University of Delaware

  Ph.D. in Economic Education

A Joint Program of the Department of Economics

and the School of Education

 

Program Policy Document



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2009

GRADUATE PROGRAM POLICY STATEMENT FOR PH.D DEGREE IN ECONOMIC EDUCATION

Degree Requirements:  Students in the PhD program in Economic Education complete coursework in Economics and in Education as outlined below. In addition, all students must complete either an MA in Economic Education at the University of Delaware or satisfy a Master’s Equivalency requirement. 

Required courses in the PhD program are:

ECONOMICS: 
                ECON804 or ECON823; ECON820 and one approved elective                                       9
        
EDUCATION       
            Two of :    EDUC 860, EDUC 846, EDUC 863, EDUC 854  or approved electives                          6                   
            EDUC 840  Colloquium (2 terms)                                                                                                   2             

FREE ELECTIVES
            To be chosen from any graduate level courses with approval of advisor                    6

DISSERTATION COURSEWORK (ECON969 or EDUC969)                                                                     9

TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS                                                                                                                            32

Students must pass a comprehensive field exam in Economic Education administered by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education (CGSEE).  A faculty committee consisting of at least two members from each unit will be responsible for the writing and grading of the examination. The examination is graded as High Pass, Pass, or Fail. Students must receive a grade of pass or high pass. Students who do not pass this examination on the first attempt may retake it one additional time.

All students must register for and attend ECON890 (weekly department seminar) in two semesters and meet established course requirements.

Program Administration:  The PhD and MA programs in Economic Education are administered by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education (CGSEE), consisting of two faculty members from each unit appointed by the Chair of the Department of Economics and the Director of the School of Education. The Chair of the Department of Economics and the Director of the School of Education are ex-officio members of the committee. The chair of this committee will alternate between the two units on a three-year rotating basis.  This committee is charged with recruiting students to the program, making admissions decisions, and assuring that the program is administered in accordance with this policy document. 

Dissertation Committee.  The dissertation committee shall include three University faculty from the Department of Economics and the School of Education, with at least one member from each unit, and a fourth member from outside of the program. The dissertation advisor must be a member of the Department of Economics or the School of Education faculty. To be considered a Doctoral Candidate, a student must successfully defend a proposal outlining the nature of the work to be done for the dissertation. The dissertation must represent a significant advance in the body of economic knowledge and must be defended before the student’s dissertation committee and the University community.

Admissions Policies:  Students will be admitted to the program based upon enrollment availability and their ability to meet the following minimum recommended entrance requirements.

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
  • An officially reported GRE score. Students are normally expected to have a minimum score of 1100 on math and verbal sections combined.
  • An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • An officially reported minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based test) or 100 (iBT). Alternately, applicants may submit scores from the IELTS test; a minimum score of 7.0 is required.

 

  • A written statement of goals and objectives, including a statement that clearly identifies the applicant’s interest in the program.
  • Coursework in microeconomics and macroeconomics at the intermediate level or above and in statistics and mathematics (calculus) is expected.  Otherwise qualified students who lack this background may be directed to appropriate coursework to remedy this deficiency.

Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. Admission decisions are made by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education and are based upon a number of factors, including the applicant’s GRE scores, college transcripts, application essays and letters of recommendation.  Students are admitted into the Ph.D. Program in Economic Education in regular admission status only. 

Continuation in the Ph.D. program in Economic Education requires a Master’s degree in Economic Education from the University of Delaware, or its equivalent. The Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education determines master’s equivalency requirements on an individual basis at the time of the admissions decisions. Equivalency is granted only when a student provides evidence that courses fully equivalent to those required in the MA program have been taken and that mastery of the material has been achieved. The Department of Economics has sole authority to award equivalency for economics courses and the School of Education has sole authority to award equivalency for education courses.

Graduate Program Faculty:  The graduate program faculty includes all full-time, Department of Economics and School of Education faculty of the rank of assistant professor or above. Part-time faculty may be included at the discretion of the Chair, Department of Economics and the Director, School of Education.

Requirements for Graduation: Students must meet the University’s full-time residence requirement of at least one continuous academic year consisting of at least nine credits per semester and must complete their degree within the time limit established by the University. The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies provides guidelines governing a possible extension of the time limit for circumstances beyond a student’s control.

