phd economics washington dc

Offered by the Department of Economics   , College of Arts and Sciences   .

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must earn a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general tests (verbal, math, analytical). Admission is based on academic record, test scores, and at least two letters of recommendation. Applicants who are not native speakers of English must submit the results of TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). In general, a B+ average for previous undergraduate work or a B+/A- average for previous graduate work, whichever is more recent, is the minimum required. (Most students admitted have higher grade averages.) As a rule, students are admitted for the fall semester only; application must be made by the previous February 1 in order to be considered for financial support.

Degree Requirements

• 18 credit hours of core courses, normally taken during the first year of study
• With the permission of the program director and in accordance with university academic regulations, transfer credits may be applied to the PhD program. Customarily the number of total credits transferred to the program would be no greater than 6 credit hours
• Preliminary theory comprehensive examination based on ECON-802 Macroeconomic Analysis I (3)    and  ECON-803 Microeconomic Analysis I (3)    which must be completed after taking those courses, normally at the end of the first year. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may apply to the program director for one additional attempt
• Advanced Theory Track: Students must complete one of the following two-course sequences, normally in the second year: microeconomics, macroeconomics, or heterodox economics
• Rotations: Students must take one economics history course and four additional applied courses in preparation for their dissertation. The selection of courses in the rotation must be justified in the program of study and should reflect a student’s interest in a particular field of study
• Research Seminars: Students must complete one empirical research seminar ( ECON-882 Seminar in Empirical Macroeconomics (3)    or ECON-883 Seminar in Empirical Microeconomics (3)   ), normally in the fall semester of the third year. Students must complete at least three credit hours of ECON-897 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar (3)   , normally in the fall and spring of the third year. If approved by the program director, a field research seminar can be used as a substitute for ECON-897    
• Research Paper: Students must submit a substantial and original research paper prior to defending the dissertation proposal. The paper is due on the last day of the academic year in which course requirements are completed. The paper serves as a comprehensive examination. The paper must be graded on a pass/fail basis by a faculty member of the department. A student who does not submit a passing paper by the due date may apply to the program director to submit a revised paper. Resubmission is due on the first day of the following fall semester and is graded by at least two faculty members
• Committee Approval: Subject to applicable university academic regulations, students must identify an eligible faculty member working in their area of interest who is willing to become chair of their dissertation committee as well as at least two additional dissertation committee members. Students must obtain approval for the composition of the committee, normally in the third year
• Proposal Defense: Subject to applicable university academic regulations and departmental requirements, students must submit a written proposal to the dissertation committee prior to the dissertation proposal defense. Students must successfully present and defend a dissertation proposal to an approved dissertation committee, normally at the end of the third year but no later than the end of the fourth year
• Oral Dissertation Defense: When the actual dissertation is nearly finished, an oral defense of the complete draft dissertation is held. The oral defense includes the dissertation committee as well as an outside member that meets the qualifications as stipulated in the applicable university academic regulations. Final approval of the dissertation depends on satisfactory completion of any changes required by the committee members following the oral defense. Dissertations are subject to all applicable university regulations

Course Requirements

Core (18 credit hours).

• ECON-620 Economic Thought (3)
• ECON-705 Mathematical Economic Analysis (3)
• ECON-802 Macroeconomic Analysis I (3)
• ECON-803 Microeconomic Analysis I (3)
• ECON-823 Econometric Methods (3)
• ECON-824 Advanced Econometric Methods (3)

Advanced Theory (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credits hours from the following:

• ECON-810 Micro Political Economy (3)
• ECON-811 Macro Political Economy (3)
• ECON-812 Macroeconomic Analysis II (3)
• ECON-813 Microeconomic Analysis II (3)

Rotations (15 credit hours)

Economic history.

