To qualify for a doctorate, a student must satisfactorily complete graduate studies totaling at least 72 points (at least 64 in residence at New York University), pass two Ph.D. qualifying examinations in microeconomics and macroeconomics, and fulfill the requirements for two fields of specialization, such as economic theory (including game theory), monetary theory and macroeconomics, political economy, econometrics, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, development economics, and experimental economics. Students must also write and present a third-year paper and, finally, defend an acceptable dissertation.
Course requirements are Mathematics for Economists I ECON-GA 1021, Microeconomic Theory I and II, ECON-GA 1023 and ECON-GA 1024; Macroeconomic Theory I and II, ECON-GA 1025 and ECON-GA 1026; Econometrics I and II, ECON-GA 2100 and ECON-GA 2101. Ph.D. students must also register for at least two 3000-level courses (advanced courses, seminar/workshops).
After completing their coursework and field requirements and submitting a satisfactory third-year paper, a student is asked to submit a formal dissertation proposal which serves as the basis for a preliminary oral examination. When the dissertation is completed and approved by three faculty members, a public oral examination is held, at which research results are presented and defended by the candidate before a faculty committee.