Ph.D. Program

From January – May 2012, contact Prof Ana Herrera

Phone (313) 577-3343 E-Mail amherrera@wayne.edu

 
For information, please contact:

Allen C. Goodman, Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Economics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

Phone: (313) 577-3235; FAX: (313) 577-0149
Email: allen.goodman@wayne.edu

Delores Tennille, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (313) 577-6113
Email: dtennil@wayne.edu

Our current Tuition and Fees Schedule.

A summary of our required courses is located at this tab.  Summary.

To see the departmental entry in the Wayne State Graduate Bulletin, click http://www.bulletins.wayne.edu/gbk-output/index.html.  To look at Ph.D. Policies and Procedures (including sample schedules) click policies.

 (updated December 5, 2011)


To apply for our program:

We encourage students to apply ON-LINE.   Applications submitted electronically receive the same consideration as applications submitted on paper.  For special Economics Department materials, click here.

Students who wish to use paper forms, as well as international students, note the following instructions:

1. For paper Graduate School applications, click here.  

2. For special Economics Department materials, click here.

3. International students must submit additional forms, which can be obtained here. 

General Procedures

·        Applications must include verbal, quantitative and analytical Graduate Record Examination scores and 3 letters of recommendation from officials or teaching staff of the institution(s) most recently attended on University letterhead (no specific form required).  Applicants from other countries must demonstrate English proficiency by obtaining a score of 550 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

·        Please package all applications materials together for submission.

·        Applicants may initially submit unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores to facilitate the admission process.  Applicants must submit the official documents as soon as possible.

·        Fees! PLEASE note that current application fees are $50 for all students.  Failure to include the proper application fee can delay consideration of your application.

Preparation

Applications are welcomed from students who have majored in disciplines other than economics. Economics issues address a wide range of social behaviors, so the Ph.D. student will find it an advantage in a career as an economist to have a broad intellectual background. However, we expect students beginning the program to arrive with the following preparation:

·        two courses in mathematical calculus.  Additional courses in calculus (including multivariate calculus and integration), as well as linear algebra, are most desirable for Ph.D. work.

·        a course in intermediate microeconomics,

·        a course in intermediate macroeconomics,

·        one or more courses in statistics.

International students please note!  We urge international students to submit their applications for Fall 2012 as soon as possible, and to follow all procedures regarding registration fees and transcripts.   International students are also urged to provide e-mail addresses, so that they can be easily contacted.  Processing international applications, including translation and verification of transcripts and recommendations, may take two or more months.  Moreover, once accepted, international students may require several months to make appropriate financial and travel plans.  Thus we urge interested international students to contact us early, and to apply as early as possible. 


 

For information on Ph.D. Policies and Procedures Click Here

For information on Ph.D. Candidacy Click Here

 


General Information

The Ph.D. degree offered by the Economics Department is a scholarly degree. It indicates not only a superior knowledge of economics, but also intellectual initiative and an ability to design and to carry out independent research. Our Ph.D. curriculum is solidly grounded in techniques of economic analysis, with important applications in a wide variety of applied fields.  

 

Admission to the Ph.D. program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School. The program usually involves two to three years of course work, followed by two to three more years of effort on doctoral research. Because the program is rigorous and adheres to strict timetables, it is unusual to combine doctoral study with full-time employment.

Teaching and research assistantships providing tuition, stipends, and health insurance are available each year to highly qualified graduate students. Fellowships and tuition scholarships are also available.

Career Opportunities

Ph.D. graduates are in demand at universities, corporations, financial institutions, and government agencies. 

Joshua Hendrickson (Ph.D. 2010) is an Assistant Professor of Economics at The University of Mississippi.

Christopher Brunt (Ph.D. 2009) is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Lake Superior State University.

Jennifer Kibicho (Ph.D. 2008) is an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, looking at economic aspects of HIV/AIDS

Xiao Xu (Ph.D. 2004) is an Assistant Professor at Yale University. Her research interests include quality of health care, managed care, and aging.

Noelle-Angelique Molinari (Ph.D. 2001) is a economist/statistician at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta GA.

Scott Humphreys (Ph.D. 1999) is a bank vice-president in Columbus, Ohio. 

Markus Krieger (Ph.D. 1997) is deputy chief investment officer of Amundi London.

Natalie Reaves (Ph.D. 1995) studies the market for "orphan drugs," is a professor in the Department of Economics at Rowan University (New Jersey).

John Tilford (Ph.D. 1993) is Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (School of Public Health).

Publications

Our Ph.D. graduates since 1993 have written close to 300 articles and reports.  Here is a partial list!