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

• ECON-618 Economic History: Macroeconomic Aspects (3)
• ECON-619 Economic History: Microeconomics Aspects (3)

Complete 12 credit hours from the following if not taken to fulfill Economic History, or other approved courses including theory, economic history, and empirical seminars:

• ECON-547 Economics of Antitrust and Regulation (3)
• ECON-551 Comparative Economic Systems (3)
• ECON-630 Monetary Economics (3)
• ECON-633 Financial Economics (3)
• ECON-642 Public Economics (3)
• ECON-646 Industrial Economics (3)
• ECON-650 Growing Artificial Societies (3)
• ECON-662 Development Microeconomics (3)
• ECON-663 Development Macroeconomics (3)
• ECON-665 Economic Experiments and Impact Evaluation (3)
• ECON-671 International Economics: Trade (3)
• ECON-672 International Economics: Finance (3)
• ECON-673 Labor Economics (3)
• ECON-674 Gender Economics I (3)
• ECON-675 Gender Economics II (3)
• ECON-679 Introduction to Environmental Economics (3)

 / SIS-652 Introduction to Environmental Economics (3)  

Research Seminars (6 credit hours)

• ECON-882 Seminar in Empirical Macroeconomics (3)
• ECON-883 Seminar in Empirical Microeconomics (3)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following, or substitute field seminar approved by program director:

• ECON-897 Doctoral Dissertation Seminar (3)

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Ph.D. Program Description

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The University of Maryland’s STEM-designated doctoral program in Economics is ranked in the top 20 economics programs in the country in the most recent National Academy of Sciences study. The Department has about 38 faculty members. The size and diversity of the faculty permits study in virtually every major theoretical and applied area of economics including advanced macro, advanced micro, behavioral and experimental economics, comparative institutional economics, econometrics, economic development, economic history, environmental and natural resource economics, industrial organization, international trade and finance, labor economics, political economy, and public economics.

Although it is a large department, Maryland emphasizes close student-faculty interaction. Students are encouraged to meet frequently with their advisors to discuss their progress in the program. An active set of workshops provides a supportive environment for students who are working on their dissertations. Graduate faculty members are regularly accessible to students.  

The Department's location near Washington, DC, allows our students to benefit from our faculty’s relationship with executive agencies, congressional policy analysts, and international finance organizations.

Submitting GRE scores is optional for Fall 2024 admission.

Our application deadline for Fall 2025 is December 2, 2024.

All applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate English language proficiency.  Applicants are automatically deemed to have met this requirement if they hold a degree from a university in the United States or in an English-speaking country included on the UMD Graduate School’s list, which can be found at the bottom of this page:   https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/english-language-proficiency-requirements .   Note that such exemptions are based solely on the country in which you were educated, and not on your citizenship.  

All students who do not meet the conditions described above must meet an English language test score threshold to be fully enrolled, and another, more stringent threshold to receive assistantship funding.  The first set of thresholds, for full enrollment, are determined by the Graduate School and not the Department of Economics.  They are described here: https://gradschool.umd.edu/admissions/english-language-proficiency-requirements .  

The second set of thresholds, for assistantship funding, are set and subject to change by the Maryland English Institute and the Graduate School, and are described here:   https://marylandenglishinstitute.com/english-programs/international-teaching-as… .    A score below the threshold on any section precludes a student from receiving a teaching assistantship (TA) position and necessitates taking an English course that would interfere with enrolling in the standard first year course sequence in Economics.  Therefore, we require applicants to meet these more stringent thresholds at the time of application in order to be considered for assistantship funding.  Unfortunately, we are unable to make conditional offers.

Applicants who meet the requirements for full enrollment but not for receiving a TA position and who have secured external funding for their studies may be offered admission, but will not be offered funding by the Department, do not automatically become eligible for TA positions in future years, and are not guaranteed Department funding in subsequent years.    

Contact Information:

Department of Economics University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Phone: 301-405-3544 Email: vfletche [at] umd [dot] edu

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Campus: Washington DC
• Program Duration: Average time to completion 5.5 years; Full-Time

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General Information

Regarding the PhD program should be directed to  [email protected]

Become an Expert

Throughout your PhD studies you will gain a comprehensive understanding of qualitative and quantitative analytic skills, international relations, economics, and regional studies. The program is divided into a pre-dissertation, resident stage based in Washington DC, and a non-resident, dissertation stage.  

