrations)?
(Be aware that approval
of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through
the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)
New Courses (all submitted for approval):
ECON804
Applied Econometrics II (new course number only)
ECON813 Microeconomic Theory II
ECON814 Macroeconomic Theory II
ECON845
Development Economics
ECON850
Dissertation Workshop
ECON853
Topics in International Macroeconomics
ECON862
Topics in Industrial Organization and Regulation (new name and content)
ECON813,
814, and 850 are required courses in the revised curriculum. Econ804, 845, 853, and 862 are electives. These courses will enable us to offer enhanced
content in economic theory and in applied economics.
Explain, when appropriate,
how this new/revised curriculum supports the 10 goals of undergraduate
education: http://www.ugs.udel.edu/gened/
NA
Identify other units affected
by the proposed changes:
(Attach permission from the affected units. If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)
None of the proposed changes for the PhD program affect any
other units.
Describe the rationale for
the proposed program change(s):
(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the
curriculum or program.)
Our PhD program curriculum has not been revised since its
inception in 1995. In light of broader
changes in the economics field and the UD Path to Prominence initiative, we are
revising our program to strengthen coursework in economic theory, econometrics and
applied courses, as well as adding a dissertation workshop. This will be
accomplished by the addition of two new theory courses, a new econometrics
sequence, and advanced field courses. All
core PhD courses will now be separated from parallel courses for our MA
students and for students in other programs.
The curriculum changes that we propose will not only strengthen the PhD
program, but allow us to serve these other programs and constituencies
better.
Program Requirements:
(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the
Course Catalog. If this is a revision,
be sure to indicate the changes being made to the current curriculum and include a side-by-side comparison of
the credit distribution before and after the proposed change.)
Overview: We are
creating greater course separation among our graduate programs. The net impact of the changes is to
substitute two more advanced theory courses, more advanced econometrics
courses, and two more advanced applied field courses for the courses currently
required. See the side-by-side
comparison below. Please also see
Appendix 1 for additional information.
|
Current |
Proposed |
|
MA in Economics or equivalent. Required courses for MA: ECON801, ECON802, ECON810, ECON822,
and ECON868; additional coursework
totaling 30 credits |
MS in Economics and Applied Econometrics or equivalent.
Required courses for MS: ECON810, ECON811, ECON812, ECON822,
and ECON823; one of ECON804, ECON824 or
ECON825; additional coursework totaling 30
credits. |
|
ECON811 - Advanced
Microeconomic Theory (3) ECON812 - Advanced
Macroeconomic Analysis (3) ECON824 - Topics in Advanced
Econometrics (3) ECON825 - Time-Series
Econometrics (3) 3 field courses (9) Dissertation (9) |
ECON813 - Microeconomic
Theory II (3) ECON814 - Macroeconomic
Theory II (3) ECON824 - Econometrics
of Cross-Section and Panel Data and/or ECON825 - Time-Series
Econometrics (3-6)* ECON850
– Dissertation Workshop (2) Advanced Topics Field Courses (at least 6) Approved Elective (0-3) Dissertation (9) * ECON824 or 825 may have
been taken as part of MS degree |
Credits shown in parentheses
Appendix 1. Detailed Description of the Proposed Changes
to the PhD in Economics
1.
Economic Theory: Create
separate MA and PhD tracks in Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Theory. The current ECON801 (Microeconomics) and 802 (Macroeconomics)
will be required for MA students in Economics and available to students in
other units (FINC, FREC, etc). PhD students will take four theory classes,
beginning with the current ECON811 (Microeconomic Theory I) and a revised
ECON812 (Macroeconomic Theory I). They would be followed by new courses,
ECON813 (Microeconomic Theory II) and ECON814 (Macroeconomic Theory II). The content of ECON811 and ECON813 would
largely come from the current ECON811 and ECON819. ECON814 would have most of the content of our
current ECON812.
2.
Econometrics: Create
separate MA and PhD tracks. The current ECON822 (Econometrics) will be
renumbered as ECON803. It will be
offered to MA students in Economics and MS students in Finance as a more
applied alternative to ECON822. ECON828
will be renumbered as ECON804 and be available as an elective to graduate
students in Economics and Finance. We will include more statistical theory and
hypothesis testing in ECON822 and make ECON823 (Econometric Theory II) a
required econometric theory course for PhD and MS students. The current
PhD-level econometrics courses (ECON824 and ECON825) will be adjusted,
commensurate with the changes in the pre-requisite courses.
3.
