Economics PhD Introduction

The Virginia Tech Economics program was established on September 1, 1961, and since then, it has awarded more than 200 doctoral degrees in economics. From 2000 onwards, the program has taken a new direction - while students still earn a doctorate in Economics, the program is jointly administered by the Department of Economics and the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, giving students access to a variety of courses.

1. Curriculum - The Ph.D. program is designed to be completed in 4-5 years, with the first two years focused on coursework and the remaining years on research and completion of the dissertation. Following a set of compulsory core courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics in the first two years, the students take more advanced and specialized field courses in areas like applied microeconomics (health, labor, and development economics), microeconomic theory, experimental and behavioral economics, econometrics, and macroeconomics. Students must pass a Qualifying Examination at the end of the first year and complete and defend a Third Year Research Paper before the end of their third year. Each student is expected to successfully defend a doctoral dissertation by the end of the fourth or fifth year in the program.

2. Career - The doctoral program in economics prepares students for research and teaching careers and careers in the public and private sectors that require knowledge and understanding of the most advanced economic theory and methods. Our recent graduates are well-placed nationally and internationally in academic institutions, finance and investment industries, and government sectors.

3. Faculty Research - The faculty members conduct research in diverse fields, including i) Microeconomic Theory & Game Theory, ii) Applied Microeconomics (Labor, Development, Industrial Organizations, and History), iii) Experimental & Behavioral Economics, iv) Econometrics, v) Resource & Environmental Economics, and vi) Macroeconomics and Finance.

4. What Sets Us Apart – The doctoral program in Economics is housed in the College of Science, focusing on integrating modern scientific techniques with economic reasoning to prepare students for the modern economy. Besides conducting research in core subject areas, the economics faculty engages in research in the emerging and cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields such as behavioral economics, big-data science, decision theory, and neuroeconomics. Our doctoral students receive personalized attention from the faculties and engage in collaborative research with the faculty members early in their careers. Participation in conferences and department seminars is encouraged. Students also actively participate in subdiscipline-specific research groups.