International Policy

• American Foreign Policy
• Energy, Resources and Environment
• Global Theory and History
• International Development
• International Relations
• International Political Economy
• Strategic Studies

Regions of the World

• African Studies
• Canadian Studies
• China Studies
• European and Eurasian Studies
• Japan Studies
• Korea Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle East Studies
• South Asia Studies
• Southeast Asia Studies

What Your Schedule Will Look Like

The PhD program will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of qualitative and quantitative analytic skills, international relations, economics, and regional studies.

The Pre-dissertation resident stage status lasts up to two years if you have completed the two-year Master of Arts degree at Johns Hopkins SAIS and up to three years without the two-year Masters of Arts degree from the school. You will complete coursework, comprehensive exams, and defend the dissertation prospectus.

During this portion of the PhD program you will be based at the school's main campus in Washington DC and take a full course load or approved independent study. 

Required Courses

In addition to individualized coursework agreed upon by a faculty advisor, all students must complete the following:

• Research Methodology
• International Economics
• Statistics and Econometrics

Research Methodology: all students must successfully pass  Theories and Methods of Qualitative Political Research  and  Research Design and Causal Inference . Prerequisites for  Research Design and Causal Inference  include fulfilling  Statistical Methods for Business   and   Economics  and  Econometrics .

Within six months of passing the third comprehensive exam, you must prepare a written prospectus of the dissertation and present it in a formal defense that is open to members of the university doctoral community.

During the dissertation non-resident stage, you can explore opportunities to study at SAIS Europe, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, or at other prominent global institutions.

You will advance to the dissertation stage after successfully defending a prospectus. You are not required to be on campus, however you are still considered full-time status. You should defend the dissertation within five years of the prospectus defense.

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Spartan Alert

Phd in economics, on campus and online options, a focus on policy research.

Our innovative Ph.D. program provides you with the advanced theoretical, quantitative, and statistical skills required to perform and interpret economic analyses in a wide range of policy-oriented areas. Graduates of the PhD in Economics program work in a broad range of in-demand fields including economic consulting and research, policy analysis and evaluation, forecasting, data science, risk analysis, and academia.

Our program focuses on producing top-quality policy-oriented researchers through rigorous training in advanced empirical analysis and economic modeling. You will be prepared to perform and interpret cutting-edge economic analyses in a wide range of areas including education, environmental policy, health, labor, public economics, macroeconomics and banking, and technology and innovation.

Collaborative research experiences with invested instructors sharing a deep commitment to teaching and scholarship

45-72 Hour Program

Earn a PhD in Economics in as little as three years

Customizable

Select a focus on: Public, labor, health, environmental economics, economics of technology and entrepreneurship, macroeconomics

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program requires the submission of a completed application including Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores and a completed bachelor’s degree with coursework in the following:

• Intermediate microeconomics
• Intermediate macroeconomics
• Regression analysis
• Mathematical economics or equivalent

Students who enter the program with a master’s degree in economics may be eligible to waive up to 15 credit hours, depending on their coursework.

General Program Of Study

An established legacy of excellence since 1935, the Department of Economics has celebrated more than 80 years of service in education and developing researchers.

Full & part-time program options.

We offer full-time and part-time options for completing the PhD in economics program. For those who wish to pursue the program full-time, this program can be completed in as little as three years. For those who would rather pursue the program part-time, we will sit down and work out your plan of study to fit your needs and desires. The time to complete the PhD degree part-time will depend on the specifics of that plan of study, but a common plan results in completion in five or six years.

Check Out Our Program Fact Sheet

Program costs.

Estimated program costs are based on completing 45 credit hours calculated by 2021-2022 rates. Costs exclude textbooks and student health insurance. If you would like to view a complete schedule of tuition, fees, meal plans and financial aid opportunities, visit the Spartan Central website .

