Welcome to Grad Economics! 9/5/2017

Where Are We? Our main office is 301 Lake Hall. Professor Dickens (our department chair) is there. Prof. Wassall (graduate coordinator) is in 305 Lake Hall. All Economics faculty are located on the third floor of Lake and Holmes Halls, which are adjacent.

Our Graduate Programs We have an MA program; we admit 30-35 new students each year. Most students take 1.5 to 2 years to complete it. And a PhD program; we admit up to 6 students each year. Both programs are applied in nature. We emphasize applied work and student-student and student-faculty interaction.

Persons You Should Know Cheryl Fonville (c.fonville@northeastern.edu; 617-373-2872). Jacquaetta Hester (j.hester@northeastern.edu; 617-373-2882). Kathy Downey (k.downey@northeastern.edu; 617-373-2882). They all work in 301 Lake.

Emails You all should have received email addresses of the form lastname.f@husky.northeastern.edu. We will send emails to this address. If you use another email account, please set up forwarding.

Timing of Courses First-level doctoral theory and quantitative courses and most elective courses generally meet in the late afternoon or early evening. Doctoral second-level theory, quantitative, and field courses generally meet during daytime hours. All courses meet for 3 hours per week, usually in two 1.5 hour class sessions. Doctoral students with Teaching Assistantships are required to take at least two courses per semester.

The PhD Program in Brief Required theory and quantitative courses. Required field courses. Elective courses. Qualifying (theory) and comprehensive (field) exams. A dissertation. Field lunches, dissertation workshops, and a practicum course. Your exact curriculum will depend on whether you enter with a BA/BS or an MA.

Entry with a BS/BA: First Year In your first year, you complete the first-level theory and quantitative courses. In the fall semester: Mathematics and Statistics for Economists (ECON 5105) Microeconomic Theory (ECON 5110) Elective In the spring semester: Macroeconomic Theory (ECON 5120) Applied Econometrics (ECON 5140) The elective courses vary, and are rotated each year.

Entry with a BS/BA: Second Year In your second year, you complete the second-level theory and quantitative courses, and you begin the field courses. In the fall semester: Microeconomic Theory II (ECON 7710) Applied Econometrics II (ECON 7740) Elective In the spring semester: Macroeconomic Theory II (ECON 7720) Labor Market Analysis (ECON 7763) Framework of Industrial Organization (ECON 7771) In May: Micro and Macro qualifying exams

Entry with a BS/BA: Third Year In your third year, you complete the field courses, and take a field comprehensive exam. In the fall semester: Topics in Labor Economics (ECON 7764) Public Policy Toward Business (ECON 7772) Elective In the spring semester: Field comprehensive exam in January.

Entry with an Econ MA: First Year Generally, we waive the first-level theory and economics courses for students entering with an MA in Economics. You would begin your program by taking our second-level theory and quantitative courses, and then our field courses. In the fall semester: Microeconomic Theory II (ECON 7710) Applied Econometrics II (ECON 7740) Elective In the spring semester: Macroeconomic Theory II (ECON 7720) Labor Market Analysis (ECON 7763) Framework of Industrial Organization (ECON 7771) In May: Micro and Macro qualifying exams

Entry with an MA: Second Year In your second year, you complete the field courses, and take a field comprehensive exam. In the fall semester: Topics in Labor Economics (ECON 7764) Public Policy Toward Business (ECON 7772) Elective In the spring semester: Field comprehensive exam in January.

How Many Courses Do I Take? If you enter with a BS/BA, you need to take a minimum of 48 semester hours, or 12 econ courses: 7 required quantitative and theory courses 4 field courses 1 elective course If you enter with an MA, you need to take a minimum of 32 semester hours, or 8 econ courses: 3 required advanced quantitative and theory courses

Math Camp It consists of a week of intensive quantitative work in late August, followed by more work in September. Math camp is offered to doctoral students entering their second year (or immediately on entry, if they arrived with an MA in economics).

Comprehensive and Qualifying Exams All doctoral students must take qualifying (theory) and comprehensive (field) exams. There are qualifying exams in microeconomics and macroeconomics. The qualifying exams are offered in May, taken by students who have completed their Micro and Macro sequences the previous spring semester. They are offered a second time, in August. The comprehensive exam is in a field (Labor or IO) chosen by the student. It is offered in January, after students have completed their field course sequence the previous fall semester. They are offered a second time, in May.

Practicum Practicum is a course that doctoral students take after they have completed their qualifying and comprehensive exams. It introduces students to working economists, and what working in the profession is like.

Dissertation Every doctoral student must complete a dissertation. A dissertation formally begins after all courses and exams are completed, and a student has chosen a topic, formed a dissertation committee, and has made a proposal. Informal work may begin sooner. In economics, dissertations normally consist of three essays, which can be published.

Teaching Assistantships Every doctoral student is awarded a Teaching Assistantship for five years. In return, TAs are expected to work 20 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters (10 hours for first-year TAs). Duties involve grading, holding office hours, tutoring, and occasional research. Advanced TAs teach small weekly sections of large Principles of Economics classes, or may teach their own course.

Computing Resources at Northeastern There are several statistical, econometric, and mathematics software suites on NUNET, the university computing network. The entire campus is wireless. Room 310A Lake Hall has free computers for student use.

Departmental Seminars and Workshops There is a regular seminar series (about once every two weeks). There are job market seminars by candidates for positions in our department (usually January and February). Doctoral students are strongly urged to attend all seminars. In addition, there are Labor and Industrial Organization weekly lunches, where advanced doctoral students present their ongoing research.

Social We have an Economics Graduate Student Association. There also is a university-wide Graduate Student Association. There are many groups and clubs on campus, and many cultural and sports choices within walking distance of Northeastern. There are 35 colleges in Boston, 52 in the metropolitan area, including several world-class universities. Over 150,000 college students live in Boston. The MBTA allows you to extend your reach to Cambridge and inner suburbs.

Questions?