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Economic Analysis and Policy Requirements 2009-2010

I. Preparation in Economics and Quantitative Methods

Economics. Admitted students are assumed to have a substantial background in economics. An undergraduate major in economics or mathematics or a graduate degree in economics or business administration suffices in most cases.

Quantitative Methods. All students are required to have, or to obtain in the first year, skill in the use of the following mathematical methods.

Topic	Course Level	Title
Calculus	MATH 41 and 42	Calculus
Linear Algebra	MATH 51 and MATH 113	Linear Algebra and Differential Calculus of Several Variables Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory
Analysis	MATH 115	Functions of a Real Variable
Probability	MS&E 220 or STATS 116	Probabilistic Analysis or  Theory of Probability
Optimization	ECON 181	Optimization and Economic Analysis
Statistics	STATS 200	Introduction to Statistical Inference

II. General Program Requirement (GPR)¹

All students must fulfill the general program requirement during the first two years of study. It is strongly recommended that the GPR be completed during the first year. Each course must be passed with a grade of P or B- or better. Interpretation of the LP grade will be determined on a case by case basis.

Note: Any changes to the General Program Requirement (GPR) or Field Course Requirement (FQR) will be "grandfathered." Students are responsible for fulfilling the requirements in place at the time they entered the program.

¹In rare cases, the Director of the PhD Program may waive a general program requirement for a student based on similar PhD-level coursework completed elsewhere.

² Substitutions as shown can be arranged through the doctoral liaison, in some cases, for students with prior background in the indicated topic.

III. Field Course Requirements

The following courses are required of each student. Each course must be passed with a grade of P or B- or better by the end of the second year.

Each student must complete 3 two-course sequences in topics in economics and related business fields. Examples are given below. These courses must be passed with a grade of B+ or P or better. If a course appears in more than one sequence, it may not be counted twice.

Other topics and course sequences may be proposed by the student.

Finally, students are required to achieve satisfactory grades (generally P or B- or better) in at least 16 doctoral-level courses related to economics. This includes courses in fulfillment of the above requirements. Reading courses with faculty may not generally be applied to the 16 course requirement.

The choice and composition of the three additional two-course sequences and the student's other coursework must be approved by the faculty (see below under Supplementary Requirements).

IV. Field Examination

The general field examination is given each year in June or July and is normally taken at the end of the student's first year in residence. Failure on the examination is cause for review of the student's record. A student failing this examination once or sometimes twice may be required to withdraw from the program.

V. Supplementary Requirements

By April 15 of the first year, students are required to submit for the approval of the faculty a study plan with a proposed course schedule for the second year that will meet all remaining course requirements.

Students are required to present an original paper on the second week of classes in the Fall quarter of their third year in the program.* The paper has to be an original and novel body of work that shows clear promise of developing into a dissertation. Presentations will be scheduled for 30 minutes with the possibility of extending this time if the student has an exceptionally large amount of material to cover. The papers and presentations will be graded by the faculty with a Pass/Fail grade. A student who fails will be provided with a second opportunity to complete this requirement (paper and presentation) within the third year. A failure in the second attempt will be considered sufficient cause for dismissal from the PhD program.

It is highly recommended that the students continuously consult their Faculty Advisor as their work progresses. All students are required to attend either the GSB Economics or Applied Microeconomics research seminars. These seminars expose students to new research and provide a sense of how the disciplines evaluate research.

* Revised Feb 02-03

VI. Candidacy

Students who have met all the requirements listed above and who the faculty believe are otherwise qualified to write an acceptable dissertation will be admitted to candidacy.

VII. Dissertation Research

All students must pass an oral examination on their proposed thesis topic.

VIII. Timetable

A student entering without prior graduate study is expected to complete the general program requirement, the major field requirement, and the field examination in two years. The field examination is normally completed at the end of the first year, but may be deferred one year. Major progress on the dissertation is expected in the third year, with the oral examination and thesis to be completed by the end of the fourth year. Students entering with prior graduate studies may complete the program in shorter time.

There are many other courses taken by PhD Students that are offered in departments outside the GSB, such as Computer Science, Economics, Management Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics. Descriptions of these course offerings can be found in the Stanford Bulletin, published by the Registrar's Office (650-725-1879).

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