The Department typically provides tuition waivers to well-qualified doctoral applicants along with a stipend, fellowship, or scholarship to reimburse student fees and the majority of cost of living expenses. Additionally, information on financial assistance is available through the Spartan Central website .

February 1st – Priority deadline

Complete applications submitted by this date are given first priority for admission and for financial support through fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships.

May 15th – Standard deadline

Complete applications submitted by this date will be considered for admission and for financial support after applications that were submitted by February 15 have been evaluated.

2021 Class Profile

Female Students

International Students

Minority Students

Average Class Size

Mean Undergraduate GPA

The Student Experience

Close collaboration with faculty.

Our PhD students work under the guidance of faculty who conduct nationally and internationally recognized research that promotes economic understanding, policy improvements, and economic development. Whether it is classroom interactions or one-on-one discussions, you’ll find our faculty always have time to support you as you make your way through the PhD program.

Classes at the doctoral level are small, and students benefit from direct and frequent interactions with faculty.  Students begin working in applied research early in their programs and are encouraged to work with faculty to identify policy problems they want to investigate through their dissertations.  They frequently work with faculty on grant-funded research, and co-author papers with faculty for presentation at regional and national professional meetings.

Students Who Work (and Play) Together

Because our PhD program is small, you’ll also find that it’s easy to get to know your fellow students. PhD work can be a daunting process, but it’s made easier and more rewarding when students work together. We strongly encourage our students to work together, to help each other out, and share in their successes.

Whether it is work in the classroom, as a graduate assistant, or on a dissertation, you’ll find our students accessible and willing to pitch in to help. That help sometimes extends beyond the formal boundaries of the program; sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is to help them relax!

Opportunities to Share Your Work

Part of being an economist is sharing one’s work, getting feedback, and, yes, sometimes engaging in discussions over contentious issues. As a result, we strongly encourage our PhD students to share their work at all stages of the research process. This can take place informally through one-on-one conversations with faculty or fellow students, casual group conversations at the end of the day, or even by exchanging written work and asking for feedback. But formal interactions are also an important part of the world of the economists, so the Department also strongly encourages PhD students to participate in our informal Brown Bag Presentations intended for work still in the early stages and in our more formal Seminar Series where more complete, polished work can be shared.

Recent job placements of our graduates

• Lead Economist, The MITRE Corporation Washington, DC Area
• Assistant Professor, University of Maine
• Lead Data Scientist , ADP
• Senior Research Economist , RTI International Durham, NC
• Lecturer (U.K. AP equivalent) , University of Strathclyde Glasgow, Scotland
• Consultant , The Lewin Group Washington, DC Area
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Northeastern University
• Economist, Amazon
• Research Fellow , Ankara University Ankara, Turkey
• Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture Washington, DC Area

Have Questions?

To learn more about the PhD in Economics program please contact Dr. Martijn van Hasselt at [email protected] .

Dr. Martijn van Hasselt

Bryan 446 [email protected]