Field/Elective Courses: Students will be required to have at least
two fields consisting of at least two required courses. In addition, we will
create selected advanced field courses called Topics courses that require
ECON823 and either ECON811 or ECON812. Some Topics courses may also have
additional prerequisites or co-requisites, such as ECON813 or ECON814 and/or
either ECON824 or ECON825. All PhD students would be required to take a minimum
of two such courses and pass a field exam in one field offering a Topics
course. The department will initially offer the following Topics courses:
Industrial Organization and Regulation, Development Economics, and
International Macroeconomics on a rotating basis. Additional Topics courses may
be offered on a rotating basis depending on faculty and student interest.
Examples of possible Topics courses are the following: Environmental Economics, Labor Economics, Health
Economics, Economic History, Macroeconomic Theory, and Public Finance.
The remaining courses may come from graduate field courses
in Economics or electives in other departments.
Students are normally limited to two courses from other departments.
Courses taken outside the Economics Department must have the prior approval of
the Graduate Committee. Note: There is no change in the additional requirements
for the Concentrations in Finance and Agricultural Economics. Students
interested in the Concentration in Finance take the following three courses as
a part of their PhD program: FINC870, FINC871, and FINC872. Students interested
in the Concentration in Agricultural Economics must take two of the following
three courses: FREC801, FRECH827, and FRECH834. Students must also pass a comprehensive
examination and complete a dissertation in the area of the concentration.
4. PhD
Proposal Development: Create a
year-long two-credit Thesis Workshop course for third-year PhD students
(ECON850). During this course students will explore research ideas with the
goal of producing a dissertation proposal.
5. Summary of the changes to
the PhD program
|
Courses |
Current PhD Program (Including
coursework for required MA) |
Proposed PhD Program (Including coursework
for required MS) |
Nature of Change |
|
Mathematics |
ECON810 |
ECON810 |
No change |
|
Microeconomic Theory |
ECON 801/811 |
ECON811/813 |
Change of Content |
|
Macroeconomic Theory |
ECON802/812 |
ECON812/814 |
Change of content |
|
Econometrics |
ECON822/ECON823*/ ECON824/ECON825 *not required but taken by all past PhDs |
ECON822/ECON823/ ECON824/ECON825 |
ECON823 changed from optional to required |
|
Field/Elective Courses |
3-Course field with additional work for
PhDs 5 elective/field courses |
2 Topics courses (advanced) Thesis Workshop (ECON850) 5 electives |
Addition of two Topics courses and a
workshop for PhD students |
|
Additional Requirements |
One 3-course field and field exam |
Two 2-course fields One of the fields must include a field exam
and a Topics course |
Change in number of fields and addition of
Topics Course requirement |
Appendix II. Program Policy Statement (Revised) - PhD in
Economics
The revised program policy statement incorporates the
proposed curriculum changes. It also
codifies minor procedures that have been adopted since the original program
policy statement. No further changes
have been made. The new program policy
statement follows.
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
GRADUATE PROGRAM POLICY STATEMENT - PH.D DEGREE IN ECONOMICS
Degree
Requirements:
Students in the PhD program in Economics complete
coursework in Economics as outlined below. In addition, all students must
complete either a MS in Economics and Applied Econometrics at the
The following is a summary of the course and
credit requirements for the MS in Economics and Applied Econometrics.
Mathematics:
ECON810 3
Economic Theory: ECON811
and ECON812
6
Econometrics: ECON822, ECON823, and at least one of the
following:
ECON804, ECON824 or ECON825 9
Electives: Graduate-level
courses approved by the Graduate Committee 12
TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS 30
Required courses in the PhD program (in addition
to those listed above for the MS degree) are:
Economic Theory: ECON813
and ECON814
6
Econometrics: ECON824 and
ECON825 (if not taken as part of MS degree)
3-6
Dissertation Workshop:
ECON850 (two consecutive semesters of 1 credit) 2
Topics Field Courses (at
least two) 6
Elective: To be chosen from graduate-level courses
with approval of the
Graduate Committee 0-3
Dissertation (ECON969) 9
TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS
(in addition to MS or MS equivalence) 29
Students must pass preliminary examinations in both Microeconomic and
Macroeconomic theory. Students are required to take these exams when first
offered after completion of ECON813 (Microeconomics) and ECON814
(Macroeconomics). The Microeconomics exam is generally offered at the end of
June, while the Macroeconomics exam is generally offered at the beginning of
February of each year. Students who do not pass
an examination on the first attempt may retake it one additional time. Continuation in the program is contingent on
passing these examinations.
Students must also pass a comprehensive field exam in a two-course
field that includes a Topics course.
