Department of Economics (GRAD)
The graduate program in the Department of Economics prepares students for teaching and research careers in the fields of econometrics, financial econometrics, health economics, industrial organization, international finance, international trade, labor economics, microeconomic theory, quantitative macroeconomics. During the first year of the program, students concentrate on the core areas of econometrics, macroeconomics, and microeconomics. Later, each student chooses a field of specialization. The department's objective is to provide students both with broad training in economics and econometrics and in a chosen field of specialization.
A number of students supplement their study in economics at UNC–Chapel Hill with work in finance, statistics, mathematics, biostatistics, urban and regional studies, computer science, and operations research, along with courses at Duke University and North Carolina State University. Strong offerings in these and other related areas enhance the overall graduate training offered to students.
Fellowships and Assistantships
The department offers several fellowships and a number of research and teaching assistantships. All applicants to the Ph.D. program are considered for financial support, and most students enrolled in the Ph.D. program receive a stipend, tuition assistance, and health insurance from the Department of Economics or other sponsors for the first five years of the program. Detailed information regarding the fellowships, assistantships, and instructorships may be obtained on the graduate program web page in the department's website.
Courses
Numbered 700-999:
NOTE: Graduate standing in economics or permission of the director of graduate studies in economics is required for all courses numbered 700 or higher.
Master of Science
The Economics Department Master of Science (M.S.) degree is intended to complement Ph.D. programs from our and other departments. Students can obtain an M.S. while working toward a Ph.D. in economics or they may pursue an M.S. if they decide to leave the Ph.D. program early or they do not meet the requirements. In addition, students from other graduate programs at UNC–Chapel Hill may pursue an M.S. in economics while completing the Ph.D. in the other program. Note that our economics graduate program does not include separate M.S.- and Ph.D.-level courses. Thus, any student pursuing an M.S. through our program must have the background and qualifications to successfully complete Ph.D.-level course work. For these reasons, only applications from UNC–Chapel Hill graduate students currently enrolled in another primary degree program will be considered. The master's program does not consider candidates outside of these circumstances. Master's and doctoral students take the same courses in the first year; therefore, master's students must have competitive backgrounds similar to our doctoral students to do well in the courses.
The master's degree requires the following coursework:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 710 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory I | 3 |
| ECON 720 | Advanced Macroeconomic Theory I | 3 |
| ECON 700 | Basic Quantitative Techniques | 3 |
| One course in econometrics: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Econometric Theory | ||
| Econometrics | ||
| Advanced Econometrics | ||
| Two courses in a specialized field | 6 | |
| Three electives | 9 | |
| A research course: | ||
| ECON 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Courses are to be selected in consultation with, and with the approval of, the Director of Graduate Studies and the faculty in the field of specialization. In addition to coursework, a master of science student writes a research paper under the direction of the faculty advisor. The Graduate School Handbook describes the general requirements for the master's examinations and for the papers.
Doctor of Philosophy
A doctoral candidate must complete 16 Ph.D.-level courses and two semesters of the doctoral dissertation course (ECON 994). Unless otherwise specified by the faculty in the specialized field, at least 13 of the 16 courses must be from the Department of Economics. All courses must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Courses in the Fundamentals of Economics
The following eight courses or their equivalents are required:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 700 | Basic Quantitative Techniques | 3 |
| ECON 701 | Analytical Methods for Mathematical Economics | 3 |
| ECON 710 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory I | 3 |
| ECON 711 | Advanced Microeconomic Theory II | 3 |
| ECON 720 | Advanced Macroeconomic Theory I | 3 |
| ECON 721 | Advanced Macroeconomic Theory II | 3 |
| ECON 770 | Introduction to Econometric Theory | 3 |
| ECON 771 | Econometrics | 3 |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
Courses in the Field of Specialization within Economics
Each student selects a field of specialization. At least three (3) courses in the field of specialization are required. Current examples of field of specialization courses are available on the web page Field Specialization Requirements. Notice that these are only examples and new fields of specialization can be created by students under the supervision of a faculty member.