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PhD Students

• Mohammed Alassaf [email protected]
• Mark Albertson [email protected]
• Talal Mamh Alkhanfar [email protected]
• Mariam Aminashvili [email protected]
• Daeeun Bae [email protected]
• Nathaniel Badalov [email protected]
• Akarshik Banerjee  [email protected]
• Andrew Beach  [email protected]
• Neha Betai  [email protected]
• Kathryn Blanchard [email protected]
• Qi Chen [email protected]
• Wanxin Chen [email protected]
• Anastasia Chondrogianni  [email protected]
• Zheng Dai  [email protected]  
• Eric Dehus  [email protected]   
• Peter Devine  [email protected]  
• Gonzalo Fernandez Dionis [email protected]
• Prerna Dokania [email protected] ( Website )
• Timothy Fenton  [email protected]
• Jennifer Ferris  [email protected]  
• Shatakshi Gupta  [email protected] ( Website )
• Federico Haslop [email protected]
• Jingxuan Hu  [email protected]  
• Maheen Javaid  [email protected]  
• Beixuan Jia  [email protected]  
• Junie Joseph  [email protected]  
• Je-Uei "Jeffrey" Kuo [email protected] ( Website )
• Friederike Karin Langowski [email protected]  
• Sam LaRussa [email protected]
• Ammu Lavanya [email protected]
• Ziwei Li [email protected]
• Qingyu Liu  [email protected]
• Jingchi Liu [email protected]  
• Gregory Lyons  [email protected]  
• Yunsheng Ma [email protected]  
• Fedor Miryugin [email protected]
• Kathryn Nicholson [email protected]
• Vitaliy Novik [email protected] ( Website )
• Borel Peguy NTSAFACK NGUIMFACK  [email protected]  
• Mallory Perillo  [email protected]  
• Rully Prassetya  [email protected]  
• Yueyi Qin [email protected]
• Hasara Rathnasekara  [email protected]  
• Kavya Ravindranath  [email protected]  
• Pedro Esteban Rodriguez Martinez [email protected]
• Michael Rubinovitz  [email protected]
• Francisca Marie Schmidt Liermann  [email protected]  
• Perrihan Sharaf  [email protected]
• Kan Sun  [email protected]
• Geyue Sun  [email protected]  
• Horacio Vera Cossio  [email protected]  
• Yaoli Wang [email protected]
• Xinwei Wang  [email protected]  
• Donghao Wu [email protected]
• Wenxi Wu  [email protected]
• Zhoudan Xie  [email protected]  
• Erdong Xu [email protected]
• Fred Xu [email protected]
• Kunyao (Richard) Xu [email protected] ( Website ) 
• Zhao Xue  [email protected]
• Zheyu Yang  [email protected]  
• Lidong Yang [email protected]
• Xiaoying Yang [email protected]
• Minwoo Yoo [email protected]   
• Anqi Zhang [email protected]
• Naixin Zhang  [email protected] ( Website )
• Yue Zhang [email protected]
• Yun Zhang [email protected]
• RUI Zhong [email protected]
• Shizhe Zhong [email protected]
• Zeju Zhu  [email protected]  

Economics Faculty

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Economics Department Faculty

See below for Emeriti Faculty   |   Scholars in Residence   |   Distinguished Adjunct Faculty

Kara Reynolds Professor and Department Chair, Economics CAS | Economics

Prof. Reynolds joined the department in 2003 after completing her PhD at the University of Virginia. Her research interests include the political economy of trade protection, particularly antidumping …

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  [email protected]

  (202) 885-3768

Program Directors

Undergraduate Programs: Professor Evan Kraft

MA Programs : Professor Ralph Sonenshine

PhD Program :  Professor Nathan Larson

Faculty by area of specialization:

Agent-based Modeling / Computational Economics

• Boris Gershman

Applied Microeconomics

Including Industrial Organization and Public, Labor, Financial, Health, Environmental

• Sung Ah Bahk
• Robert Feinberg
• Ignacio Gonzalez Garcia
• Mary Hansen
• Thomas Husted
• Kelly Jones
• Ralph Sonenshine
• Mahmud Yesuf

Econometrics / Info-Metrics

• Natalia Radchenko
• Xuguang Sheng

Economic Development

• Robert Blecker
• Maria Caballero
• Bernhard Gunter
• Juan Montecino
• Walter Park

Economic History / History of Thought

• Colleen Callahan
• Gabriel Mathy
• John Willoughby
• Maria Floro
• Mieke Meurs

Heterodox Economic Theory

International.

• Kara Reynolds

Macroeconomics

Microeconomics.

• Sunh Ah Bahk
• Nathan Larson

All Faculty

Last name starts with a.

