Alexander Holmes, Chair
Cynthia Rogers, Graduate Liaison
329 Hester Hall
Norman, OK 73019-2103
Phone: (405) 325-2861
FAX: (405) 325-5842
Internet: http://www.ou.edu/cas/econ/
Professors K. Grier, Hartigan, A. Holmes, Kondonassis; Associate Professor Clark, R. Grier, Ju, Kosmopoulou, Rogers; Assistant Professors Burge, Demir, Keen, Lamarche, Liu, Mitra.
Information on both undergraduate and graduate programs is included. However, the general information contained in this section mainly covers undergraduate study. Please refer to the Graduate College section of this catalog for general information on graduate programs.
Both undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated their scholastic excellence are eligible for membership in this international economics honor society.
The College of Arts and Sciences awards the Robert Dean Bass Scholarship to students in political science and economics who plan on careers in government.
The College of Business Administration gives this award to the outstanding undergraduate or graduate student majoring in economics.
Selected undergraduates work as teaching assistants in discussion sections of core principles courses (macroeconomics, microeconomics, and statistics). Undergraduate T.A.’s receive three credit hours per semester taught. Cash stipends are awarded subject to availability of funds.
Students may major in economics either through the College of Arts and Sciences or the Price College of Business.
Students interested in majoring in economics through the Price College of Business follow the degree plan leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration which is described in the section of this catalog dealing with the Price College of Business.
The degree program leading to the Bachelor of Arts is offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. The major program requires 30 hours of major work in economics with at least 15 of these hours taken at the upper-division level. Economics 1113, 1123, 2843, 3113, 3133, and 4983 must be included in the major work. Mathematics 1743 or 1823, 2123 or 2423 are also required. Finance 3403 may be counted as major work in economics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Economics majors must earn grades of C or better in each course in the major work and major support requirements.
The minor requires at least 15 hours of major credit coursework in economics. At least nine of the 15 hours must be completed at the upper-division level. Subject to the approval of the Department of Economics, courses that are acceptable substitutes for the major are acceptable in the minor.
Industrial organization; international, development economics; and public economics.
Admission to the graduate program in economics is based on undergraduate academic records, letters of recommendation, and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants for the Ph.D. degree in economics, and the research track of the M.A. degree in economics are required to complete the following coursework prior to matriculation in the graduate program:
Applicants for the managerial economics track of the M.A. degree in economics are encouraged, but not required, to have previous coursework in economics, particularly intermediate microeconomics (price theory) and intermediate macroeconomics.
The Department of Economics offers the Chong K. Liew Scholarship, the A. J. Kondonassis Scholarship, and the Chairman’s Scholarship to graduate students in economics. Please contact the department for more information.
Each candidate for the Master of Arts degree in economics can choose the applied economics track or the managerial economics track. The applied economics track is designed to prepare students either for further graduate study leading to the Ph.D. degree in economics or for those technical positions in business or government that require a high degree of analytical competency. The managerial economics track is designed to equip students for entry into administrative and other positions in business or government. Candidates for both tracks may choose either a thesis or nonthesis program.
The nonthesis program for the applied economics track of the M.A. degree requires 36 semester hours. Courses include: ECON 5153, 5123, 5163, 5213, 5853, 6213, 6313, and 5233, 5313, 5243 and 5373. In addition, students must score a M.A. pass or better on the department’s economic core examination (see below).
The nonthesis program for the managerial economics track of the M.A. degree requires 32 semester hours. Courses include ECON 5023, 5033, 5073, 5940, and either 5043, 5373, 5833 or 5990.
In accordance with the requirements of the University, all master’s students must also successfully pass a comprehensive examination.
The requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics include the following:
The economics core consists of an economic theory and a statistics/ econometrics component. The following courses are required:
1. Microeconomic Theory: ECON 5123, 6213.
2. Math/Statistics/Econometrics: ECON 5153, 5213.
3. Macroeconomic Theory: ECON 5163, 6313.
4. Advanced Econometrics: ECON 5243, 6343.
The first three core course requirements will be completed during the first year in the graduate program. During the week prior to the beginning of the third semester a core examination is given over the contents of the economics core courses listed above. This examination is in three parts, microeconomic theory, macro- economic theory, and statistics/econometrics. All parts must be passed at the Ph.D. level (grades are Ph.D. pass, M.A. pass, fail). If any parts are not passed, that part or parts must be retaken during the week prior to the beginning of the fourth semester. The reexamination is automatically permitted.
During the week prior to the fifth semester a second core examination is given over the contents of the fourth course requirements and one field of specialization. Grades for this examination are Pass and Fail, and are assigned for each part. Both parts of the exam must be passed. One opportunity to retake the second qualifying exam is allowed during the week prior to the beginning of the sixth semester.
The fields of specialization are designed to develop an in-depth knowledge of the theory and literature in specific subject areas. Because they prepare the student to become an active researcher in those fields, they are potential areas for a dissertation. Two fields of specialization are required. Each student must choose their fields from the following areas: industrial organization, international economics, development economics, and public economics. To claim a field, students must successfully complete two courses in that field of specialization, and pass both a written and oral examination testing proficiency in the respective subject area. These written and oral examinations shall serve to satisfy the University’s general examination requirement.
Students must also pass a General Examination as required by the Graduate College. With special permission from the Graduate Program Director, the General Exam maybe taken during the semester following coursework completion, typically the spring semester of the third year. Students must form a five-faculty member Doctoral Committee prior to taking the General Exam. The general exam is given on approval of the Doctoral Committee. The General Exam consists of both a written and oral portion. The written exam is designed by the student’s Doctoral Committee to test the student’s mastery of his/her field of specialization and proposed dissertation topic. Committee members will provide guidance as to the material covered by the written exam. If the performance is adequate on the written exam, an oral exam will be scheduled. The General Examination is completed when the oral exam has been passed.
In order to facilitate the transition from formal coursework to dissertation research, each student is required to enroll in Economics 5960 during the spring semester of the third year. The student will select one professor to direct his/her study in this course. In most cases, this professor will be the faculty member who has agreed to serve as dissertation chairman. The objective of this course is to lead the student to define a dissertation topic.
After passing the field examinations, the student will prepare a written dissertation prospectus and submit it to the advisory committee. Upon approval of the prospectus, the student will undertake research on the approved dissertation topic. The department requires that the dissertation be completed and accepted and the final oral examination passed no later than five calendar years after the student successfully passes the field examinations.