Courses in Supporting Fields
The remaining courses are supporting courses chosen by the student in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and other faculty members. The supporting courses may be within the field of specialization or in areas that complement the field of specialization.
Doctoral Exams and Dissertation
Students must pass qualifying exams in econometrics, macroeconomics, and microeconomics. Students are also required to produce and pass a field paper. The qualifiers are taken in June and August of the student's first year. Students have three opportunities to pass each of the exams they take.
The Graduate School Handbook describes the requirements for the doctoral oral exam, doctoral dissertation, and final oral defense of the dissertation. The doctoral oral exam includes an evaluation of the thesis prospectus.
The general regulations of The Graduate School apply to students receiving graduate degrees in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Professors
Gary A. Biglaiser, Microeconomic Theory, Industrial Organization
Anusha Chari, International Finance, Open-Economy Macroeconomics
Luca Flabbi, Labor Economics, Development Economics, Applied Econometrics
Jane Cooley Fruehwirth, Social Economics, Economics of Education, Public Economics
Neville R. Francis, Macroeconomics, Time Series
Eric Ghysels, Econometrics, Financial Econometrics
Donna B. Gilleskie, Health Economics, Applied Econometrics, Labor Economics
Peter Hansen, Econometrics, Time Series, Financial Econometrics
Lutz A. Hendricks, Macroeconomics, Human Capital, Economic Growth, Wealth Inequality
Jonathan B. Hill, Econometric Theory, Time Series Econometrics, Statistics
Fei Li, Applied Microeconomic Theory, Industrial Organization, Labor Economics
Brian McManus, Empirical Industrial Organization, Applied Microeconomics, Public Economics
Peter Norman, Microeconomics, Public Economics
Steven S. Rosefielde, Comparative Economic Systems
Jonathan Williams, Applied Econometrics, Industrial Organization, Applied Microeconomics
Andrew Yates, Environmental Economics
Associate Professors
Andrii Babii, Econometrics
Désiré Kédagni, Econometrics, Causal Inference, Development Economics
Sergio O. Parreiras, Game Theory, Microeconomics
Klara Peter, Labor Economics, Development Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Public Policy
Stanislav Rabinovich, Macroeconomics, Labor Economics
Can Tian, Macroeconomics, Searching and Matching Theory
Valentin Verdier, Econometrics
Assistant Professors
Marlon Azinovic-Yang, Macroeconomics
Jaden Chen, Microeconomic Theory
Marco Duarte Filho, Industrial Organization, Antitrust Economics
Qing Gong, Public Economics, Health Economics
Samuel Higbee, Econometrics
Andrés Hincapié, Labor Economics, Health Economics, Entrepreneurship
William Jungerman, Macroeconomics
Jacob Kohlhepp, Labor Economics, Microeconomic Theory
Yasutaka Koike-Mori, Macroeconomics
Can Urgun, Microeconomic Theory
Chuan Yu, Industrial Organization
Fixed-Term Faculty
Yinghsuan Chao, Macroeconomics
Christopher Handy, Applied Econometrics
Robert McDonough, Applied Econometrics, Labor Economics
Christopher Roark, Macroeconomics, Finance, Economics Education
Michelle Sheran-Andrews, Microeconomics, Labor Economics, Economic Statistics
Tugba Somuncu, Environmental Economics
Kalina Staub, Labor Economics, Gender Economics, Economics Education, Family Economics
Karen Ugarte Bravo, Econometrics, Health Economics
Geetha Vaidyanathan, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Monetary Economics, International Economics
Professors Emeriti
John Akin
Dennis R. Appleyard
Ralph Byrns
Patrick Conway
William A. Darity Jr.
Alfred J. Field Jr.
A. Ronald Gallant
David Guilkey
Dell B. Johannesen
James L. Murphy
Michael K. Salemi
John Stewart
Helen V. Tauchen
Boone Turchi
Roger Waud
James A. Wilde
Xiaodong Wu
Department of Economics
