Ph.D Economics

Ph.D Economics

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Economics is offered by the Jones College of Business at MTSU. The mission of the graduate program in economics is to provide students with advanced studies in economic theory and research methodology. The department's approach to these degree programs is global, interactive, and innovative. The Doctor of Philosophy in Economics requires completion of 64-105 semester hours, including a minimum of 51 hours of formal coursework and 13 hours of dissertation research. Students entering with a master's degree in economics may have up to 12 hours applied toward the 51 hours of formal coursework. Students must demonstrate competency in economic theory by passing the Qualifying Examination in microeconomics and econometrics at the end of the first year of study. An economics PhD is one of the most attractive graduate programs: if you get through, you have a high chance of landing an impactful research job in academia or policy. Academic economics is one of the best ways of conducting and promoting global priorities research. You have back-up options in the corporate sector since the skills you learn are in demand. You should especially consider an economics Ph.D. if you want to go into research roles, are good at math (i.e. quant GRE score above 165), and have a proven interest in economics research.

Career Path

Many MTSU economics graduates land good jobs thanks to open doors provided by faculty and their outreach to economics alumni. An aspect of training in the graduate program is grooming students for the job search and job interview to help with landing a job that suits the person's interest and skill set. Career opportunities for Ph.D. economics graduates can be found in areas such as Banking, Consulting, Government, Higher education, Insurance, Law, Manufacturing, Private business, Public service, Real estate, Risk management.