Field examinations are offered in July and in February. Students must
notify the Graduate Programs Coordinator at least one month in advance of an
exam of their intent to take the exam.
The number of fields and Topics courses available depends on staffing
considerations. Students must take at least two courses in the field prior to
taking the examination. The Department maintains
a current list of fields, Topics courses, and courses that satisfy the field
requirements. A faculty committee consisting of at
least two members will be responsible for the writing and grading of the
examinations. Each examination is graded as Pass or Fail. Students must receive
a grade of Pass. All students must also complete at least one additional
two-course field selected from the full list of fields and concentrations.
There is no field exam requirement for these additional fields.
All students must register for and attend ECON890 (weekly department
seminar) and meet established participation requirements.
Additional
Requirements for Concentrations in the Allied Fields of Agricultural Economics
and Financial Economics:
While earning a Ph.D. in Economics, students may
choose to complete concentrations in either Financial Economics or Agricultural
Economics. The transcript and diploma of each student completing one of these
concentrations will note the concentration by name. The additional requirements
for the concentrations are described further below.
The Concentration in Agricultural Economics:
The student must take at least two approved
Agricultural Economics courses (two of the following: FREC801, FRECH827, and
FRECH834) and must pass an examination in Agricultural Economics. In addition,
students must write a dissertation in Agricultural Economics under the joint
supervision of one member of the faculty whose primary appointment is in the
Department of Food and Resource Economics and one whose primary appointment is
in the Department of Economics. The dissertation committee may have additional
members whose primary appointment is in the Department of Food and Resource
Economics but must have one additional member whose primary appointment is in
the Department of Economics. The total number of committee members must be at
least four but no more than six.
The Concentration in Financial Economics:
The student must take at least two approved
courses in Financial Economics (FINC871 and FINC872) and must pass an
examination in Financial Economics. In addition, students concentrating in
Financial Economics must write a dissertation in financial economics under the
joint supervision of one member of the faculty whose primary appointment is in
the Department of Economics and one member whose primary appointment is in the
Department of Finance. The dissertation
committee may have additional members whose primary appointment is in the
Department of Finance but must have one additional member whose primary
appointment is in the Department of Economics. The total number of committee
members must be at least four but no more than six.
M.S.
Equivalency: Students who receive a Master’s degree in Economics elsewhere do
not generally need to complete the full 59 credits for the PhD in Economics at
UD. While graduate credit used to earn a degree cannot be used to earn another
degree, students my receive equivalency credit that reduces the total number of
additional credits needed for the PhD degree. Courses granted equivalency substitute for
required course credits for our MS in Economics and Applied Econometrics.
The Graduate Committee determines equivalency on
an individual basis. Equivalency is granted only when a student provides
evidence that a course is fully equivalent to one required for the MS in
Economics and Applied Econometrics and that mastery of the material has been achieved. The Graduate Committee has sole authority
to award equivalency.
Admissions
Policies: Applicants will be admitted to the program based
upon enrollment availability and their abilities relative to other
candidates. The following are the
minimum requirements.
Admission to the graduate program is competitive.
Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission. Admission
decisions are made by the Department of Economics Graduate Committee and
are based upon a number of factors, including the applicant’s GRE scores,
college transcripts, application essays and letters of recommendation.
Program
Administration: The PhD program is
administered by the department’s Graduate Committee under the direction of the Director
of Graduate Programs. The committee
consists of members of the departmental faculty appointed for one-year,
renewable terms by the departmental Chairperson. This committee is charged with recruiting
students to the program, making admissions and funding decisions, and assuring
that the program is administered in accordance with this policy document.
Graduate
Program Faculty: The graduate program
faculty includes all full-time, Department of Economics faculty of the rank of
assistant professor or above. Part-time faculty and faculty with joint
appointments may be included at the discretion of the Chairperson, Department
of Economics.
Requirements
for Graduation: Students must meet the University’s full-time residency
requirement of at least one continuous academic year consisting of at least
nine credits per semester and must complete their degree within the time limit
established by the University. The
Degree
Completion:
Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy:
Procedures for admission to Ph.D. candidacy are
as specified by the Office of Graduate Studies in the graduate catalog.
Admission to candidacy must be obtained before the deadlines specified in the
graduate catalog calendar. Responsibility for seeing that admission is secured
at the proper time rests with the student, but must include the recommendation
of the student’s dissertation committee and the chairperson of the department.
Doctoral
Dissertation:
A.
Dissertation Proposal
1.
It is the responsibility of the student to form a Ph.D.
dissertation committee. The composition of the dissertation committee must be
approved by the Graduate Committee and be in accordance with the provisions listed in the
2.