Secil Akin Research Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

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Juan Antonio Montecino Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Montecino’s research focuses on the macroeconomic and development consequences of international financial liberalization, as well as issues related to finance and inequality. He obtained his …

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Last name starts with B

Sung Ah Bahk Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

  [email protected]

Robert Berman Adjunct Instructor CAS - Economics

Adjunct at AU and founding principal of Berman Economics, an economics consulting firm specializing in resource economics and financial, economic and market analyses; developing market-based solutions …

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  (202) 885-3770

Robert A. Blecker Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Blecker’s research interests include international trade, open economy macroeconomics, global trade imbalances, economic integration in North America, the Mexican economy, the limits to expo …

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  (202) 885-3767

Last name starts with C

Maria Esther Caballero Sanchez Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

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Colleen Callahan Associate Professor CAS | Economics

  [email protected]

  (202) 885-3737

Last name starts with D

Jeff Dickinson Adjunct Professorial Lecturer CAS | Economics

Originally from DC (Glover Park), my research focuses on the microeconomics of poverty, and economic development. I received my PhD in development economics from the Graduate Institute of Internationa …

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Last name starts with F

Robert Feinberg Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Feinberg received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and PhD from the University of Virginia. He taught for ten years on the faculty of Pennsylvania State University, has served as …

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  (202) 885-3788

Last name starts with G

Boris Gershman Associate Professor CAS | Economics

Boris Gershman has been on the faculty of American University since 2012. Born and raised in Moscow, he came to the United States in 2007 and earned his PhD degree in Economics from Brown University i …

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  (202) 885-3688

Amos Golan Professor CAS | Economics

Amos Golan directs the Info-Metrics Institute at AU. His main area of research is information, information processing and optimal decision rules bas …

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  (202) 885-3783

Ignacio Gonzalez Garcia Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

Prof. González joined the department in 2017. Before joining AU, he was postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia University. His research focuses on macroeconomics, inequality, and public finance. Co …

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  (202) 885-3725

Bernhard Gunter Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

Dr. Gunter is an international scholar in development economics. His areas of expertise include development macroeconomics, debt sustainability analysis, and the social impact of globalization. He is …

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  (202) 885-6074

Last name starts with H

Winthrop hambley adjunct professorial lecturer cas | economics.

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  (202) 885-3689

Mary Eschelbach Hansen Professor CAS | Economics

Mary Eschelbach Hansen is an expert in U.S. social policy. She is currently working on issues in disability policy. She is widely published in the fields of child policy, bankruptcy, and economic hist …

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  (202) 885-3793

Thomas Husted Professor CAS | Economics

My research examines the political economy of various government expenditure programs, including primary and secondary education, income redistribution, and federal disaster aid.

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  (202) 885-3773

Last name starts with I

John Ifediora Adjunct Professor CAS | Economics

John Ifediora is a tenured Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin system where he taught for over 20 years, and was a visiting Professor at New York University and the University of Mar …

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Alan Isaac Professor CAS | Economics

Alan G. Isaac is working on agent-based models with applications to the intergenerational transmission of wealth and to epidemiology. He also does research in Post Keynesian macroeconomics, broadly de …

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  (202) 885-3785

Last name starts with J

Alison Jacknowitz Interim Dean, School of Public Affairs SPA | Finance & Personnel Administration

Alison Jacknowitz is the Interim Dean of the School of Public Affairs (SPA) at American University and a Professor in the Department of Public Administrat …

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  (202) 885-2137

Kelly Jones Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Jones is an applied microeconomist and whose research focuses on evaluating the impacts of various economic policies and interventions on gender equality and welfare. She previously served a …

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Evan Kraft Economist-in-Residence CAS | Economics

Evan Kraft specializes in the economics of transition, monetary policy and banking issues. He served as Director of the Research Department and Adviser to the Governor of the Croatian National Bank. H …

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  (202) 885-3711

Last name starts with L

Nathan Larson Associate Professor CAS | Economics

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  (202) 885-3712

Dan Lin Professorial Lecturer CAS | Economics

Daniel Lin's areas of research are industrial organization, the theory of the firm, and the economics of political behavior. His focus is on the organizational evolution of the entertainment industrie …

