Graduate Programs

Through course work, participation in seminars and supervised research, the Ph.D. program in Economics trains students to conduct theoretical and empirical research at the highest level.

The work in the program is demanding and the standards of performance are high. The department's reputation for providing superb training has enabled its graduates to compile an excellent placement record, including major research universities, prestigious liberal arts colleges, government and international agencies, and private industrial, consulting and research firms.

The department faculty includes the editors of the Journal of Economic Growth, the Journal of Development Economics, the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, the Journal of Urban Economics and the Journal of Human Resources, among others; several fellows of the Econometric Society; several Sloan fellows; a Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association; and numerous associates and fellows of the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Center for Economic Policy Research.

The atmosphere in the department is highly collegial, and interaction among faculty members and graduate students is easy and extensive. The department hosts six weekly seminars (Economic Theory, Macroeconomics, Applied Microeconomics, and Econometrics, Development, Institutions, and Political Economy and Economics Growth), as well as parallel lunches and breakfasts for graduate student work in progress.

Additional Resources

The department maintains close links with the Population Studies and Training Center, which provides support for students doing research in population economics and economic development, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, which hosts an interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Development, the center for Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences, and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society.

Application Information

Application Requirements

GRE Subject:

Not required

GRE General:

Required

Dates/Deadlines

Application Deadline

Completion Requirements

Eight basic courses with a passing grade in these courses; seven advanced courses with grade of B or better; field exam; third–year poster presentation and research paper; seminar presentations; dissertation.

Alumni Careers

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Leadership

Department Chair
John Friedman
Director of Graduate Studies
Toru Kitagawa
Vice Director of Graduate Studies
Kellie Forrester

Contact and Location

Department of Economics

Mailing Address

Brown University
Box B
Visit the Department of Economics

Resources