Requirements for the PhD

Graduate Program Requirements

The Master of Arts’ Degree requires (at least) 32 (thirty-two) credits in courses, while the doctoral program requires (at least) 48 (forty-eight) credits in courses. One credit is worthy  fifteen (15) hours / class. The duration of the Master of Arts program is 10 (ten) academic quarters and the Doctorate program is 18 (eighteen) academic quarters.

 

Master of Arts program

To obtain the master's degree students must complete 18 required credits and 14 elective credits. The usual load is three courses per quarter; this permits completion of twelve courses during the regular academic year. We present below the required courses for Master of Arts program:

Probability and Statistics (no credits);

Mathematics for Economists (no credits);

Microeconomics I, II and III (2 credits each);

Macroeconomics I and II (2 credits each);

Econometrics I and II (2 credits each);

Applied Macroeconomics to Brazil (2 credits);

Applied Microeconomics to Brazil (2 credits);

Elective courses may be selected from the courses of our graduate program courses as well as those offered by different programs of FGV and/or other graduate programs that have a previous agreement with our program. Enrollment in courses in those other graduate programs must be approved by the supervisors and the Director of graduate Studies.

 

Recommended Plan of Study

The recommended plan of study is as follows.

Year 1

Preparation Courses (January-February)

Probability and Statistics

Mathematics for Economists 

 

AUTUMN QUARTER (March-May)

Microeconomics I

Macroeconomics I

Econometrics I

 

WINTER QUARTER (June-July)

Microeconomics II

Macroeconomics II

Econometrics II

 

SPRING QUARTER (August-September)

Microeconomics III

2 Field Courses

 

SUMMER QUARTER (October-December)

3 Field Courses

 

Year 2

AUTUMN QUARTER (March-May)

Applied Macroeconomics

2 Field Courses

 

WINTER QUARTER (June-July)

3 Field Courses

 

SPRING QUARTER (August-September)

3 Field Courses

 

SUMMER QUARTER (October-December)

Applied Microeconomics

1 Field Course

 

In addition, students are required to register for the following 2 courses at appropriate stages of their study:

Research Seminar;

Dissertation Seminar.

 

Phd Program

The Department offers a program of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. The program includes courses and comprehensive examinations in the three "Core" subjects of Macroeconomics, Microeconomics and Econometrics. In addition to the Core, Ph.D. requirements include demonstration of competence in Specialized Fields of concentration and  the approval of a Thesis Proposal, and the completion of the Doctoral Thesis. The usual load is three courses per quarter for two years; this permits completion of twelve courses during the regular academic year. Phd candidates must complete 28 required credits and other 20 electives. We present below the required courses for the PhD. program:

 

Core Courses (First Year)

All students must take the following 14 core courses:

Probability and Statistics;

Mathematics for Economists;

Microeconomics I to IV;

Econometrics I to IV;

Macroeconomics I and II, and 2 out of the following 5 courses in macroeconomics: Macroeconomics III; Macroeconomics IV; Topics in Macroeconomics; Economic Growth; and Topics in Economic Growth.

 

Students entering the Ph.D. program are recommended to take the core courses during their first year of study in order to acquire a firm foundation for their subsequent work.

 

Second Year

Besides satisfying the core course requirements, each student must take 2 additional courses:

Applied Microeconomics;

Applied Macroeconomics.

 

Students must also take a minimum of 10 field courses. The following field courses are offered regularly at the school:

Monetary Economics;

Public Sector Economics;

International Economics I and II;

International Finance;

Industrial Organization I and II;

Advanced Microeconomics;

Economics of Education;

Labor Economics;

Development Economics I and II;

Structural Econometrics;

Microeconometrics I and II;

Topics in Time Series Econometrics;

Corporate Finance I and II;

Asset Pricing I and II;

Empirical Finance I and II;

Behavioral Economics I and II;

 

In addition, students are required to register for the following 2 courses at appropriate stages of their study:

Research Seminar;

Dissertation Seminar.

 

Third & Fourth Years

Students must decide on a thesis topic and present a proposal of their thesis at a dissertation seminar by the end of their third year. A student's presentation at a dissertation seminar is subject to approval by the faculty. A student whose presentation is not approved by the department's faculty must present again at a dissertation seminar in the following semester.

Students must complete their doctoral thesis by the end of their fourth year. The dissertation defense is a public lecture and a student must have his thesis approved by his/her dissertation committee.

Students are expected to attend the weekly department seminars during their third and fourth years.

 

Recommended Plan of Study

The recommended plan of study is as follows. Note that depending on their fields of interest and on the department's field course offerings in a given year, students may not be able to finish all their courses by the end of their second year.

 

Year 1

Preparation Courses (January-February)

Probability and Statistics

Mathematics for Economists 

 

AUTUMN QUARTER (March-May)

Microeconomics I

Macroeconomics I

Econometrics I

 

WINTER QUARTER (June-July)

Microeconomics II

Macroeconomics II

Econometrics II

 

SPRING QUARTER (August-September)

Microeconomics III

Econometrics III

Macroeconomics III or Economic Growth.

 

SUMMER QUARTER (October-December)

Microeconomics IV

Econometrics IV

Macroeconomics IV, or Topics in Macroeconomics, or Topics in Economic Growth.

 

Year 2

AUTUMN QUARTER (March-May)

Applied Macroeconomics

2 Field Courses

 

WINTER QUARTER (June-July)

3 Field Courses

 

SPRING QUARTER (August-September)

3 Field Courses

 

SUMMER QUARTER (October-December)

Applied Microeconomics

2 Field Courses

 

Year 3

Research Seminar and presentation of a Thesis Proposal Seminar.

 

Year 4

Completion of the Doctoral Thesis.