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  (202) 885-3760

Douglas Little Adjunct Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Economics

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  (202) 885-6300

Robin Lumsdaine Professor KSB | Finance/Real Estate

Robin Lumsdaine joined the Kogod School of Business at American University as the Crown Prince of Bahrain Chair in International Finance. She was previously an Associate Director in the Division of Ba …

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  (202) 885-1964

Last name starts with M

Gabriel Mathy Associate Professor CAS | Economics

My research and teaching interest are currently focused on the macroeconomics of the Great Depression, and on macroeconomics and economic history more generally. I received my PhD and MA degrees from …

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  (202) 885-3708

Mieke Meurs Professor CAS | Economics

Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Meurs has recently taught Heterodox Microeconomics, Political Economy, and a Complex Problems course called What's It Worth? Her research and publicati …

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  (202) 885-3776

Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

  [email protected]

  (202) 885-3752

Last name starts with P

Michael Palmedo Adjunct Professorial Lect WCL - Info Justice/Intel Prop

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  (202) 274-4442

Walter Park Professor & Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, CAS PRES | Katzen Museum

Walter Park works on the economics of technology, growth, and development. He focuses, in particular, on intellectual property systems, R&D spending, multinational firms, and international knowledge t …

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  (202) 885-3774

Last name starts with R

Natalia Radchenko Assistant Professor CAS | Economics

Applied Econometrics Labor Economics

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  (202) 885-3709

Last name starts with S

Shirin Sabetghadam Professorial Lecturer SPA | Public Administration

Prof. Sabetghadam is a professorial lecturer and SoTL Fellow in the Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning at American University. She currently serves as a member of Quantitative Literacy Progra …

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Larry Sawers Senior Economist in Residence CAS - Economics

Professor Sawers research interests are Global Health and Economic Development. Much of his recent research has focused on costing health interventions.

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Xuguang Sheng Professor CAS | Economics

Xuguang Simon Sheng is a Professor of Economics at American University. His research interests include time series econometrics, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and business cycles. He has published i …

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  (202) 885-3782

Stephen Silvia Professor SIS | Politics, Governance & Economics

Dr. Stephen Silvia teaches international economics, international relations and comparative politics. He researches comparative labor employment relations, and comparative economic policy, with a focu …

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  (202) 885-2462

Nicole Smith Adjunct Professorial Lecturer CAS | Economics

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Ralph Sonenshine Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Economics

Professor Sonenshine is a Senior Professorial Lecturer of Economics at American University. Ralph combines an academic background in industrial organization, international economics, and economic hist …

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  (202) 885-3733

Paul Sullivan Associate Professor CAS | Economics

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  (202) 885-3905

Last name starts with T

Abebayehu tegene adjunct professor cas | economics.

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Last name starts with W

John Willoughby Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Willoughby has recently returned from a two-year stay in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates where he helped create an undergraduate economics program at the new American University of Sharjah. He …

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  (202) 885-3759

Jon Wisman Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Wisman teaching interests are: History of Economic Thought, Methodology, History, Introductory Macroeconomics.His research spans a broad spectrum of domains from history of economic thought …

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  (202) 885-3158

Last name starts with Y

Mahmud Yesuf Associate Professor CAS | Economics

Professor Yesuf’s expertise are development economics, natural resource and environmental economics, and applied micro-econometrics. His research focuses on the interface between economics and natural …

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Emeriti Faculty

• Donald Bowles , [email protected]
• Pham Chi Thanh , [email protected]

Ivy Broder Prof Emerita

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Maria Sagrario Floro Professor Emerita CAS | Economics

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  (202) 885-3139

Robin Hahnel Prof Emeritus

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Robert Lerman Prof Emeritus

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Howard Wachtel Prof Emeritus

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Scholars in Residence

Heidi Hartmann

Ariane Hegewisch

Anita Drever

Chante White

Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Affiliated with Our Info-Metrics Summer Program

John Geweke, University of Iowa, [email protected]

William Greene , New York University, [email protected]

Alastair Hall, University of Manchester & North Carolina State, [email protected] Manchester profile NC State profile

John Rust, University of Maryland, [email protected]

Eric Zivot , University of Washington, [email protected]

PhD in Health Economics & Outcomes Research

For the 2025 admissions cycle, GRE scores are required for all applicants.