Faculty with joint appointments in the Department of Economics can
serve as outside members of dissertation committees.
3.
Upon obtaining the written consent of the Department Chairperson,
the student must notify the University Administrator of Graduate Student
Academic Affairs in writing of the composition of the committee.
4.
Overlap in membership between the Department’s Graduate Committee
and the dissertation committee does not require those involved to disqualify
themselves for respective action.
5.
Students who have completed all required course work but who have
not been admitted to candidacy can register for Research (ECON 868). However,
no more than three credits of Research accomplished prior to admission to
candidacy can be applied toward the dissertation.
6.
The student must make an oral defense of approximately one hour of
a written dissertation proposal before the student’s dissertation committee.
The length and content of the written proposal is determined by the Chairperson
of the dissertation committee. To be approved, the proposal must receive the
unanimous support of the committee members. The Graduate Committee reviews all cases of
students who do not pass the oral defense to determine whether or not the
student is making sufficient progress to justify continuation in the doctoral
program.
7.
Upon approval of the dissertation proposal by the committee, the
student shall provide one copy of the proposal for his or her file in the
department office. The proposal is to be signed by all members of the
committee. The chairperson of the dissertation committee will also notify the
University Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs, who admits the
student to formal candidacy. (Consult graduate catalog for specific time
schedule for admission to formal candidacy).
B.
The Dissertation
1.
Changes in the membership of the dissertation committee require
the approval of the Graduate Committee.
2.
The bibliographic form and style of the dissertation must conform
to expectations of the Office of Graduate Studies.
3.
Copies of the Dissertation:
a.
one for the departmental archives;
b.
others as required by the Office of Graduate Studies;
students should consult with the Office of Graduate Studies regarding
dissertation guidelines.
C.
Oral Defense of Dissertation
1.
All other requirements for the degree must be completed before the
oral defense of dissertation is scheduled.
2.
The chairperson of the dissertation committee shall be responsible
for scheduling the defense and for notifying the faculty and the University
Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs three (3) weeks prior to the
defense.
3.
The dissertation defense is administered by the dissertation
committee.
4.
The oral defense is open to the public, but the right to vote is
reserved to the dissertation committee.
5.
Grading is on a pass or fail basis. A majority vote is required
for any action. The Graduate Committee reviews all cases of students who do not pass the oral
defense to determine whether or not the student is making sufficient progress
to justify continuation in the doctoral program.
6.
It is the responsibility of the chairperson of the dissertation
committee to notify the Director of Graduate Studies and the University
Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs of the decision of the
dissertation committee.
Graduate
Student Funding and Time Limits: Graduate student financial support comes from
both University and non-university sources. Faculty graduate advisors are not
obliged to provide financial support to students, nor does the Department of
Economics guarantee financial support for the duration of a student’s program.
Financial aid is awarded on the basis of merit
within the defined programs of study by the Department Chairperson. Graduate
students under contract are reviewed each semester for academic standing and
progress toward the degree. Subject to limits imposed by available funds, the Department
attempts to continue to support those PhD students progressing satisfactorily
through completion of the normal degree period of three semesters for the
Master of Science in Economics and Applied Econometrics degree and two and a
half additional years for completion of the PhD degree. Except for valid
extenuating circumstances, financial support will not continue beyond this
period.
Dismissal
Policy: The Department of Economics adheres to the
University policy for termination of doctoral students with the following
specific exceptions. Students must terminate their studies for the doctorate if
they are unable to pass either of the preliminary examinations (Microeconomics
and Macroeconomics) or the field exam after two attempts or if they fail to make
sufficient progress as determined on an individual basis by the Graduate Committee. If in the opinion of the Graduate Committee
the student is not making satisfactory progress, the student and the student’s
advisor will be notified. The student will have the opportunity to meet with
the Director of Graduate Programs to discuss to Committee’s actions. Possible
outcomes of this action include reassignment of the student to another faculty
advisor or termination of the student from the graduate program.
Waiver
Policy: Students who seek a waiver of any of the
above-mentioned policies must do so in writing to the Graduate Committee.
ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION: (Please do not remove supporting
documentation.)
Department Chairperson Date
Dean of College Date
Chairperson, College Curriculum
Committee___________________________________Date_____________________
Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR
Studies Date
Chairperson,
Senate Coordinating Com. Date
Secretary, Faculty Senate Date
Date of Senate Resolution Date
to be Effective
Registrar Program
Code Date
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
& International Programs Date
Provost Date
Board of Trustee Notification Date
Revised