Getting a PhD in Economics

Index

I n d e x admissions/applying to economics programs, 14–35; and department politics, 15–16; and department rankings , 17, 20, 23, 24, 27–31; grades/ coursework (undergraduate), 17, 19– 22; GRE, 14, 17–19; and international students, 46, 106; personal statement, 14, 26–27; recommendation letters, 14, 22–24, 33–34; research experience, 23–25, 32; social influences, 35. See also undergraduate preparation advisors/dissertation committee, 68–69; and employment opportunities, 118, 120; and job market timing, 115–16; oral exam, 69, 81–83; selection, 63, 78–81 Alston, Richard M., 134 ambition, 25 American Economic Association, 11, 69, 104, 117, 123–27 Amir, Rabah, 29 applying to economics programs. See admissions/applying to economics programs attrition rates, 93 bad reasons to enter economics Ph.D. programs, 4–6 Basalla, Susan, 95 Bellman techniques, 43 blogging, 20, 34, 137 careers of Ph.D. economists, 3–4, 80– 81, 137–41 Colander, David, 125 Coles, Peter, 122 Columbia University, 13 n.5 commitment, graduate school as, 8, 138 committee. See advisors/dissertation committee competition, 39, 59, 89 completion rates, 93 consumer theory, 41 core content of economics, 44–45 Council of Economic Advisors, 32 coursework. See under first-year courses; second year; undergraduate preparation curriculum vitae, 117–18 Debelius, Maggie, 95 Diploma programs in economics, 12 n.4 discriminatory behavior, 97–98, 99– 100, 103, 105, 111 dissertations, 68–69, 78, 82–83, 91, 139. See also advisors/dissertation committee ; research, independent diversity, 15–16 econjobmarket.org, 118 econometrics, 19, 38, 41, 43 emotional health. See mental/emotional health employment search/opportunities, 69, 114–35; “scramble,” 122; careers of Ph.D. economists, 3–4, 80–81, 137– 41; and department ranking, 28–29, 31, 35–36 n.1, 118–19, 134, 144 Index employment search (cont.) 135 n.1; failing to find a job, 132–34; flyouts, 119–20, 126–29, 131, 133; and grades, 56; and international students, 111–13; interviews (AEA meeting), 119, 121, 123–27; when to start looking, 115–17. See also job market paper; job market talk enrollment rates, 11, 12–13 n.5 European master’s programs, 9, 10 exams: first year, 53–54, 57–58; oral, 69, 81–83; second year, 66 experimental economics, 117 extracurricular activities, 54–56, 67 faculty members: and admission criteria, 15–16, 21, 27; admissions influence, 28–29, 30; and choosing a department, 31; and employment opportunities, 118–19, 126; and firstyear students, 59; and gender, 98, 99, 101, 103–4; international student relationships, 105, 109–10, 112; and job market process, 118–19; romantic relationships with, 90–91; and second-year students, 65; and sexual harassment, 101–3; student reputations with, 56; teaching assistant expectations of, 108–9; and working groups, 74. See also advisors/dissertation committee Federal Reserve Banks, 23, 32 fellowships, 15 finance programs, 12 n.3 financial aid, 15, 29–30, 55, 85–86 first year, 38–60; breadth of, 44–45, 62; difficulties, 38–40, 55–56, 59–60; exam preparation, 53–54, 57–58; importance of mathematics preparation for, 19–20, 42–44, 46–47; structure/ substance, 41–44; study strategies, 48–54; succeeding in, 45–48, 56; weeding-out process, 40, 57, 58–59 flyouts, 119–20, 126–29, 131, 133 game theory, 19, 41 gender. See women in economics programs general equilibrium theory, 41 good reasons to enter economics Ph.D. programs, 6–7 grades/coursework (undergraduate), 17, 19–22, 105–6 GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), 14, 17–19 Grijalva, Therese C., 27 Hamiltonian techniques, 43 Hansen, W. Lee, 12–13 n.5 Harvard Society of Fellows, 116 Harvard University, 12–13 n.5, 29 Holmes, Jessica, 125 ideas, research, 70, 72 independence, 70, 71–72 independent research. See research, independent international students, 97–98, 104–13; and employment, 111–13; faculty relationships, 105, 109–10, 112; language difficulties, 104–5, 106–8, 111; percentage of degrees awarded, 11; social support, 105, 110–11; teaching difficulties, 105, 107–9; technical preparation, 45–46, 105–6 intuition, 12 n.4, 42 job market paper: finding ideas for, 75–76; and group projects, 77; importance of, 115; improving, 125, 132–33; and literature, 124, 125; submitting, 117–18; when to finish, 116. See also employment search/ opportunities job market talk: at AEA interviews, 124– 25; at flyouts, 127, 128–29; improving, 133; relationship with paper, 116; as teaching preparation, 86. See also employment search/opportunities Job Openings for Economists (JOE), 117, 134 job search. See employment search/ opportunities Kalaitzidakis, Pantelis, 27...