Application Deadline: December 15, 2024

Upcoming phd information session:, thursday, october 17, 2024 at 9:00 am pacific time.

In this session, you can learn more about the application process, program structure, core competencies, career outcomes, and more. The session is led by Professors Anirban Basu & Josh Carlson. Register today! You can also watch the recording of our October 2023 information session here . Access the webinar slides. 

Opportunity

The CHOICE Institute at the UW School of Pharmacy teaches you how to influence health policy and how to advance your research all the while modeling excellence.

Our program offers an exceptional educational experience alongside highly engaged peers , faculty, and alumni . Our program is selective, accepting up to four new doctoral students a year. This allows for extraordinary access to our world-class faculty as well as peers who will challenge and engage you.

At UW, the six health sciences disciplines are co-located, allowing for innovative cross-discipline collaborations. Based in the biotech center of Seattle, The CHOICE Institute partners with numerous affiliate institutes, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation, and many more . Faculty and students in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, nursing, social work, and public health are uniquely positioned to take advantage of breakthrough research and medical technology opportunities.

Financial Support

Doctoral students admitted into the program are guaranteed to have their tuition funded for the first two years, through a combination of fellowships, research, or teaching assistantships. While students are responsible for securing the remainder of the funding for their program, funding opportunities are always available. See Funding Opportunities for more details. Research assistantship also provides health insurance at no charge for students; coverage is available for spouses and dependents for an additional fee. (You can find more information on the Graduate Appointee Insurance Program and other benefits through UW Human Resources .)

Students train in the academic disciplines essential to the comparative evaluation of medical interventions. This affects health outcomes as well as medication safety and effectiveness; students also train in the provision of economic value estimates and the applications of these to health policy. Students delve into pharmacoepidemiology and learn the importance of health technology assessment (HTA) in evaluating the consequences of different health technologies. The impact of these health technology evaluations is seen in fields across the board, from genomics to geriatrics.

CHOICE faculty, post-doctoral fellows and students conduct comparative effectiveness research, medication safety research and studies on the cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions and health insurance, allowing them to estimate value propositions and improve decision making by patients, clinicians, and policymakers, creating a more personalized medicine experience. The program is patient-centered and relies on real-world evidence and data science, allowing students to delve into the depths of pharmacoeconomics. Students learn from leaders in the field and each other, all while enjoying the vibrant Pacific Northwest as a backdrop.

Graduate training in the program prepares students for career opportunities in:

• Academic and big data research, informatics and teaching
• Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries
• Professional associations, health care insurance providers, and governmental agencies
• Health-systems and managed care organizations
• Non-profit organizations geared toward global health or pharmaceutical policy change

Prerequisites

• Students with master’s degrees in related fields such as epidemiology, economics, statistics, or public health are encouraged to apply. Students with professional degrees in pharmacy, medicine, or a health-related field who have strong quantitative skills are also supported.
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required, and special weight is given to exceptional scores on the quantitative and analytical portions.
• Other admission prerequisites include meeting the minimum Graduate School requirements. 

See Application Information for more detailed requirements and instructions.

Doctoral Degree Program Requirements

Students complete courses in the fields of biostatistics, clinical trial design and analysis, health economics, epidemiology, and health policy in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the complex and interdisciplinary environment of outcomes research as a foundation.

Total minimum credits required: 115

• Minimum of 73 credits of core coursework (47) and seminar (12)
• 27 dissertation credits
• 14 Elective Credits
• Independent Study

Milestones:

• Preliminary exams
• General Exam (dissertation proposal defense)
• Dissertation Defense

An overview of our core program can be found in the Gr aduate Student Handbook . 

PhD Program Brochure