Haas Ph.D. Program
Curriculum
Business and Public Policy Curriculum
There are specific requirements for the doctoral program in each field of study. The faculty group can specify how certain departmental requirements are to be met and can add requirements or increase minimum standards. Optional courses may be taken in addition to the required courses, not instead of them. Students must consult with their field advisor to ensure that their choices make a sensible program.
All required courses are part of the "core."
Course Requirements
Summer Session:
-
Econ 204 (Pre-requisite for Econ 201A.)
I. First Stage of Coursework
Common core
Required:
- Econ 201A, Econ 201B (Economic Theory)
Options:
- Additional courses in economics or political economy
Basic Discipline
Required:
- Two doctoral level courses in the same outside department, usually Economics or Political Science
Options:
- Additional courses in any outside discipline
Research methodology
Required:
- PHDBA 297B (Behavioral Science)
- A methods course in the chosen basic discipline
Options:
- Additional methodology courses in any department
Field
Required:
- Econ 224 (Economics of Institutions)
- PHDBA 279A, PHDBA 279B, PHDBA 279C (BPP sequence)
Options:
- Additional courses in BPP or any course relating to the student's particular interests within the field
Students must complete the bulk of their coursework requirements by the end of their second year, including core BPP courses.
II. Written examination
The exam is taken immediately after completing the BPP field sequence and covers the material in those seminars. The exam consists of a paper and a two-day written test, and is usually administered during the month following the end of the student's second year.
III. Second Stage of Coursework
Required:
- PHDBA 297D (Applied Behavioral Science Methods)
- PHDBA 279S (Research Seminar in Business and Public Policy in each semester after the written exam.)
Options:
- PHDBA 602 or PHDBA 299A - independent studies
IV. Additional Requirements:
BPP students are also required to participate in IDS 270 Institutional Analysis from the second year on. They are strongly encouraged to audit the PHDBA 279S seminars from the first year.
Seminars
All students are required to enroll in, attend, and present their original research in the BPP student seminar, PHDBA 279S, from the fall of their second year in the program until they have graduated. The BPP group expects most dissertations to be completed at the end of the fourth year.
Oral examination
Students submit and defend their dissertation proposals in the oral qualifying examination not later than in the fall of their 4th year. The objective is to determine whether students have the intellectual capacity and academic preparation to complete the program. Successful completion of prior phases of the program and a well-defined research proposal are required.
Dissertation
A dissertation is the formulation and completion of a major research project and its written presentation. It is the last step in the program. The university has specific guidelines for completing the dissertation. A faculty committee reviews the dissertation as an ongoing process. The committee is chosen by the student and must consist of three or more faculty members, one of whom must be from an outside discipline. When all members are satisfied, they sign off on the dissertation to signify their approval. Then, the student files the work with the University.