 

 

 

Degree Completion:

Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy:

Procedures for admission to Ph.D. candidacy are as specified by the Office of Graduate  and Professional Studies in the graduate catalog. Admission to candidacy must be obtained before the deadlines specified in the graduate catalog calendar. Responsibility for seeing that admission is secured at the proper time rests with the student, but must include the recommendation of the student’s dissertation committee and the chairperson of the department.

 Doctoral Dissertation:

A.      Dissertation Proposal

1.       It is the responsibility of the student to form a Ph.D. dissertation committee consisting of a chairperson and three additional members, one of whom must be from an outside department. The composition of the dissertation committee must be approved by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education.

2.       Faculty with joint appointments in the Department of Economics or the School of Education cannot serve as outside members of dissertation committees.

3.       Upon obtaining the written consent of the Department Chairperson or School Director, the student must notify the University Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs in writing of the composition of the committee.

4.       Overlap in membership between the Department’s Graduate Committee and the dissertation committee does not require those involved to disqualify themselves for respective action.

5.       Students who have completed all required course work but who have not been admitted to candidacy can register for Research (ECON 868 or EDUC 868). However, no more than three credits of Research accomplished prior to admission to candidacy can be applied toward the dissertation.

6.       The student must make an oral defense of approximately one hour of a written dissertation proposal before the student’s dissertation committee. The length and content of the written proposal is determined by the Chairperson of the dissertation committee. To be approved, the proposal must receive the unanimous support of the committee members. The Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education reviews all cases of students who do not pass the oral defense to determine whether or not the student is making sufficient progress to justify continuation in the doctoral program.

7.       Upon approval of the dissertation proposal by the committee, the student shall provide one copy of the proposal for his or her file in the department office. The proposal is to be signed by all members of the committee. In addition, the chair of the dissertation committee shall notify all faculty members by memo of the title of the proposal and the presence of the signed proposal in the student’s file. The chair of the dissertation committee will also notify the University Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs, who admits the student to formal candidacy. (Consult graduate catalog for specific time schedule for admission to formal candidacy).

B.      The Dissertation

1.       Changes in the membership of the dissertation committee require the approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education.

2.       The bibliographic form and style of the dissertation will conform with expectations of the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

3.       Copies of the Dissertation:

a.       one for the departmental archives;

b.      others as required by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies for University use; students should consult with the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies regarding dissertation guidelines.          

C.      Oral Defense of Dissertation

1.       All other requirements for the degree must be completed before the oral defense of dissertation is scheduled.

2.       The chairperson of the dissertation committee shall be responsible for scheduling the defense and for notifying the faculty and the University Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs three (3) weeks prior to the defense.

3.       The dissertation defense is administered by the dissertation committee.

4.       The oral defense is open to the public, but the right of voting is reserved  for the dissertation committee.

5.       Grading is on a pass or fail basis. A majority vote is required for any action. The Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education reviews all cases of students who do not pass the oral defense to determine whether or not the student is making sufficient progress to justify continuation in the doctoral program.

6.       It is the responsibility of the chairperson of the dissertation committee to notify the Director of Graduate and Professional Studies and the University Administrator of Graduate Student Academic Affairs of the decision of the dissertation committee.

Graduate Student Funding and Time Limits: Graduate student financial support comes from both University and non-university sources. Faculty graduate advisors are not obliged to provide financial support to students, nor does the Department or School guarantee financial support for the duration of a student’s program.

Financial aid is awarded on the basis of merit within the defined programs of study by the Department Chairperson or School Director in consultation with the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education. Support is awarded on an annual basis. Graduate students under contract are reviewed each semester for academic standing and progress toward the degree. Subject to limits imposed by available funds, the Department attempts to continue to fund those students progressing satisfactorily through completion of the normal degree period of three (3) semesters for the master’s degree and three (3) additional years beyond completion of the Master’s degree. Except for valid extenuating circumstances, financial support will not continue beyond this period.

Dismissal Policy:  The Department of Economics and School of Education adhere to the University policy for termination of doctoral students with the following specific exceptions. Students must terminate their studies for the doctorate if they are unable to pass any one of the preliminary examinations after three attempts or if they fail to make sufficient progress as determined on an individual basis by the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education.  If, in the opinion of the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education, the student is not making satisfactory progress, the student and the student’s advisor will be notified. The student will have the opportunity to meet with the Chairperson of the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education and/or Department Chairperson to discuss to Committee’s actions. Possible outcomes of this action include reassignment of the student to another faculty advisor or termination of the student from the graduate program.

Waiver Policy:  Students who seek a waiver of any of the above-mentioned policies must do so in writing to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Economic Education.